About This Quiz
In a regular season game at the start of the 2018 NBA season, Jamal Murray led the Denver Nuggets to a 115-107 victory over the Boston Celtics. As the clock wound down on the Nuggets' inevitable win, Murray decided to shoot one last shot.
The game was essentially over, but Jamal Murray was sitting on 48 points, and he wanted 50. He missed the shot, but the Celtics were upset anyway. Celtics star Kyrie Irving called him "thirsty" and chucked the game ball into the crowd so Murray couldn't keep a memento of his 48-point, career-high night. Needless to say, dropping 50 points in an NBA game is kind of a big deal.
When Michael Jordan returned to the NBA after playing baseball, the world was skeptical he'd ever be the same. That all changed in just his fifth game back. He dropped 55 points in Madison Square Garden and was officially declared "back." The half-century mark is one of the most sought-after single-game achievements in basketball.
Klay Thompson, one of the world's best shooters, called it "special." LeBron James, one of the world's best players, said it's "surreal." Many fans say it's awesome, and almost every player wants to do it. Can you name these current NBA players who have scored 50 or more points in a single game?
James Harden is one of the NBA's most prolific scorers, and he's set multiple scoring records. He has more 50-point games than any other active player by far. He scored two 50-point triple-doubles in the same season, and he's the only player in NBA history to record 50 points, 15 rebounds and 15 assists in a single game.
James Harden is the only active player with more 50-point games than LeBron James, but LeBron has a 51-point playoff game and Harden has never scored 50 in the post-season. LeBron is regularly considered the best active basketball player in the world.
Steph Curry has scored 50 points in multiple NBA games, and his career high is a 54-point game against the Knicks in Madison Square Garden. He's most known for his three-point shooting skills, and he hit 11 three-pointers in that game.
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Kevin Durant played most of his basketball in Middle America. He played college ball at the University of Texas and several NBA seasons with the Oklahoma City Thunder. He then played on the West Coast with the Warriors and is now on the East Coast with the Nets.
Devin Booker became just the sixth and youngest NBA player in history to score 70 points in a game when he did so in a 10-point loss against the Boston Celtics in 2017. He had only 19 points in the first half of that game.
There are only a handful of current NBA players who have scored 60 or more points in a game, and Thompson is one of them. Fewer than 30 players have ever done it in NBA history. Thompson once scored 52 points in just 26 minutes.
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Blake Griffin is one of the league's most unique players. He's a 6-foot 9-inch power forward who shoots three-pointers and is known for his dunking skills. After moving to Detroit, he scored 50 points in a one-point overtime win against the Philadelphia 76ers.
Derrick Rose was once the best player in the league, but an injury set him back. He eventually recovered and found himself playing point guard on the Minnesota Timberwolves. He got really emotional after his 50-point game.
Kemba Walker burst onto the basketball scene when he helped lead the UConn Huskies to the NCAA championship in 2011. He was drafted by the Charlotte Hornets later that year. He scored 60 points in an overtime loss to the 76ers in 2018.
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Giannis is more commonly known as the "Greek Freak," and he won the 2019 NBA MVP Award. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar dropped 10 50-point games while playing for the Bucks in the 1970s; Antetokounmpo has two 50-point games in his career so far.
Dropping 50 points in a game is cool, but when every single one of those points is essential to winning, it makes the feat that much better. LaMarcus Aldridge dropped 56 to beat the Thunder in double overtime. It was the first time in more than 10 years that a Spurs player scored 50 in a game.
Only a handful of players in NBA history have multiple 60-point games, and Damian Lillard became the sixth person to accomplish the feat. He has two 60-point games, and they're the only two in Trail Blazers' history.
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Before the LA Clippers were favorites to win the NBA championship, they were one of the league's worst teams. They lost to the Warriors for three years in a row, but that all changed when Lou Williams scored 27 points in the third quarter and 50 for the entire game. The Clippers won 125-106.
