"Basketball god" Michael Jordan has retired twice, before and after several seasons of delays, but despite this, he has won the scoring title in ten of his 15 seasons, which is a record that can almost be said to be unprecedented.
Jordan won the 1989-90 game against the Cleveland Cavaliers through overtime, and Jordan once again performed a miracle in this campaign, slashing 69 points, 18 rebounds and 6 assists, creating a career-high single-game score in the regular season, unfortunately missing 70+ points in a single game.
The NBA League has different offensive rhythms and rules of play in various eras, such as the current small ball era to pursue the ultimate rapid offense, so the team's score of 100 rounds has been greatly improved, but it is not so easy for players to cut high scores in a single game, perhaps the team super scorers can cut 40+, 50+ single-game scores from time to time, but it is very difficult to cut 60+ points.
Today, let's take a look at the highest single-game scoring scores of the previous scoring kings since the 21st century:
Joel Embiid 50 points
Embiid, the 2021-22 leading scorer, was the first interior player to win the scoring championship after Shaquille O'Neal in 1999-00, averaging 30.6 points per game in the season, which is a rare thing for an interior player to score so high in today's small-ball era.
However, Embiid's highest single-game score is not so eye-catching, with a single-game high of only 50 points, and twice in his career.
- On February 20, 2021, Embiid played for the Philadelphia 76ers against the Chicago Bulls, playing 35 minutes, shooting 17-of-26 and 15-of-17 from the free throw line, with 50 points, 17 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals and 4 blocks.
- On January 20, 2022, Embiid represented the Philadelphia 76ers against the Orlando Magic, playing just 27 minutes, shooting 17-of-23, 15-of-17 free throws, and scoring 50 points and 12 rebounds.
It is worth mentioning that Embiid scored 50 points for the second time in a single game with only 27 minutes, if he plays one more quarter, he may be able to exceed 60+, which is enough to see his lethality of "the emperor goes out and does not grow grass".
Kevin Durant 55 points
"Grim Reaper" Durant has been awarded the title of scoring champion for four seasons, namely in the 2009-10, 2010-11, 2011-12, 2013-14 seasons, which shows how strong his scoring ability is, and he has always been in the league and is also regarded as a scoring killer, with no dead angle scoring fire coverage.
However, it is very surprising that Durant's highest single-game score is only 55 points, ranking second from the bottom in the single-game scoring of any previous leading scorer in the 21st century, which is really incredible, and it is the lowest of the thunder's three youngsters.
- On April 3, 2022, Durant wore a Brooklyn Nets jersey against the Atlanta Hawks, shooting 19 of 28 from the field, including 8 of 10 three-pointers, and 55 points set a career high.
It is worth mentioning that Durant's previous highest single-game scoring was 54 points, which was created in 2014 during the Oklahoma Thunder.
Dwayne Wade 55 points
"The Flash" Wade, as the first player to lead the team to win the championship in the 2003 Platinum Draft, his lost lightning breakthrough made opponents invincible, in addition to attacking and defending, he was the most capable short guard in the league, and he was crowned the season scoring champion with an average of 30.2 points per game in the 2008-09 season.
Wade's highest single-game score is not more than 60+, in fact, there is a certain reason, because Wade is a breakthrough scorer, his scoring ability in the penalty area is first-class, and his long-range shooting ability is slightly lacking, so his highest single-game score is the same as Durant's, both 55 points.
- On April 13, 2009, Wade represented the Miami Heat against the New York Knicks, playing 39 minutes and shooting 19 of 30 from the field, including 6 of 12 three-pointers and 11 of 13 free throws, scoring a career-high 55 points, plus nine rebounds and four assists.
Russell Westbrook 58 points
As the second brother of the former "Thunder Three Young", Westbrook is already synonymous with the league's all-rounder, averaging three-doubles per season in four seasons of his career, taking 3 assists and 2 scoring kings, and the scoring champions are 2014-15 and 2016-17.
In the early days of his career with Durant, Westbrook mainly undertook the organizational offense, but after Durant left the team, it exploded and scored a personal single-game high of 58 points.
