Damian Lillard Joins the 70 Point Club: Who Are the Other Members of This Exclusive List?

Damian Lillard entered his name in the history books on Sunday, scoring 71 points in Portland’s 131-114 win over the Houston Rockets.

He matched the eighth highest 70-point plus scorer in league history, equaling the total scored by Cleveland star Donovan Mitchell just 55 days prior.

Lillard is now part of an exclusive list of players who have scored at least 70 points in an NBA game.

Here is a look at the offensive gems that make up the league’s top individual-scoring games.

1. Wilt Chamberlain scores 100 points

‘Wilt the Stilt’ made history on March 2, 1962, breaking the record with his triple-digit scoring performance against the New York Knicks.

He shot 36-of-63 from the field and knocked down 28 of his 32 free throw attempts to hit the century mark in the Philadelphia Warriors’ 169-147 victory, per NBC Sports.

2. Kobe Bryant drops 81 points

Apart from Chamberlain, only one other player has breached the 80-point mark in the NBA: the late great Kobe Bryant. ‘

The Black Mamba’ accomplished that feat on January 22, 2006, scoring 81 points in the Los Angeles Lakers’ 122-104 victory over the Toronto Raptors.

Bryant was simply unstoppable in that contest. He shot 28-of-46 from the field, including 7-of-13 from beyond the arc. He drained all but two of his 20 free throw attempts in the win.

Kobe erupted in the second half, scoring 27 points in the third quarter and 28 in the final period. He accounted for all but 18 of the Lakers’ points in the last two quarters.

3. Wilt Chamberlain scores 78 points

Wilt was already a record-holder even before he scored 100 points against the Knicks. He first set the scoring mark on December 8, 1961, when he dropped 78 points in the Philadelphia Warriors’ 151-147 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers.

He shot 31-of-62 from the floor and went 16-of-31 from the free-throw line to top the single-game scoring record held by Elgin Baylor at the time. Chamberlain posted a monster doubl-double as he grabbed 43 rebounds in that game.

4. David Thompson scores 73 points

David Thompson can’t stop scoring in the final game of the 1977-78 regular season, dropping 73 points in the Denver Nuggets’ 139-137 loss to the Detroit Pistons.

The Hall of Famer was given the green light to shoot as he was involved in a tight race with San Antonio Spurs legend George Gervin for the scoring title.

He shot 28-of-38 from the field and went 17-of-20 from the line to become, at the time, the second NBA player apart from Chamberlain to record 70-plus points in a game.

5. Wilt Chamberlain’s 73-point games

Chamberlain was a cut above the rest in the year 1962. He scored at least 70 points in a single game four times during that calendar year. The first came on January 13 when he scored 73 points in Philadelphia’s 135-117 win over the Chicago Packers.

His last 70-point game that year came on November 16, 1962, when he scored 73 points against the New York Knicks. Chamberlain shot 29-of-43 from the field and made 15 of his 19 free throw attempts in the 127-111 win.

Croatia coach slams FIFA over 'disrespect' shown to his team at 2022 The Best Awards

Football

7. Wilt scores 72 vs. Lakers

Wilt’s dominance in the 1962-63 NBA season can’t be understated. He scored at least 70 points in a single game twice that season, the only player to achieve such a feat.

One of those games came against the Lakers on November 3, 1962, with Chamberlain dropping 72 points against Los Angeles. He shot 29-of-48 from the field and 14-of-18 from the line in that contest.

8. Lillard erupts for 71 points

Damian Lillard made history on February 26, 2023, becoming the first point guard in the NBA to enter the 70-point club. He put on a shooting masterclass, going 22-of-38 from the field, including 13-of-22 from deep.

He drained all 14 free throw attempts to match Elgin Baylor, David Robinson, and Donovan Mitchell’s scoring output of 71.

Elgin Baylor scores 71 points

Elgin Baylor was the last NBA player to hold the scoring record that was not named Wilt Chamberlain. He set the mark on November 15, 1960, when he scored 71 against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden.

David Robinson scores 71 points

‘The Admiral’ put up monster numbers in the final game of the 1993-94 regular season as he targeted the scoring title that year. Robinson managed to accomplish that feat, scoring 71 points against the Los Angeles Clippers on April 24, 1994.

The Spurs star finished the season averaging 29.8 points per game to beat Shaquille O’Neal and capture his lone scoring crown.

Donovan Mitchell erupts for 71

Mitchell captured the imagination of sports fans on January 2, 2023, scoring a whopping 71 points in the Cleveland Cavaliers’ 145-134 win over the Chicago Bulls.

He reached that mark thanks to his endgame heroics. Mitchell forced the extra period with a circus shot. He then took charge in overtime, scoring 13 points to reach the hallowed 70-point total.

12. Devin Booker scores 70 points

Devin Booker showed he is one of the NBA’s best young talents on March 24, 2017, becoming the youngest player to record a 70-point game at 20. He shot 21-of-40 from the field and 24-of-25 from the free throw line in the Suns’ 130-120 loss to the Celtics.

Booker did most of his damage in the second half, scoring 51 points in the final two quarters.

Wilt scores 70 vs. Syracuse

It is only fitting that we end this list with Wilt Chamberlain. The legendary big man notched his final 70-plus point game against the Syracuse Nationals on March 10, 1963. He shot 27-of-38 from the floor and 16-of-22 from the line in the 163-148 loss.

Can Doncic join this list?

He sent NBA fans into a frenzy when he posted a 60-21-10 stat line in Dallas’ comeback win over New York on December 27, 2022.

Doncic became the first player in the league to record at least 60 points, 20 rebounds, and ten assists in a single game.