10 Highest-Scoring NBA Games

Top 10 Highest-Scoring NBA Games!! One of the most celebrated and happening leagues in basketball is NBA. 

The NBA has seen its fair share of high-scoring games over the years, with teams battling it out on the court to put up as many points as possible.

Some games have stood out, from classic rivalries to nail-biting finishes. This article looks at the top 10 highest-scoring NBA games of all time, featuring some of the league’s greatest players and teams.

On February 24, 2023, Sacramento Kings vs. Los Angeles Clippers became the second-highest-scoring game in the history of the NBA, with the Kings winning 176-175 in overtime.

Let’s start with the quick facts.

Quick Facts

10. Cincinnati vs. San Diego Rockets

On March 12, 1970, the Cincinnati Royals and the San Diego Rockets played against each other. The game occurred at the San Diego Sports Arena, and the Royals won with a score of 165-151.

Elvin Hayes was the leading scorer for the Rockets with 40 points.

In the tenth-highest-scoring NBA game ever, Robertson scored a triple-double of 30 points to help his team win.

The players to average a triple-double throughout a season are Russell Westbrook and Oscar Robertson, who are the monarchs of the feat.

9. Philadelphia Warrior vs. New York Knicks

If you thought there wasn’t much going on in the NBA in the 1960s, guys, you could not be more wrong.

The ninth-highest-scoring game in NBA history was played in 1962 between the New York Knicks and the Philadelphia Warriors.

When the Philadelphia Warriors defeated the New York Knickerbockers, Wilt Chamberlain set the record for the most points scored by a single player in an NBA game with 100 points.

The 78-point league scoring mark that had been set the year before was broken by Chamberlain with his performance.

Having scored at least 70 points in multiple games six times, Chamberlain is the only player in NBA history to accomplish this feat.

With 1,597 field scores made throughout the NBA season, Chamberlain also broke the previous record.

8. Houston Rockets vs. Washington Wizards

On October 30, 2019, the Houston Rockets played against the Washington Wizards at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas.

The Rockets won the game with a final score of 159-158 in an exciting and eighth high-scoring game.

In that game, Rockets’ shooting guard James Harden put up an incredible performance, scoring 59 points, grabbing three rebounds, and dishing out nine assists.

Meanwhile, Wizards’ shooting guard Bradley Beal also had a great game, scoring 46 points, grabbing six rebounds, and dishing out eight assists.

The game was a back-and-forth affair, with both teams exchanging leads. In the end, a missed free throw by the Wizards’ Isaiah Thomas allowed the Rockets to secure the win.

Overall, it was an entertaining and high-scoring game between two great teams.

7. Phoenix Suns vs. New Jersey Nets 

On December 7, 2006, the Phoenix Suns played against the New Jersey Nets at the U.S. Airways Center in Phoenix, Arizona.

The Suns won the game with a final score of 161-157 in double overtime, making it one of the highest-scoring games in NBA history.

The Suns were led by their star guard Steve Nash, who had a remarkable performance with 42 points, 13 assists, and six rebounds. Shawn Marion also had a strong game with 35 points and 11 rebounds.

On the other hand, for the Nets, Vince Carter put up an impressive performance with 31 points, seven rebounds, and nine assists, while Jason Kidd added 16 points, 14 rebounds, and ten assists, recording a triple-double.

The Suns went on to win 61 games that season and made it to the Western Conference semifinals, while the Nets finished with a record of 41-41 and missed the playoffs.

6. Denver Nuggets vs. San Antonio Spurs

The sixth highest-scoring NBA game in history is January 11, 1984, Denver Nuggets vs. San Antonio Spurs at McNichols Sports Arena in Denver, Colorado. The Nuggets won the game with a final score of 163-155.

The Nuggets were led by their star player, Alex English, who had a solid performance with 25 points.

Kiki Vandeweghe also had a strong game with 50 points and nine rebounds, while Dan Issel added 20 points and eight rebounds.

George Gervin led the team in scoring with 28 points for the Spurs, while Mike Mitchell added 24 points and seven rebounds.

5. Golden State Warrior vs. Denver Nuggets

The Warriors’ Run TMC was the Nuggets’ first 1990–91 NBA season opponent. In a close game with many points scored, the Warriors defeated the Nuggets. Both teams totaled 320 points during regulation.

Tim Hardaway had 32 points, and 18 assists, and Chris Mullin scored 38 points and added 29 points.

Walter Davis contributed 33 points, and Orlando Woolridge scored 37. Rod Higgins made two free throws to seal the victory after Denver missed two crucial attempts in the final seconds.

The fact that this game had such high scoring is not surprising because the Warriors didn’t play much defense during the Run TMC era.

4. Chicago Bulls vs. Atlanta Hawks

On March 1, 2019, the Chicago Bulls played against the Atlanta Hawks at the United Center in Chicago. The final score was 168-161 in quadruple overtime, with the Chicago Bulls coming out as the victors.

Zach LaVine led the Bulls with a career-high 47 points, nine rebounds, and nine assists. Lauri Markkanen added 31 points and 17 rebounds, while Otto Porter Jr. scored 31 points in his Bulls debut.

The game is the fourth-highest-scoring game in the history of the NBA, and the 329 combined points were the most in a game since 2010.

3. San Antonio Spurs vs. Milwaukee Bucks

With more than 330 points scored, the San Antonio Spurs defeated the Milwaukee Bucks in the third-highest-scoring game in NBA history. 

Mike Mitchell and George Gervin of the Spurs scored 45 and 50 points, respectively, in 114 total minutes of play. Brian Winters, the team’s sixth player, led the Bucks’ drive.

As soon as the game’s opener, Mickey Johnson fouled out after 19 minutes, and Winters took control and scored a game-high 42 points while making 19 of his 25 field goal attempts.

It simply goes to illustrate how different the league is now that the Spurs scored 171 points despite making just one three-point try in the whole game.

2. Sacramento Kings vs. Los Angeles Clippers

The recent Sacramento Kings vs. Los Angeles Clippers is the second-highest-scoring game in the history of the NBA, with the Kings winning 176-175 in overtime.

It was the first time in NBA history that a game has gone into overtime tied at 150 or more. De’Aaron Fox and Malik Monk scored 40 points or more for the Sacramento Kings.

They joined Clyde Drexler & Hakeem Olajuwon, who did it in the 1995 playoffs en route to the championship, as the second pair of college teammates to score 40 in the same game as NBA teammates.

1. Denver Nuggets vs. Detroit Pistons

The highest-scoring basketball game in history is the December 13, 1983, match between Denver Nuggets and Detroit Pistons. 

The Pistons won the game with a final score of 186-184 in triple overtime.

In that game, the Pistons were led by Isiah Thomas, who had an outstanding performance with 47 points, 17 assists, and seven rebounds.

Kelly Tripucka also had a solid game with 35 points, while Bill Laimbeer contributed 24 points and 23 rebounds.

Kiki Vandeweghe had an excellent game for the Nuggets with 51 points and eight rebounds, while Alex English added 47 points and seven rebounds.

The game was thrilling for both the audience and the players.

Conclusion 

These games were memorable for their high-scoring nature but featured some of the greatest players in the history of the NBA.

Each game was unique and showcased the incredible talent and athleticism of the players.

While high-scoring games are exciting to watch, they are also rare and often the result of exceptional circumstances, such as overtime periods or record-breaking performances.

Nevertheless, these games will always be remembered for thrilling and historical moments.

Comment down in the box for any queries or doubts.