LeBron James earned a spot in the top five with his iconic Game 1 performance against the Warriors in 2018.
There have been some incredible playoff scoring performances in NBA history. In total, there have been 68 NBA Finals games in which a player scored at least 40 points. Let’s dive into the history books and highlight the top five scoring performances in NBA Finals history.
1. Elgin Baylor, 61 Points – 1962 Finals Game 5
After his rookie season, Baylor had a streak of four straight seasons in which he averaged at least 29.6 points per game. During the 1961-62 season, he averaged 38.3 points per game. However, he only appeared in 48 games because he was serving in the U.S. Army Reserve. Baylor continued to score in bunches in the playoffs, including when he scored 61 points in Game 5 of the NBA Finals against the Celtics. He shot 22-for-46 from the field and added 22 rebounds. The Lakers won the game, but lost the series in seven games. That 61-point eruption still stands as the NBA Finals record over 60 years later.
T-2. Michael Jordan, 55 Points – 1993 Finals Game 4
Jordan led the league in scoring by averaging 32.6 points per game during the 1992-93 regular season. That marked the seventh straight season in which he led the league in scoring. With the Bulls leading the Suns 2-1 in the 1993 NBA Finals, Jordan scored 55 points in Game 4 to help the Bulls take a commanding 3-1 series lead. In that game, Jordan shot 21-for-37 from the field and 13-for-18 from the free-throw line. The Bulls won the series in six games.
T-2. Rick Barry, 55 Points – 1967 Finals Game 3
The San Francisco Warriors lost the first two games of the 1967 NBA Finals to the 76ers. The Warriors finally got on the board in the series with a win in Game 3. Barry led the way, scoring 55 points over 46 minutes. He shot 22-for-48 from the field and 11-for-19 from the free-throw line. He also chipped in 12 rebounds and five assists in the game. The Warriors eventually lost the series in six games.
4. Jerry West, 53 Points – 1969 Finals Game 1
West started off the 1969 NBA Finals in style by scoring 53 points in Game 1 against the Celtics. He shot 21-for-41 from the field and 11-for-13 from the free-throw line. He also recorded 10 assists in the two-point win for the Lakers. The Lakers went on to grab a 2-0 lead in the series, but eventually lost in seven games. West was named Finals MVP despite the Lakers not winning the title.
5. LeBron James, 51 Points – 2018 Finals Game 1
James began the 2018 NBA Finals by scoring 51 points in Game 1 against the Warriors. He shot 19-for-32 from the field and 10-for-11 from the free-throw line over 48 minutes. He also posted eight rebounds and eight assists with the Cavaliers losing the game in overtime. The Cavaliers lost the series in four games, with three of their four losses coming by at least 10 points. During that entire Cavaliers playoff run, James averaged 34.0 points per game.