- On March 8, 2017, Westbrook, a brother of the Oklahoma Thunder, played 36 minutes against the Portland Trail Blazers, shooting 21-of-39 from the field, scoring 58 points, 3 rebounds, 9 assists, 3 steals and 1 block to create a career high.
It is worth mentioning that Westbrook tied the Thunder's history (former supersonics) Fred Brown with 58 points in a single game, and tied for the first single-game score in team history.
Allen Iverson 60 points
The former son of Philadelphia, "Answer" Iverson is the unruly and arrogant representative of the stadium, whose style of play is highly sought after by fans and criticized by the team management and teammates, but at that time he was the league's most inexplicable little man, winning the season scoring championship four times in his career, three of which were obtained after entering the 21st century, namely 1998-99, 2000-01, 2001-02, 2004-05, and excluding the first leading season. The three scoring kings after the 21st century have averaged more than 30+ points per game in the season.
Iverson's highest single-game scoring is 60 points, which should be unrivaled in the same height.
- On February 12, 2005, Iverson led the Philadelphia 76ers against the Orlando Magic, playing 42 minutes and shooting 17 of 36 from the field, including 2 of 5 three-pointers and 24 of 27 free throws, scoring a career-high 60 points and not breaking the record until he retired.
James Harden 61 points
Another member of the "Thunder Three Young", Harden, as the third brother, became the strongest scoring guard in the league after leaving the Thunder to join the Houston Rockets, and his pure European step, retreat step three-pointer and ghostly foul fighting technology made him invincible in scoring.
From the beginning of the 2017-18 season to the 2019-20 season, Harden won the league's season-winning scoring title for three consecutive years. Among them, Harden averaged 36.1 points per game in the 2018-19 season, which is the highest scoring average after Jordan, and he scored a career-high 61 points twice this season, which is also the only single-game high score for the Thunder Three Youngsters to break 60+.
- On January 24, 2019, Harden, who played for the Rockets, shot 17-of-38 from the field, 5-of-20 from three-point range and 22-of-25 from the free throw line against the New York Knicks, and scored 61 points, 15 rebounds, 4 assists and 5 steals.
- On March 23, 2019, Harden led the team to challenge the San Antonio Spurs, shooting 19 of 34 from the field, including 9 of 13 three-pointers and 14 of 17 free throws, and once again slashed 61 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist and 3 steals.
It is worth mentioning that Harden is one of only five players in the history of the league to have scored 60+ multiple games in a single season, the other four are Jordan, Chamberlain, Kobe Bryant and Lillard.
LeBron James 61 points
"Little Emperor" James as Jordan, Kobe Bryant after the league card, although into the twilight of his career, but still has a pivotal position in the league, his full range, although the career only won a season scoring champion in the 2007-08 season, but his scoring ability is stable and explosive, but James's single-game highest score is not created during the Cleveland Cavaliers, but a single-game 61-point record created after rushing to the Miami Heat.
- On March 4, 2014, James led the team to the Charlotte Bobcats (now the Hornets), playing 41 minutes, shooting 22-of-33, including 8-of-10 three-pointers and 9-of-12 free throws, and the Tyrannical Bobcats scored a career-high 61 points, plus seven rebounds and five assists.
It is worth mentioning that the game in which James scored 61 points was played due to injury and wearing a mask, perhaps with magic.
Shaquille O'Neal 61 points
As the first interior scoring king since entering the 21st century, "Big Shark" O'Neal can be described as the victor of the traditional center, of course, the times and rules are also the objective factors that make him successful, but there is no doubt that his inner lethality can be called a nuclear explosion, there is no player who can single-handedly resist O'Neal's death crush, with the help of height and weight and flexible footwork, so that O'Neal is dissatisfied in the inside line of the random team.
O'Neal was twice the top scorer in his career, in the 1994–95 and 1999–00 seasons, while his highest single-point 61-point game occurred in the 1999–20 season.
- On March 7, 2000, in the same-city derby, O'Neal led the Los Angeles Lakers to challenge the Los Angeles Clippers, and his amazing 45 minutes, 24 of 35 shooting, 13 of 22 free throws, and a super double-double with 61 points and 23 rebounds led the team to sink the Clippers.