C.J. McCollum joined Klay Thompson on an exclusive list of NBA players who have scored 50+ points in less than 30 minutes. McCollum sat for the fourth quarter and shot nearly 75% from the floor during the team's victory against the Chicago Bulls.
DeMar DeRozan became the third player in Raptors history to drop 50 in a game when he did it on New Year's Day in 2018. The Raptors needed every point they could get, and they beat the Milwaukee Bucks 131-127 in overtime.
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John Wall and Bradley Beal make up one of the best back-courts in the NBA. However, Wall was out with an injury when Beal faced off against another formidable back-court in Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum, and Beal went off for 51 points. The Wizards beat the Trail Blazers in that game.
Anthony Davis scored a career-high 59 points back in 2016 against the Detroit Pistons. He was still playing in New Orleans and has accomplished the feat multiple times. He also scored 50 points in a game as a member of the L.A. Lakers.
Karl-Anthony Towns set his career high back in 2018 when he dropped 56 points and grabbed 15 rebounds in a 126-114 victory against the Atlanta Hawks. Towns holds the record for highest-scoring game in Timberwolves' history.
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Russell Westbrook's career high in scoring came in 2017 when he dropped 58 points in a 126-121 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers. He's most known for averaging a triple-double for an entire season, which he's done three seasons and counting.
DeMarcus Cousins started his career with the Sacramento Kings, and that's where he scored 56 points in a 128-129 loss to the Charlotte Hornets. He was later traded to the Pelicans for next to nothing and eventually returned to California, where he played for the Warriors and the Lakers.
Isaiah Thomas is just the fifth player in Celtics history to score 50 points in a regular season game. He's one of just 25 players in NBA history to score at least 50 points in a playoff game. Only six active NBA players have scored at least 50 points in a playoff game.
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Jimmy Butler went from junior college to university to first round NBA draft pick to NBA All-Star in a few years. As a member of the Chicago Bulls in 2016, Butler dropped 53 and grabbed 10 rebounds in a 115-111 win over his future team, the Philadelphia 76ers.
The University of Kentucky is one of the NCAA's premier one-and-done schools, and John Wall is the textbook definition of a one-and-done player. He was drafted No.1 overall by the Washington Wizards and has played his entire career in the capital. His career high is 52 points, in 2016.
Along with LeBron James and Kevin Love, Kyrie Irving helped lead the Cleveland Cavaliers to an NBA championship against the best team in NBA history. He scored a career high 57 points in a three-point win against the San Antonio Spurs in 2015.
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Carmelo Anthony was drafted in the same class as LeBron James. Unlike LeBron, Anthony attended college and won the NCAA championship his freshman season. He joined a short list of players who have scored 60 points in a game when he dropped 62 against the Charlotte Bobcats in 2014.
It's never great to get your individual career high during a loss, but it happens. Terrence Ross dropped 51 points for the Toronto Raptors in a 118-126 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers in 2014. Ross now plays with the Orlando Magic.
Before Kevin Love helped the Cavs win a championship, he was setting records in Minnesota. He scored a career-high 51 points in a double overtime loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2012. Two years earlier he had a legendary 30-30 game where he scored 31 points and grabbed 31 rebounds.
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Vince Carter scored 51 points as a member of the New Jersey Nets and years earlier as a member of the Toronto Raptors. He holds the Toronto record for most points scored in a game. He also scored 50 points in a playoff game, which is another Toronto franchise record.
D'Angelo Russell was drafted No. 2 overall in the 2015 NBA Draft but only played two seasons with the L.A. Lakers. He was traded to Brooklyn, where he played another two seasons, and then he went back to California, playing for the Golden State Warriors. In February 2020, he added a third state to his list, joining the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Deron Williams was the No. 3 overall pick in the 2005 NBA Draft and was once one of the best point guards in the league. He later joined the New Jersey/Brooklyn Nets, where he scored 57 points in a three-point win against the Charlotte Bobcats.
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