Scoring 70 points in an NBA game was once almost unthinkable, but the club has grown, and in March 2026 it got a new second-place name. Here are the 10 players with the highest single-game point totals, counting each player’s best game once.
- Wilt Chamberlain, 100 (1962). On March 2, 1962, he scored 100 for the Philadelphia Warriors in a 169-147 win over the Knicks, in Hershey, Pennsylvania. It remains the record and has stood for more than six decades.
- Bam Adebayo, 83 (2026). On March 10, 2026, the Heat center scored 83 against the Wizards, the second-highest total in NBA history. His previous career high was 41.
- Kobe Bryant, 81 (2006). On January 22, 2006, he scored 81 in the Lakers’ 122-104 win over the Raptors. He had been the closest to Chamberlain for two decades.
- Luka Doncic, 73 (2024). On January 26, 2024, he scored 73 for the Mavericks in a 148-143 win at Atlanta, the highest total since Bryant’s 81.
- David Thompson, 73 (1978). On April 9, 1978, he scored 73 for the Nuggets in a loss at Detroit, chasing the scoring title that George Gervin took with 63 that night.
- Damian Lillard, 71 (2023). He scored 71 for the Trail Blazers against the Rockets on February 26, 2023.
- David Robinson, 71 (1994). On April 24, 1994, he scored 71 for the Spurs against the Clippers on the last night of the season.
- Elgin Baylor, 71 (1960). He scored 71 for the Lakers against the Knicks on November 15, 1960.
- Donovan Mitchell, 71 (2023). He reached 71 in a game that went into overtime.
- Devin Booker, 70 (2017). On March 24, 2017, he scored 70 for the Suns in a loss to Boston. Joel Embiid also hit 70 in 2024.
Chamberlain actually owns several of the top games, with 78, 73 and 73 on the list, but each player appears once above. For more on the all-time marks, read our look at NBA records that may never be broken, and for today’s scoring race see Luka Doncic.
Sources: NBA.com, ESPN, Olympics.com, Flashscore, Land of Basketball.