Most Points Ever in a Game 7: Jayson Tatum Breaks Record With 51 vs Sixers

• Jayson Tatum set the record for most points in a Game 7 on Sunday against the Philadelphia 76ers
• He broke the Game 7 scoring record held by Steph Curry, who dropped 50 points against the Kings
• Tatum and Curry are the only NBA players to breach the 50-point mark in a Game 7 in the playoffs 

Jayson Tatum added to his playoff lore on Sunday, scoring 51 points in Game 7 against the Philadelphia 76ers.

He delivered a performance for the ages to lead the Boston Celtics back to the Eastern Conference Finals.

Sports Brief looks at where Tatum’s 51-point masterpiece ranks in the highest-scoring outings in the history of Game 7.

 1. Jayson Tatum (51 points, 2023)

The Celtics star now holds the record for most points scored in a Game 7, following his spectacular performance on Sunday.

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Tatum’s explosion against the Sixers is the second 50-point outing in any Game 7 in the history of the playoffs.

He torched Philadelphia in the winner-take-all contest, shooting 17 of 28 from the field, including 6 of 10 from beyond the arc.

Tatum did most of his damage in the first half, scoring 25 of his 51 points in the opening two quarters.

2. Steph Curry (50 points, 2023)

Tatum broke the record held by Golden State Warriors star, Stephen Curry for most points in a Game 7 in NBA history.

Curry scored 50 points against the Sacramento Kings a couple of weeks ago in their first-round series in the Western Conference Playoffs.

The Warriors knocked out the Kings on the road with a 120-100 victory in that elimination game.

3. Kevin Durant (48 points, 2021)

Durant dropped 48 points against the Milwaukee Bucks in Game 7 of the 2021 Eastern Conference semifinals, playing all 53 minutes in the winner-take-all contest, per ESPN.

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His efforts weren’t rewarded, though, as the Brooklyn Nets suffered a gut-wrenching 115-111 overtime loss to eventual champion, the Milwaukee Bucks.

4. Dominique Wilkins (47 points, 1988) 

Wilkins went toe to toe with Larry Bird in Game 7 of the 1988 Eastern Conference Semifinals, with the two basketball legends putting on a shooting exhibition in the winner-take-all contest.

The Atlanta Hawks great finished the game with 47 points. He shot 19 of 23 from the field against the Celtics.

Wilkins’ scoring performance went for naught as the Hawks suffered a heartbreaking 118-116 loss.

4. Sam Jones (47 points, 1963) 

Jones was the first NBA player to score at least 47 points in a Game 7. He accomplished that feat in the 1963 Eastern Division Finals.

Jones shot 18 of 27 from the floor and knocked down 11 of his 12 free throws in the Boston Celtics’ 142-131 win over the Cincinnati Royals.

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Celtics vs. Heat series breakdown 

Sports Brief recently previewed the Celtics-Heat series, with Jimmy Butler a key player for Miami.

He is averaging 31.1 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 5.4 assists per game in this year’s NBA playoffs.

On the opposite side will be Tatum, who has averaged 30.8 points against the Heat this season.