Legends are made in the NBA Finals.
Not all of the NBA’s legends have made the Finals their annual home like LeBron James or Michael Jordan did for long stretches of their careers, but most of the game’s greats have stepped foot on an NBA Finals court at one time or another.
James and Jordan are just two players who have risen to the occasion with the lights shining the brightest. Nine players have scored at least 45 points in an NBA Finals, etching their name in basketball history with the world watching.
Here’s a complete look at each of highest-scoring performances in a game by an individual player in NBA Finals history.
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1. Elgin Baylor, Lakers, 61 points (April 14, 1962)
Elgin Baylor’s record of 61 points in an NBA Finals game still stands today, more than six decades later.
Baylor’s offensive explosion came in Game 5 of a series against the Celtics, which was tied at two through four games. Baylor, already the offensive focal point for the Lakers with at least 35 points in each of the first four games of the series, shot 22-of-46 from the field and 17-of-19 from the free throw line to make history and lead L.A. to a 126-121 victory.
“All I remember is that we won the game,” Baylor said later in life. “I never thought about how many points I had.”
While the win put the Lakers one win away from a championship, the Celtics would go on to win the final two games of the series, overcoming Baylor’s 41 points and 22 rebounds for a Game 7 victory.
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T-2. Michael Jordan, Bulls, 55 points (June 16, 1993)
The Bulls’ quest for a three-peat got off to a strong start with back-to-back wins to start their NBA Finals series against the Suns in 1993, but a triple-overtime loss in Game 3 gave Phoenix some renewed hope. It took a monstrous performance from Jordan in Game 4 to stave off the Suns again.
Jordan erupted for 55 points in front of his home fans, shooting 21-of-37 from the field and giving everything he had for a 111-105 victory and 3-1 series lead. Jordan actually left a few points on the table, as he missed five of his 18 free throw attempts, but his 55 points left him tied with Rick Barry for second all-time in a Finals game.
After the game, Jordan said he just “fell into” a 55-point game, never realizing he was reaching historic proportions with his scoring. “I didn’t sense I was taking over the ballgame. I was just penetrating, getting easy baskets,” Jordan said. “The next thing I knew, I was into a rhythm and more or less carrying the team.”
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T-2. Rick Barry, Warriors, 55 points (April 18, 1967)
A 23-year-old Rick Barry exploded for 55 points in the Warriors’ Game 3 win over the 76ers in the 1967 NBA Finals, single-handedly getting the Warriors back into a series they had trailed 2-0.
Barry added 12 rebounds and five assists, shooting 22-of-48 from the field. Game 3 happened to be his worst free-throw shooting performance of the 1967 playoffs at 11-for-19, so he might have contended for Baylor’s record if not for struggles from the line.
The Warriors would lose the series in six games, with Wilt Chamberlain and the 76ers overcoming Barry’s 44 points in Game 6.
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4. Jerry West, Lakers, 53 points (April 23, 1969)
Jerry West was a centerpiece on plenty of Lakers teams that came up just short of a championship, and the 1969 NBA Finals were among the most painful for L.A.
West erupted for 53 points in a Game 1 win over the Celtics, shooting 21-of-41 from the field and chipping in 10 assists. The Lakers needed every bit of West’s greatness, as they only won by two points.
Aside from a quiet Game 3, West was stellar throughout the series. The Lakers held series leads of 2-0 and 3-2, but a 42-point triple-double from West in Game 7 wasn’t enough to knock off the Celtics.
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5. LeBron James, Cavaliers, 51 points (May 31, 2018)
LeBron James was a one-man show for much of the Cavaliers’ 2018 playoff run, which came after the trade of Kyrie Irving a year earlier. Cleveland struggled to get past the Pacers in the first round and needed wins in Games 6 and 7 to escape the upstart Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals, but the Warriors proved to be no match in the NBA Finals.
For one game, James kept Cleveland in it. He posted 51 points, eight rebounds and eight assists in Game 1, but a gaffe by J.R. Smith cost the Cavaliers a chance to win the game in regulation. The Warriors forced overtime and controlled the final five minutes, setting the stage for a sweep that would end James’ second stint in Cleveland.
James shot 19-of-32 in his 51-point performance, the best in an NBA Finals game in the 21st century, and he drilled 10-of-11 free throw attempts.
After the game, the focus was on Smith rather than James — and James walked out of his post-game press conference after he was pressed on what he thought was going through Smith’s mind.
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T-6. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bucks, 50 points (July 20, 2021)
The NBA Finals aren’t typically played in July, so you could call Giannis Antetokounmpo the NBA’s “Mr. July” for his 50-point performance in the Bucks’ close-out game against the Suns in 2021.
After Milwaukee dropped the first two games of the series, the Bucks rattled off three consecutive wins and set the stage for the chance to win a championship at home. Antetokounmpo wasn’t the only player who rose to the occasion, but he was downright unstoppable, posting 50 points and 14 rebounds on 16-of-25 shooting.