It is worth mentioning that the day of the game is O'Neal's birthday, before the game O'Neal asked the Clippers for tickets for friends to watch the game, the result was rejected by the Clippers, so there was a story of his birthday night to slash 61 points bloodbath the Clippers, the angry "big shark" is really terrible.
Tracy McGrady 62 points
Maddy's early fall is regrettable, as one of the four major quarterbacks, countless classic pictures have been staged for fans, the most shocking is the "Maddy Moment", which can cut 13 points in just 35 seconds, luck of course, but also see the strength of personal scoring ability. Maddy won the title of leading scorer of the season twice in his career, in 2002-03 and 2003-04, when he was already a brother of the Orlando Magic.
Maddy's career high in a single game was his second scoring record in 2003-04, when he scored 62 points in a single game.
- On March 10, 2004, Maddy led the Magic team to the Washington Wizards, the focus of the game was Maddy's fight for "Agent 0" Arenas, but in the end Maddy was proud of the whole game, his 37 shots were 20 of 37, 17 of 26 free throws, cut a career-high 62 points, let Arenas' 40 points dimmed, and in the end it was Maddy who led the team to victory.
Carmelo Anthony 62 points
Although "Melon" Anthony is no longer sweet, compared with the same James in the twilight of his career, he is slightly sad, not only has not won the championship, but he has not been signed by any team in the offseason. However, at the peak, Anthony had a precise projection and flexible offensive skills, and the Nuggets team "Golden Double Gun" formed with Iverson made fans feast their offensive eyes.
Anthony was the top scorer in 2012-13, but his record of 62 points per game was not set this season, but in 2013-14.
- On January 25, 2014, Anthony had already played for the New York Knicks, playing at home against the Charlotte Bobcats, and the game was like a god who shot 23 of 35, 6 of 11 three-pointers, 10 free throws, and 62 points and 13 rebounds.
It is worth mentioning that Anthony did not make a single mistake in this game, and the efficiency was terrible.
Steven Curry 62 points
As the leader of the league in the new era, Curry has single-handedly changed the league pattern and play style, leading the league's small ball era, and it has to be said that many traditional players have lost their jobs and worth. Curry is definitely the greatest shooter in league history, and many of his three-point record will be sealed for a long time like some ancient records when he retires.
Curry has won the scoring championship twice in his career, in the 2015-16 and 2020-21 seasons, and his 62-point single-game score was set in the second scoring championship season.
- On January 4, 2021, the Portland Trail Blazers came to the Golden State Warriors to smash the field, but the result was the wrong day, encountering the rampaging Curry, Curry shot 18 of 31, including 8 of 16 three-pointers, 18 of 19 free throws, and scored 62 points.
It is worth mentioning that in this game, Curry scored 21 points in the first quarter and 31 points in the first half, and he broke his scoring record.
Kobe Bryant 81 points
Presumably, we should not be too familiar with Kobe's single-game high, because his single-game 81-point miracle has been repeatedly mentioned and reviewed by countless people, and as the second highest single-game score in the history of the league after Oxlade-Chamberlain's 100 points, it is the most fans are fortunate enough to witness.
As the representative of the league's super scorers, Bryant's scoring methods are endless, only to think of no scoring methods that he can't do, although he has only won two scoring kings in his career, namely in the 2005-06 and 2006-07 seasons, but his fourth position in the history of career total points is a real reflection of his scoring ability.
- On January 23, 2006, Bryant could be said to have single-handedly played against the Toronto Raptors, hitting 28 of 46 shots in the game, including 7 of 12 three-pointers and 18 of 20 free throws, scoring 81 points, plus 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals and 1 block.
It is worth mentioning that Kobe Bryant can be described as a low start and a high score in the first half, only 26 points in the first half, while 55 points were scored in the second half, to know that the second half is often when the players are physically weak, Kobe Bryant is the opposite. In addition, Kobe Bryant scored a lot of performances, once cut 40+ in 9 consecutive games, 50+ in 4 consecutive games, 62 points in the third quarter and so on.