Basketball Records

The 24 NBA players that scored 60 points or more in a game (updated)

by Will Harney Views: 2193

Ok we all know that Wilt scored 100 and Kobe dropped 81 but who are the other players that have scored the most points in a single NBA game? When we decided to create a list of these players, we didn’t want a list that would be too long or too short, so we made the cutoff for “most points scored” at a minimum of 60 points in one game.

Most Points Scored by One NBA Player (Minimum 60pts)

You be surprised by how many times 60 or more points have been scored in the NBA. I know I was. In all, there has been 67 times when an NBA player has scored sixty or more points in a single NBA game. Of those 66 67 times, there has been just 24 different players in that list.

And only four players ever in NBA history have done it multiple times: Wilt Chamberlain, Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, and Elgin Baylor. That’s quite an exclusive club.

Players That Have Scored 60+ Points Multiple Times
Player Times
Wilt Chamberlain 32
Kobe Bryant 6
Michael Jordan 5
Elgin Baylor 4

So yes, this list would be much shorter if Wilt wasn’t on it. The legendary big man makes up nearly half the instances of 60 point games — numbering 32 of the 67 total times ever. Kobe comes in second place with Jordan in third. And to emphasize the higher intensity of the NBA playoffs, only twice has a player scored 60+ points in a playoff game (and Wilt wasn’t either of those times).

