Who has the most points in a game in NBA history? Full list of player leaderboard originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
March 10, 2026, was a historic day in the NBA.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementIn Miami’s 150-129 win over Washington, Bam Adebayo erupted for a staggering 83 points, 9 rebounds, and 3 assists. In a display of offensive dominance that rewrote the modern record books, Adebayo officially surpassed Kobe Bryant’s iconic 81-point performance for the second-highest scoring game in NBA history.
It marks only the second time in league history that a player has eclipsed the 81-point threshold, a feat many believed was untouchable in the modern era. Adebayo’s relentless pursuit of history began early with a 31-point first quarter, and by the final buzzer, he had moved past the "Black Mamba" to claim the highest individual scoring output of the 21st century.
While several stars have reached the 70-point mark in recent years, Adebayo is now the only player other than Wilt Chamberlain to score at least 82 points in a single game. In doing so, he shattered LeBron James’ franchise record and established himself as the owner of the most prolific scoring night in the NBA in over 60 years.
Here's the complete list of the most points in an NBA game.
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Who has the most points in a game in NBA history?
Wilt Chamberlain holds the record for most points scored in an NBA game with 100. Adebayo is second after his 83-point outburst, which passed Kobe Bryant's famous 81.
Other than Chamberlain, Adebayo and Bryant, the only players in NBA history who have scored 70 points in an NBA game are David Thompson (73), Elgin Baylor (71), David Robinson (71), Donovan Mitchell (71), Damian Lillard (71), Devin Booker (70) and Embiid (70).
Chamberlain is the only player in NBA history with multiple 70-point games. He had six such games in his career.
Rank
Player
Points
Year
1.
Wilt Chamberlain
100
1962
2.
Bam Adebayo
83
2026
3.
Kobe Bryant
81
2006
4.
Wilt Chamberlain
78
1961
T-5.
Wilt Chamberlain
73
1962
T-5.
Wilt Chamberlain
73
1962
T-5.
David Thompson
73
1978
8
Wilt Chamberlain
72
1962
T-9.
Elgin Baylor
71
1960
T-9.
David Robinson
71
1994
T-9
Donovan Mitchell
71
2023
T-9.
Damian Lillard
71
2023
T-13
Joel Embiid
70
2024
T-13.
Devin Booker
70
2017
T-13.
Wilt Chamberlain
70
1963
16.
Michael Jordan
69
1990
Mitchell and Lillard have the highest-scoring games among active players with 71 points, while Booker and Embiid are right behind them with 70. A number of active players have scored 60 points in a game, including James Harden, LeBron James and Bradley Beal.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAt the age of 20, Booker is also the youngest player ever to score 60 points in a game. The oldest? Bryant, at 37.
Fun fact: Kevin Durant, who has the fourth-highest career scoring average in NBA history, has never scored 60 points in a game. His career high is 55 points.
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