NBA

Donovan Mitchell’s 71 Points Ranked All Time

by
Staff
January 3, 2023

We’ve had to update Game Score a few times recently now. Two of the top 6 games in the last 40 years at least have been played with in days of each other now. It’s a crazy time in the NBA from game to game with Jokic putting up historic tripple doubles, LeBron scoring 47 at 38 years old, and now Mitchell joining Luka with one of the best games in history the same week.


1	Michael Jordan*	64.6	1990-03-28
2	Kobe Bryant*	63.5	2006-01-22
3	Donovan Mitchell	60.8	2023-01-02
4	Karl Malone*	60.2	1990-01-27
5	James Harden	56.6	2018-01-30
6	Luka Dončić	56.3	2022-12-27
7	Michael Jordan*	54.7	1988-04-03

Michael Jordan (64.6): 69 pts, 23-37 FG, 18 Reb, 6 Ast, 4 Stl
Kobe Bryant (63.5): 81 pts, 28-46 FG, 18-20 FG, 3 Stl
Karl Malone (60.2): 61 pts, 21-26 FG, 19-23 FT, 18 Reb
Donovan Mitchell(60.8) 71pts 22-34 FG, 20-25 FT 11 Ast, 8 Reb
James Harden (56.6): 60 pts, 10 Reb, 11 Ast, 17-18 FT, 4 Stl
Luka Doncic (56.3): 60 pts, 21 Reb, 10 Ast, 21-31 FG, 16-22 FT

There was a David Thompson 73 point game that would have ranked as well if you go back to 1978 unlike on sports reference that goes back to 1983.

David Thompson (57.0): 73 pts, 28-38 FG, 17-20 FT, 7 Reb

Wilt and some of the players from the 1960’s may have had some big games, but they didn’t feature this kind of efficiency or per-possession value. Mitchell was in overtime like Jordan’s and Luka’s as well. I don’t think it diminishes it. The 11 assist is especially impressive while scoring that many and with 8 rebounds nearly registered his own 70 point triple double.


