what is the highest-scoring nba game by one player
The highest‑scoring NBA game by one player is Wilt Chamberlain’s 100‑point explosion for the Philadelphia Warriors against the New York Knicks on March 2, 1962.
Quick Scoop: Record Game
- Player: Wilt Chamberlain
- Points: 100
- Team: Philadelphia Warriors
- Opponent: New York Knicks
- Date: March 2, 1962
- Final score: 169–147 in favor of the Warriors
Chamberlain piled up points quarter by quarter, with 23 in the first, 41 by halftime, 69 after three, and finally reaching the iconic 100 in the fourth. The game was played in Hershey, Pennsylvania, and has become one of the league’s most untouchable records, still standing more than six decades later.
How it stacks up today
- Kobe Bryant is second all‑time with 81 points for the Los Angeles Lakers vs. the Toronto Raptors on January 22, 2006.
- In the modern era, Luka Dončić’s 73‑point night in January 2024 is the highest single‑game total since Kobe’s 81.
- Several stars like David Thompson, Elgin Baylor, Damian Lillard, Donovan Mitchell, Devin Booker, Joel Embiid, and Michael Jordan have reached the 70+ range, but none have touched 100.
Mini snapshot of top single‑game totals
| Player | Points | Team | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wilt Chamberlain | 100 | Philadelphia Warriors | 1962 | [5][3]
| Kobe Bryant | 81 | Los Angeles Lakers | 2006 | [4][5]
| Luka Dončić | 73 | Dallas Mavericks | 2024 | [1][7][5]
| David Thompson | 73 | Denver Nuggets | 1978 | [5]
| Damian Lillard | 71 | Portland Trail Blazers | 2023 | [10][3][5]
Why it’s still a trending topic
In today’s offense‑heavy NBA, every massive scoring night sparks the same question: “Can anyone ever match Wilt’s 100?” Recent explosions from stars like Dončić, Embiid, Lillard, and Mitchell have pushed scoring boundaries, but they still fall a long way from triple digits.
On forums and social media, fans often argue that Kobe’s 81 or some modern 70+ games might be more impressive given pace, spacing, and defenses in the current era, even if the raw number is lower than 100. But in the record books, the answer to “what is the highest-scoring NBA game by one player” remains clear: Wilt Chamberlain’s 100 points stand alone at the top.
TL;DR: The highest‑scoring NBA game by one player is Wilt Chamberlain’s 100‑point game for the Philadelphia Warriors vs. the New York Knicks on March 2, 1962, a record that still hasn’t been broken.
Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.