What is the highest-scoring performance in NBA playoff history? The 2024 NBA playoffs are right around the corner, and the coming weeks have defined legacies throughout playing careers. From Jimmy Butler to Michael Jordan, some all-time legends delivered the highest scoring performances in NBA playoff history.
Some players take advantage of the spotlight and give their all in performances that go down in NBA history. Others fail to live up to the expectations and never lead their team to an NBA Finals. In this piece, let’s dive into the 10 highest-scoring performances in NBA playoff history as teams gear up for the start of an all-important postseason run.
10. Michael Jordan, 55 points, April 27, 1997
Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls trailed at halftime against the Washington Bullets in Game 2 of the first round, but it didn’t last long. Jordan led Chicago in the second half, with the squad outscoring Washington by 13 points in the third quarter. He accounted for nine points in the period, but most of his damage came in the fourth quarter by scoring 20 of the Bulls’ final 23 points. Jordan willed Chicago to a win in Game 2, eventually leading the team to a title.
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9. Allen Iverson, 55 points, April 20, 2003
Allen Iverson opened the 2003 NBA playoffs with a bang. The Philadelphia 76ers played the New Orleans Hornets in the first round as Iverson scored a game-high 55 points on 21-of-32 shots from the floor. It was an outstanding performance as Iverson scored 20 points in the fourth quarter, which helped the 76ers hang on to the victory. Philadelphia eventually lost in the Eastern Conference semifinals to the Detroit Pistons in six games.
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8. Damian Lillard, 55 points, June 1, 2021
Damian Lillard put up one of the best NBA playoff performances of the 21st century on June 1, 2021, even though it ended in a loss. Lillard and the Portland Trail Blazers took the Denver Nuggets to double overtime in Game 5 of the first round but lost by seven points. Yet, Lillard stole the show with 55 points, an NBA playoff record of 12 made three-point shots. The Trail Blazers lost the series in six games, but the former Trail Blazers guard still holds the record for the most made three-point shots in a playoff game.
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7. Wilt Chamberlain, 56 points, March 22, 1962
For a player who holds countless NBA records, Wilt Chamberlain’s 56-point performance in Game 5 of the 1962 Division Semifinals is the best of his playoff career. As a member of the Philadelphia Warriors, Chamberlain scored 56 points on 22-of-48 shooting from the field, including a staggering 35 rebounds. The Warriors eventually lost to the Boston Celtics in Game 7 of the Division Finals, but Chamberlain’s performance still lives on among the best in NBA playoff history.
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6. Michael Jordan, 56 points, April 29, 1992
Michael Jordan and the Bulls weren’t backed in a corner, but with a 3-0 series lead and an 18-point deficit in Game 4 of their first-round series against the Miami Heat, the shooting guard went nuclear. Jordan failed to score in the first 10 minutes but scored 56 points over the next 38 minutes. The Bulls came back and beat the Heat, 119-114, to complete a first-round series sweep. As usual, Jordan led Chicago to another NBA championship in June.
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5. Charles Barkley, 56 points, May 4, 1994
The Phoenix Suns had an opportunity to go up 3-0 in the first-round series against the Golden State Warriors in 1994, and Charles Barkley took advantage of the situation. Barkley scored 56 points on 23-of-31 shooting from the floor, leading the Suns to a seven-point victory. It was the highlight of his NBA playoff career, as it was the third-highest-scoring performance ever at that time. Barkley never went on to win an NBA title, but he will forever be among the few to eclipse 55 points in a playoff game.
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4. Jimmy Butler, 56 points, April 24, 2023
Jimmy Butler put the Heat on his back in the 2023 NBA playoffs, but no game was better than Game 4 of the first round against the one-seeded Milwaukee Bucks. Butler finished the game with 56 points on 19-of-28 shooting, giving Miami a 3-1 series lead against the Bucks. He led a 30-13 scoring run in the game’s last six minutes, which is on pace for a 60-point quarter. The Heat eventually took down the Bucks, and its magical run as an eighth seed ended in the NBA Finals to the Nuggets.
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3. Donovan Mitchell, 57 points, August 17, 2020
Donovan Mitchell and the Utah Jazz were a part of the NBA Bubble during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, and the guard’s first playoff game was out of this world. Mitchell scored 57 points against the Nuggets, which placed him alone in third place for the best scoring performance in NBA playoff history. Utah lost by 10 points in overtime and ended up losing in Game 7 of the first round. Mitchell couldn’t get the Jazz over the hump, but his performance in Game 1 will never fade away.
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2. Elgin Baylor, 61 points, April 14, 1962
The Los Angeles Lakers had a chance to take a 3-2 series lead against the Boston Celtics in Game 5 of the 1962 NBA Finals, and Elgin Baylor would not let them lose. Baylor scored 61 points, which marked the best NBA playoff performance ever at that time. Led by the 6-foot-5 forward, the Lakers won Game 5 by five points. Even though Baylor’s efforts ended up being for naught when the Celtics won the next two games, his performance in Game 5 of the 1962 NBA Finals will forever live in the history books.
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1. Michael Jordan, 63 points, April 20, 1986
How could it be a “best NBA playoff” list without Jordan claiming the top spot? In Game 2 of the Eastern Conference first round, Jordan scored 63 points on 22-of-41 shooting, which sits as the highest-scoring performance in NBA playoff history. This performance came before the Bulls’ run of six championships and sparked Celtics legend Larry Bird’s famous quote, “That wasn’t Michael Jordan out there. That was God disguised as Michael Jordan.”
Jordan and the Bulls would lose the series in three games, but a legend was born on April 20, 1986. No one has topped Jordan’s scoring record yet, but in the NBA’s high-powered offense era, it wouldn’t be shocking to see it happen in 2024.