Prior to last season, only one player had reached 70 points in a game since Kobe Bryant scored 81 in 2006. That was Devin Booker, who scored 70 in a defeat against the Boston Celtics in 2017.  In the last two seasons, four different players have reached or eclipsed that figure, signifying the leap in offensive talent that the NBA has seen in recent years.  Fifty and sixty point games have become more common, and plenty of different players are enjoying success. Here are the top 5 scoring performances from this season so far.

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Luka Doncic – 73 points

Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic is the league’s leading scorer with 33.9 points per game.  His numbers this season have been absurd, including 13 games in which he has scored 40 points or more.  However, his most impressive performance was a 73-point outing against the Atlanta Hawks, in which the Mavericks came away with a 148-143 win.

This fixture has always been a highly anticipated one with the competition between Doncic and Hawks guard Trae Young, following their draft day trade in 2018.  It was Doncic who took all the headlines this time, though, as he broke his previous career-high of 60 points. His 73 points tied Wilt Chamberlain and David Thompson for the fourth-highest scoring game in history. He did so in an incredibly efficient manner, shooting 75.8% from the field, as well as knocking down eight three-pointers.  In addition, he recorded 10 rebounds and seven assists, making history as no NBA player had accumulated as many points, rebounds and assists as he did in one game.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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Joel Embiid – 70 points

Last season’s MVP Joel Embiid had held the record of this season’s highest points total for just three days before it was surpassed by Doncic. With 70 points, he led his Philadelphia 76ers side to a 133-123 win over Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs.

The conversations before the game were all about the exciting matchup between Embiid and Wembanyama, but the former absolutely dominated in all facets of the game to urge his side to victory. It was a historical night for him and the 76ers, as the center broke a 57-year long franchise scoring record which stood at 68 points, held by none other than Wilt Chamberlain. There was also some personal milestones for Embiid as not only did he obliterate his previous career-high of 58 points, but he also achieved a career-high in rebounds with 18. 

Unfortunately for Embiid, injury has hampered his season, one in which he was a serious candidate to win a second consecutive MVP award. However, he is now back as he and his team hope to make a deep run in the post-season.

Giannis Antetokounmpo – 64 points

It should be no surprise that one of the most dominant players in the league has made it on to this list. In the Milwaukee Bucks’ 140-126 victory over the Indiana Pacers, Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 64 points, with 14 rebounds. He also went 24/32 from the free-throw line, which was also a career high for attempts. Incredibly, 26 of his total points came in the fourth quarter, before the game got out of hand and he and his fellow starters were able to rest for the remainder.

It seems the Pacers are a favourable opponent for Antetokounmpo, with this 64-point outing the third time in his career he has recorded 50 points or more against them.  He also has two of the top three scoring records in Bucks history, with the other being a 55-point effort against the Washington Wizards in January 2023.

However, the game will perhaps mostly be remembered for the events afterwards, in which an altercation occurred over who would keep the game ball.  This happened after Pacers rookie Oscar Tshiebwe scored his first regular-season points, and the team took the ball to keep for him.  As a result, this angered Antetokounmpo, who wanted it for his achievement. It was later reported as a misunderstanding, and the Bucks star did eventually receive the ball.

Devin Booker – 62 points

Devin Booker is the only player on this list to not achieve a new career-high this season. Of course, that belongs to his famous 70-point performance against the Celtics in 2017. However, just like that night, his efforts came in a defeat, as the Phoenix Suns fell 133-131 in a close game at the Pacers. Though this was no slight on Booker, as he did everything he could to will his side to a win, but they fell just short as their hosts rallied back from a 17-point deficit. The Suns’ all-star guard has one of the purest shots in the league, and his full arsenal was on display on this night in January, as he made 22 of his 37 shots, as well as draining six three-pointers. 

It was clear that it would be a special night for Booker when he totalled 29 points in the first quarter alone, a figure which broke his previous Suns record for points in a single quarter.  He also broke the record for most points in the Gainbridge Fieldhouse, the home of the Pacers.  He now holds the scoring record in four different arenas, including the Footprint Center, TD Garden and Vivint Arena.

Karl-Anthony Towns – 62 points

By scoring 62 points against the Charlotte Hornets, Karl-Anthony Towns broke a Minnesota Timberwolves franchise record for points scored, and became the seventh player in NBA history to produce multiple 60-point games.  He scored 60 points in a game against the Spurs in 2021.

It was a fantastic offensive game from Towns, as he shot an efficient 60% from the field, as well as draining 10 threes, another career-high. He also secured eight rebounds. However, it was not a night of celebration for Towns, as his special achievement was marred by a stunning defeat to the lowly Hornets, in which his side collapsed defensively in the late stages of the game. This led to an incredible outburst by his head coach Chris Finch after the game, in which he lamented his side for their ‘disgusting performance of defense’ and ‘immature basketball’. 

Towns struggled in the fourth quarter, scoring just four points as his team was outscored by 18. Finch agreed that the star was trying to ‘hunt’ for points, and ended up being benching him for a brief period in crunch time.