James Harden went off on Saturday against the Hornets.
In what started as a celebration of Chris Paul’s career—with the veteran making official that this would be his final season in the NBA—quickly shifted to a celebration of Harden’s still masterful ability as a bucket-getter.
Harden went off for a whopping 27 points in the first quarter, and ultimately finished the game with 55, leading the Clippers to a much-needed 131–116 victory and setting a new franchise record for most points scored in a game.
While that would have been history on its own, Harden’s accomplishment is especially notable as he is now the only player in the league to hold the single-game scoring record for two different teams, as he also still holds the record in Houston with a pair of 61-point performances in 2019.
After the win, Harden kept his message simple.
“Basketball is life,” Harden said.
When you can score like he can, it certainly is.
Below we break down the single-game scoring champion from every NBA team, from Wilt’s infamous 100-point night to Ja Morant’s 52-point outing for the Grizzlies.
Team Player Points Opponent Date
Golden State Warriors Wilt Chamberlain 100 Knicks 3/2/62
Los Angeles Lakers Kobe Bryant 81 Raptors 1/22/06
Dallas Mavericks Luka Dončić 73 Hawks 1/26/24
Denver Nuggets David Thompson 73 Pistons 4/9/78
Cleveland Cavaliers Donovan Mitchell 71 Bulls 1/2/23
Portland Trail Blazers Damian Lillard 71 Rockets 2/26/23
San Antonio Spurs David Robinson 71 Clippers 4/24/94
Philadelphia 76ers Joel Embiid 70 Spurs 1/22/24
Phoenix Suns Devin Booker 70 Celtics 3/24/17
Chicago Bulls Michael Jordan 69 Cavaliers 3/28/90
Utah Jazz Pete Maravich 68 Knicks 2/25/77
Milwaukee Bucks Giannis Antetokounmpo 64 Pacers 12/13/23
Minnesota Timberwolves Karl-Anthony Towns 62 Hornets 1/22/24
New York Knicks Carmelo Anthony 62 Bobcats 1/24/14
Orlando Magic Tracy McGrady 62 Wizards 3/10/04
Houston Rockets James Harden (2) 61 Spurs, Knicks 3/22/19, 1/23/19
Miami Heat LeBron James 61 Bobcats 3/3/14
Boston Celtics Jayson Tatum, Larry Bird 60 Spurs, Hawks 4/30/21, 3/12/85
Brooklyn Nets Kyrie Irving 60 Magic 3/15/22
Charlotte Hornets Kemba Walker 60 76ers 11/17/18
Sacramento Kings De’Aaron Fox 60 Timberwolves 11/15/24
Washington Wizards Bradley Beal, Gilbert Arenas 60 76ers, Lakers 1/6/21, 12/17/06
New Orleans Pelicans Anthony Davis 59 Pistons 2/21/16
Oklahoma City Thunder Russell Westbrook 58 Trail Blazers 3/7/17
Atlanta Hawks Dominique Wilkins (2), Lou Hudson, Bob Pettit 57 Bulls, Nets, Bulls, Pistons 12/10/86, 4/10/86, 11/10/69, 2/18/61
Detroit Pistons Jerry Stackhouse 57 Bulls 4/3/01
Indiana Pacers Reggie Miller 57 Hornets 11/28/92
Los Angeles Clippers James Harden 55 Hornets 11/22/25
Toronto Raptors Fred VanVleet 54 Magic 2/2/21
Memphis Grizzlies Ja Morant 52 Spurs 2/28/22
More NBA on Sports Illustrated
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