List of National Basketball Association top individual game scores
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This is a list of the top 25 individual game scores attained by a player in the National Basketball Association. An unofficial statistic, these performances are analyzed and quantified by how impressive the all-around game is by the Hollinger Game Score formula devised by APBRmetrics statisician John Hollinger. It is a very similar measure to Player Efficiency Rating in that it focuses upon how effective and efficient a player's performance is, except that it does not factor in time played in the game and other tangibles, such as the strength of the opponent, the strength of the opponent's defense, the strength of the primary defender, and the location at which the game is played. For more on the Game Score formula, see the main article on John Hollinger.
In order to obtain the score of a player's performance, the entire box score is needed, so it is impossible to calculate a score for a game before the 1978 season, and at the moment, before the 1986-87 NBA season. So, this list currently entails all games played in the past 21 NBA seasons.
Here are the top 25 Hollinger Game Scores since the 1986-87 season (past 21 seasons). Michael Jordan leads the list, with 14 of the 27 top performances.
| Rank | Score | Date | Player | Opponent | Minutes | FGM-FGA | 3PM-3PA | FTM-FTA | Off Reb | Def Reb | Tot | Assists | Steals | Blocks | Turnovers | Fouls | Points | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 64.6 | 3-28-1990 | Michael Jordan | at Cleveland Cavaliers | 50 | 23-37 | 2-6 | 21-23 | 7 | 11 | 18 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 69 | |
| 2 | 63.5 | 1-22-2006 | Kobe Bryant | vs Toronto Raptors | 42 | 28-46 | 7-13 | 18-20 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 81 | |
| 3 | 60.2 | 1-27-1990 | Karl Malone | vs Milwaukee Bucks | 33 | 21-26 | 0-0 | 19-23 | 9 | 9 | 18 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 61 | |
| 4 | 54.7 | 4-3-1988 | Michael Jordan | at Detroit Pistons | 42 | 21-27 | 0-1 | 17-19 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 59 | |
| 5 | 51.8 | 4-24-1994 | David Robinson | at Los Angeles Clippers | 44 | 26-41 | 1-2 | 18-25 | 4 | 10 | 14 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 2 | 71 | |
| 6 | 51.2 | 2-26-1987 | Michael Jordan | vs New Jersey Nets | 37 | 16-25 | 0-0 | 26-27 | 1 | 7 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 58 | |
| 6 | 51.2 | 11-3-1989 | Michael Jordan | vs Cleveland Cavaliers | 47 | 19-31 | 1-2 | 15-17 | 3 | 11 | 14 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 54 | |
| 8 | 50.9 | 3-16-2007 | Kobe Bryant | at Portland Trail Blazers | 50 | 23-39 | 8-12 | 11-12 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 65 | |
| 9 | 50.4 | 11-28-1992 | Reggie Miller | at Charlotte Hornets | 38 | 16-29 | 4-11 | 21-23 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 57 | |
| 10 | 50.0 | 3-24-1990 | Tom Chambers | vs Seattle SuperSonics | 42 | 22-32 | 0-0 | 16-18 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 60 | |
| 11 | 49.8 | 4-29-1992 | Michael Jordan | at Miami Heat | 43 | 20-30 | 0-0 | 16-18 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 56 | First Round Playoffs |
| 12 | 49.7 | 4-12-1987 | Michael Jordan | vs Indiana Pacers | 42 | 19-27 | 0-0 | 15-18 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 8 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 53 | |
| 12 | 49.7 | 12-20-2005 | Kobe Bryant | vs Dallas Mavericks | 33 | 18-31 | 4-10 | 22-25 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 62 | |
| 14 | 49.6 | 11-30-1988 | Charles Barkley | vs Portland Trail Blazers | 41 | 13-16 | 0-1 | 15-20 | 9 | 13 | 22 | 5 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 46 | |
| 14 | 49.6 | 12-13-1994 | Willie Burton | vs Miami Heat | 43 | 12-19 | 5-8 | 24-28 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 53 | |
| 16 | 49.5 | 3-6-2000 | Shaquille O'Neal | at Los Angeles Clippers | 45 | 24-35 | 0-0 | 13-22 | 7 | 16 | 23 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 61 | |
| 17 | 48.6 | 4-20-1986 | Michael Jordan | at Boston Celtics | 53 | 22-41 | 0-0 | 19-21 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 63 | First Round Playoffs |
| 17 | 48.6 | 12-23-1992 | Michael Jordan | at Washington Bullets | 42 | 22-37 | 6-8 | 7-8 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 10 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 57 | |
| 18 | 48.0 | 1-16-1993 | David Robinson | vs Charlotte Hornets | 40 | 20-28 | 1-2 | 11-15 | 3 | 11 | 14 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 52 | |
| 20 | 47.9 | 1-21-1989 | Michael Jordan | vs Phoenix Suns | 41 | 20-28 | 0-0 | 13-15 | 1 | 13 | 14 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 53 | |
| 21 | 47.8 | 4-16-1987 | Michael Jordan | vs Atlanta Hawks | 41 | 22-38 | 0-3 | 17-21 | 5 | 5 | 10 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 61 | |
| 22 | 47.7 | 3-7-1996 | Michael Jordan | vs Detroit Pistons | 38 | 21-28 | 2-4 | 9-10 | 2 | 9 | 11 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 53 | |
| 23 | 47.6 | 3-4-1987 | Michael Jordan | at Detroit Pistons | 43 | 22-39 | 0-0 | 17-18 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 61 | |
| 24 | 46.9 | 3-18-1988 | Michael Jordan | vs Boston Celtics | 42 | 19-32 | 1-2 | 11-11 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 9 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 50 | |
| 25 | 46.8 | 12-22-1989 | Karl Malone | at Charlotte Hornets | 43 | 22-28 | 0-0 | 8-12 | 3 | 14 | 17 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 52 | |
| 26 | 46.7 | 1-15-1989 | Michael Jordan | vs Boston Celtics | 41 | 13-23 | 0-3 | 16-17 | 1 | 8 | 9 | 11 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 42 | |
| 26 | 46.7 | 3-23-1996 | Hakeem Olajuwon | vs Minnesota Timberwolves | 44 | 16-23 | 0-0 | 14-18 | 7 | 12 | 19 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 3 | 46 |
