The player who holds the record for most points scored in a single NBA game is Wilt Chamberlain, who scored 100 points playing for the Philadelphia Warriors against the NY Knicks in 1962. Not far behind is the incomparable Kobe Bryant, who scored 81 points playing for the LA Lakers against the Toronto Raptors in 2006.
During the regular season, scoring 60 points and higher is only achievable for the elite few players. This is only a small comparison to comprehend the greatness of Wilt Chamberlain’s record(s). He established dominance over buckets with his legendary play in the 60s, and his record is far from being broken, mainly because he is featured 32 times on the list of players with over 60 points scored.
Since January 2024, Luka Dončić has locked himself in a promising fourth place in the All-Time list of scoring leaders, with 73 points for the Dallas Mavericks.
List of the top 10 NBA players with the highest single-game scoring records
| Rank | Player | Points | Team | Opponent | Score | Date |
| 1. | Wilt Chamberlain | 100 | Philadelphia Warriors | New York Knicks | 169–147 | March 2, 1962 |
| 2. | Kobe Bryant | 81 | Los Angeles Lakers | Toronto Raptors | 122–104 | January 22, 2006 |
| 3. | Wilt Chamberlain | 78 | Philadelphia Warriors | Los Angeles Lakers | 147–151 | December 8, 1961 |
4. | Wilt Chamberlain | 73 | Philadelphia Warriors | Chicago Packers | 135–117 | January 13, 1962 |
| Wilt Chamberlain | 73 | San Francisco Warriors | New York Knicks | 127–111 | November 16, 1962 | |
| David Thompson | 73 | Denver Nuggets | Detroit Pistons | 137–139 | April 9, 1978 | |
| Luka Dončić | 73 | Dallas Mavericks | Atlanta Hawks | 148–143 | January 26, 2024 | |
| 5. | Wilt Chamberlain | 72 | San Francisco Warriors | Los Angeles Lakers | 115–127 | November 3, 1962 |
6. | Elgin Baylor | 71 | Los Angeles Lakers | New York Knicks | 123–108 | November 15, 1960 |
| David Robinson | 71 | San Antonio Spurs | Los Angeles Clippers | 112–97 | April 24, 1994 | |
| Donovan Mitchell | 71 | Cleveland Cavaliers | Chicago Bulls | 145–134 | January 2, 2023 | |
| Damian Lillard | 71 | Portland Trail Blazers | Houston Rockets | 131–114 | February 26, 2023 | |
7. | Wilt Chamberlain | 70 | San Francisco Warriors | Syracuse Nationals | 148–163 | March 10, 1963 |
| Devin Booker | 70 | Phoenix Suns | Boston Celtics | 120–130 | March 24, 2017 | |
| Joel Embiid | 70 | Philadelphia 76ers | San Antonio Spurs | 133–123 | January 22, 2024 |
Read Next: How Many Games Are In One NBA Season?
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