Most importantly, Antetokounmpo turned in a miraculous performance from the free throw line after concerns about his free throw shooting followed him throughout the playoffs. Antetokounmpo calmly made 17 of his 19 attempts, propelling the Bucks to their first title in 50 years.
After the win, Antetokounmpo reflected on his decision to commit to the Bucks long-term, saying, “I just couldn’t leave. There was a job that had to be finished.”
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T-6. Bob Pettit, Hawks, 50 points (April 12, 1958)
The earliest 50-point game in NBA Finals history belongs to Bob Pettit, who dropped 50 points on the Celtics in the clinching game of the 1958 Finals.
The Hawks, who were based in St. Louis at the time, had upset the Celtics in Game 1 and kept their foot on the gas after an ankle injury to Bill Russell hampered Boston.
With a chance to close out the series in Game 6, Pettit dominated with 50 points and 19 rebounds on 19-of-34 shooting. He scored more than 45 percent of the Hawks’ points in the win, with only one teammate even scoring in double figures. It was still enough to give the Hawks a surprise title over a favored Celtics team.
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8. Allen Iverson, 76ers, 48 points (June 6, 2001)
Allen Iverson’s NBA Finals debut was the highlight of his Hall of Fame career, as he led the 76ers to a Game 1 upset of the Lakers behind 48 points, five rebounds, six assists and five steals.
Iverson saw heavy usage in the overtime victory, shooting 18-of-41 from the field and drilling all nine free throw attempts. Iverson also crossed up Lakers guard Tyronn Lue and famously stepped over him in what could be described as the signature moment of his career.
Like many high-scoring NBA Finals performances, it wasn’t sustainable. Iverson had an excellent series, but the 76ers dropped the next four games and fell to the mighty Lakers on the league’s biggest stage.
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9. Michael Jordan, Bulls, 46 points (June 12, 1992)
Jordan’s second NBA Finals appearance included a 46-point performance in a critical Game 5 win over the Trail Blazers, the second-highest mark of his career in a Finals game.
After the Bulls dropped Game 4 to fall into a series tie with Portland, Jordan took matters into his own hands 46 points on 14-of-23 shooting on the road in Game 5. Adding five rebounds and four assists, Jordan led the Bulls to a 119-106 win after Chicago’s offense struggled a game earlier.
The Bulls closed out the series at home in Game 5 behind 33 points from Jordan, clinching back-to-back championships.
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T-10. Jerry West, Lakers, 45 points (April 19, 1965)
In another losing effort against the Lakers, West did about all he could. He scored 45 points in L.A.’s 129-123 Game 2 loss to Boston, keeping the Lakers in the game after allowing 142 points in a Game 1 drubbing. West shot 17-of-38 from the field, adding five rebounds and five assists.
Notably, the performance wasn’t even West’s best all-around showing of the series. He scored two fewer points in Game 4, but shot an efficient 13-of-25 with 12 rebounds and seven assists in the Lakers’ only win of the series. A 6-of-27 display by West in Game 4, however, doomed any chance the Lakers had of pulling off the upset.
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T-10. Jerry West, Lakers, 45 points (April 22, 1966)
West had two 40-point games in another NBA Finals loss to the Celtics in 1966, including a 45-point outburst in a Game 4 loss. After scoring 41 points in a Game 1 win, West shot 19-of-31 for 45 points in Game 4 and added 10 assists.
The performance wasn’t enough to even the series, but the Lakers actually won the following two games before dropping Game 7 for another heartbreaking defeat at the hands of Boston.
West is one of two players in NBA history with at least three 45-point games in the NBA Finals, with Jordan the only other.
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T-10. Wilt Chamberlain, Lakers, 45 points (May 6, 1970)
Wilt Chamberlain was known for posting gaudy numbers throughout his NBA career, and he topped out at 45 points in Game 6 of the 1970 NBA Finals against the Knicks.
Chamberlain was dominant with 45 points and 27 rebounds on 20-of-27 shooting with the Lakers’ season on the line. L.A. forced a Game 7, and it’s worth noting Chamberlain’s excellent performance came in a game Knicks star Willis Reed missed due to injury. With Reed back in the fold, albeit at less than 100 percent, the Knicks took care of business in Game 7 and held Chamberlain to a quieter 21 points.
Chamberlain would win a championship with the Lakers in 1972, though he didn’t score more than 26 points in any game during the 1972 Finals.
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T-10. Michael Jordan, Bulls, 45 points (June 14, 1998)
Not many players can claim to have scored 45 points in their final playoff game, but Jordan came through in the Bulls’ “last dance” quest for a three-peat in 1998.
With a chance to close out the Jazz for the second consecutive year, Jordan exploded for 45 points in a narrow Game 6 victory. He attempted a series-high 35 shots against a tough Utah defense, making 15 and posting the third game of at least 45 points in his NBA Finals career. Jordan drilled the game-winning shot with 5.2 seconds remaining.
Jordan retired from the NBA and later returned with the Wizards, but he never reached the playoffs again. Perhaps it’s only appropriate that his 45-point performance to seal a sixth championship remained his final playoff game.
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