Full List of NBA Players With Most Points in a Game
Rank Points Player Date Team Opponent Score W/L
1 100 Wilt Chamberlain* 2-Mar-62 Philadelphia Warriors New York Knicks 169–147 W
2 81 Kobe Bryant 22-Jan-06 Los Angeles Lakers Toronto Raptors 122–104 W
3 78 Wilt Chamberlain* 8-Dec-61 Philadelphia Warriors Los Angeles Lakers 147–151 L
4 73 Wilt Chamberlain* 13-Jan-62 Philadelphia Warriors Chicago Packers 135–117 W
4 73 Wilt Chamberlain* 16-Nov-62 San Francisco Warriors New York Knicks 127–111 W
4 73 David Thompson* 9-Apr-78 Denver Nuggets Detroit Pistons 137–139 L
7 72 Wilt Chamberlain* 3-Nov-62 San Francisco Warriors Los Angeles Lakers 115–127 L
8 71 Elgin Baylor* 15-Nov-60 Los Angeles Lakers New York Knicks 123–108 W
8 71 David Robinson* 24-Apr-94 San Antonio Spurs Los Angeles Clippers 112–97 W
10 70 Wilt Chamberlain* 10-Mar-63 San Francisco Warriors Syracuse Nationals 148–163 L
10 70 Devin Booker 24-Mar-17 Phoenix Suns Boston Celtics 120-130 L
11 69 Michael Jordan* 28-Mar-90 Chicago Bulls Cleveland Cavaliers 117–113 W
12 68 Wilt Chamberlain* 16-Dec-67 Philadelphia 76ers Chicago Bulls 143–123 W
12 68 Pete Maravich* 25-Feb-77 New Orleans Jazz New York Knicks 124–107 W
14 67 Wilt Chamberlain* 9-Mar-61 Philadelphia Warriors New York Knicks 135–126 W
14 67 Wilt Chamberlain* 17-Feb-62 Philadelphia Warriors St. Louis Hawks 121–128 L
14 67 Wilt Chamberlain* 25-Feb-62 Philadelphia Warriors New York Knicks 135–149 W
14 67 Wilt Chamberlain* 11-Jan-63 San Francisco Warriors Los Angeles Lakers 129–134 L
18 66 Wilt Chamberlain* 9-Feb-69 Los Angeles Lakers Phoenix Suns 134–116 W
19 65 Wilt Chamberlain* 13-Feb-62 Philadelphia Warriors Cincinnati Royals 132–152 L
19 65 Wilt Chamberlain* 27-Feb-62 Philadelphia Warriors St. Louis Hawks 147–137 W
19 65 Wilt Chamberlain* 7-Feb-66 Philadelphia 76ers Los Angeles Lakers 132–125 W
19 65 Kobe Bryant 16-Mar-07 Los Angeles Lakers Portland Trail Blazers 116–111 W
23 64 Elgin Baylor* 8-Nov-59 Minneapolis Lakers Boston Celtics 136–115 W
23 64 Rick Barry* 26-Mar-74 Golden State Warriors Portland Trail Blazers 143–120 W
23 64 Michael Jordan* 16-Jan-93 Chicago Bulls Orlando Magic 124–128 L
26 63 Joe Fulks* 10-Feb-49 Philadelphia Warriors Indianapolis Jets 108–87 W
26 63 Elgin Baylor* 8-Dec-61 Los Angeles Lakers Philadelphia Warriors 151–147 W
26 63 Jerry West* 17-Jan-62 Los Angeles Lakers New York Knicks 129–121 W
26 63 Wilt Chamberlain* 14-Dec-62 San Francisco Warriors Los Angeles Lakers 118–120 L
26 63 Wilt Chamberlain* 26-Nov-64 San Francisco Warriors Philadelphia 76ers 117–128 W
26 63 George Gervin* 9-Apr-78 San Antonio Spurs New Orleans Jazz 132–153 L
26 63 Michael Jordan* 20-Apr-86 Chicago Bulls Boston Celtics 131–135 L
33 62 Wilt Chamberlain* 14-Jan-62 Philadelphia Warriors Boston Celtics 136–145 L
33 62 Wilt Chamberlain* 17-Jan-62 Philadelphia Warriors St. Louis Hawks 136–130 W
33 62 Wilt Chamberlain* 21-Jan-62 Philadelphia Warriors Syracuse Nationals 139–132 W
33 62 Wilt Chamberlain* 29-Jan-63 San Francisco Warriors New York Knicks 123–103 W
33 62 Wilt Chamberlain* 15-Nov-64 San Francisco Warriors Cincinnati Royals 122–106 W
33 62 Wilt Chamberlain* 3-Mar-66 Philadelphia 76ers San Francisco Warriors 135–125 W
33 62 Tracy McGrady 10-Mar-04 Orlando Magic Washington Wizards 108–99 W
33 62 Kobe Bryant 20-Dec-05 Los Angeles Lakers Dallas Mavericks 112–90 W
33 62 Carmelo Anthony^ 24-Jan-14 New York Knicks Charlotte Bobcats 125–96 W
42 61 George Mikan* 20-Jan-52 Minneapolis Lakers Rochester Royals 91–81 W
42 61 Wilt Chamberlain* 9-Dec-61 Philadelphia Warriors Chicago Packers 135–113 W
42 61 Wilt Chamberlain* 22-Feb-62 Philadelphia Warriors St. Louis Hawks 139–121 W
42 61 Wilt Chamberlain* 28-Feb-62 Philadelphia Warriors Chicago Packers 128–119 W
42 61 Elgin Baylor* 14-Apr-62 Los Angeles Lakers Boston Celtics 126–121 —
42 61 Wilt Chamberlain* 21-Nov-62 San Francisco Warriors Cincinnati Royals 139–143 L
42 61 Wilt Chamberlain* 11-Dec-62 San Francisco Warriors Syracuse Nationals 136–124 W
42 61 Wilt Chamberlain* 18-Dec-62 San Francisco Warriors St. Louis Hawks 130–110 W
42 61 Michael Jordan* 4-Mar-87 Chicago Bulls Detroit Pistons 125–120 W
42 61 Michael Jordan* 16-Apr-87 Chicago Bulls Atlanta Hawks 114–117 L
42 61 Karl Malone* 27-Jan-90 Utah Jazz Milwaukee Bucks 144–96 W
42 61 Shaquille O'Neal* 6-Mar-00 Los Angeles Lakers Los Angeles Clippers 123–103 W
42 61 Kobe Bryant 2-Feb-09 Los Angeles Lakers New York Knicks 126–117 W
42 61 LeBron James 3-Mar-14 Miami Heat Charlotte Bobcats 124–107 W
56 60 Wilt Chamberlain* 1-Dec-61 Philadelphia Warriors Los Angeles Lakers 138–117 W
56 60 Wilt Chamberlain* 29-Dec-61 Philadelphia Warriors Los Angeles Lakers 123–118 W
56 60 Wilt Chamberlain* 26-Jan-69 Los Angeles Lakers Cincinnati Royals 126–113 W
56 60 Bernard King* 25-Dec-84 New York Knicks New Jersey Nets 114–120 W
56 60 Larry Bird* 12-Mar-85 Boston Celtics Atlanta Hawks 126–115 W
56 60 Tom Chambers 24-Mar-90 Phoenix Suns Seattle SuperSonics 121–95 W
56 60 Allen Iverson* 12-Feb-05 Philadelphia 76ers Orlando Magic 112–99 W
56 60 Gilbert Arenas 17-Dec-06 Washington Wizards Los Angeles Lakers 147–141 W
56 60 Kobe Bryant 22-Mar-07 Los Angeles Lakers Memphis Grizzlies 121–119 W
56 60 Kobe Bryant 13-Apr-16 Los Angeles Lakers Utah Jazz 101–96 W
56 60 Klay Thompson^ 5-Dec-16 Golden State Warriors Indiana Pacers 142–106 W

This post came at a good time because of Devin Booker‘s recent 70 point outburst on March 24, 2017. Booker’s accomplishment was rare in that it’s one of 11 times when an NBA player scored 70 or more points as well as one of the rare losses.

From Jordan to Wilt, Kobe and The Mailman, Iverson and McGrady, Gervin and West, this list is truly a who’s who of the most explosive scorers in NBA history. The only big time scorers missing from this list are Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Dirk Nowitzki and Moses Malone.

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