				min	FG	FA	3pt	3pta	FTM	FTA
100	Wilt Chamberlain*	March 2, 1962	169–147	48	36	63	—	—	28	32
81	Kobe Bryant*	January 22, 2006	122–104	42	28	46	7	13	18	20
78	Wilt Chamberlain*	December 8, 1961	147–151	63	31	62	—	—	16	31
78	Wilt Chamberlain*	January 13, 1962	135–117	48	29	48	—	—	15	25
78	Wilt Chamberlain*	November 16, 1962	127–111	48	29	43	—	—	15	19
73	David Thompson*	April 9, 1978	137–139	43	28	38	—	—	17	20
72	Wilt Chamberlain*	November 3, 1962	115–127	—	29	48	—	—	14	18
72	Elgin Baylor*	November 15, 1960	123–108	45	28	48	—	—	15	18
72	David Robinson*	April 24, 1994	112–97	44	26	41	1	2	18	25
71	Donovan Mitchell^	January 2, 2023	145–134	50	22	34	7	15	20	25
71	Wilt Chamberlain*	March 10, 1963	148–163	48	27	38	—	—	16	22
70	Devin Booker^	March 24, 2017	120–130	45	21	40	4	11	24	26
69	Michael Jordan*	March 28, 1990	117–113	50	23	37	2	6	21	23
69	Wilt Chamberlain*	December 16, 1967	143–123	—	30	40	—	—	8	22
68	Pete Maravich*	February 25, 1977	124–107	43	26	43	—	—	16	19
68	Wilt Chamberlain*	March 9, 1961	135–126	—	27	37	—	—	13	17
68	Wilt Chamberlain*	February 17, 1962	121–128	48	26	44	—	—	15	20
68	Wilt Chamberlain*	February 25, 1962	135–149	48	25	38	—	—	17	22
67	Wilt Chamberlain*	January 11, 1963	129–134	—	28	47	—	—	11	17
66	Wilt Chamberlain*	February 9, 1969	134–116	48	29	35	—	—	8	18
66	Wilt Chamberlain*	February 13, 1962	132–152	48	24	40	—	—	17	30
66	Wilt Chamberlain*	February 27, 1962	147–137	48	25	43	—	—	15	20
66	Wilt Chamberlain*	February 7, 1966	132–125	—	28	43	—	—	9	20
65	Kobe Bryant*	March 16, 2007	116–111	50	23	39	8	12	11	12
65	Elgin Baylor*	November 8, 1959	136–115	—	25	47	—	—	14	19
65	Rick Barry*	March 26, 1974	143–120	43	30	45	—	—	4	5
64	Michael Jordan*	January 16, 1993	124–128	47	27	49	1	5	9	11
64	Joe Fulks*	February 10, 1949	108–87	—	27	56	—	—	9	14
64	Elgin Baylor*	December 8, 1961	151–147	—	23	55	—	—	17	24
64	Jerry West*	January 17, 1962	129–121	39	22	36	—	—	19	22
64	Wilt Chamberlain*	December 14, 1962	118–120	—	24	41	—	—	15	20
64	Wilt Chamberlain*	November 26, 1964	117–128	—	27	58	—	—	9	20
64	George Gervin*	April 9, 1978	132–153	33	23	49	—	—	17	20
63	Michael Jordan*	April 20, 1986	131–135	53	22	41	0	0	19	21
63	Wilt Chamberlain*	January 14, 1962	136–145	48	27	45	—	—	8	10
63	Wilt Chamberlain*	January 17, 1962	136–130	53	24	48	—	—	14	20
63	Wilt Chamberlain*	January 21, 1962	139–132	53	25	42	—	—	12	17
63	Wilt Chamberlain*	January 29, 1963	123–103	—	27	44	—	—	8	17
63	Wilt Chamberlain*	November 15, 1964	122–106	—	26	44	—	—	10	21
63	Wilt Chamberlain*	March 3, 1966	135–125	—	26	39	—	—	10	19
63	Tracy McGrady*	March 10, 2004	108–99	46	20	37	5	14	17	26
63	Kobe Bryant*	December 20, 2005	112–90	33	18	31	4	10	22	25
63	Carmelo Anthony^	January 24, 2014	125–96	39	23	35	6	11	10	10
62	Stephen Curry^	January 3, 2021	137–122	36	18	31	8	16	18	19
62	George Mikan*	January 20, 1952	91–81	—	22	45	—	—	17	21
62	Wilt Chamberlain*	December 9, 1961	135–113	48	28	48	—	—	5	10
62	Wilt Chamberlain*	February 22, 1962	139–121	48	21	36	—	—	19	34
62	Wilt Chamberlain*	February 28, 1962	128–119	48	24	46	—	—	13	17
62	Elgin Baylor*	April 14, 1962	126–121	—	22	46	—	—	17	19
62	Wilt Chamberlain*	November 21, 1962	139–143	—	27	52	—	—	7	15
62	Wilt Chamberlain*	December 11, 1962	136–124	—	27	57	—	—	7	11
62	Wilt Chamberlain*	December 18, 1962	130–110	—	26	53	—	—	9	14
62	Michael Jordan*	March 4, 1987	125–120	43	22	39	0	0	17	18
62	Michael Jordan*	April 16, 1987	114–117	41	22	38	0	3	17	21
62	Karl Malone*	January 27, 1990	144–96	33	21	26	0	0	19	23
62	Shaquille O’Neal*	March 6, 2000	123–103	45	24	35	0	0	13	22
62	Kobe Bryant*	February 2, 2009	126–117	37	19	31	3	6	20	20
62	LeBron James^	March 3, 2014	124–107	41	22	33	8	10	9	12
62	James Harden^	January 23, 2019	114–110	40	17	38	5	20	22	25
62	James Harden^	March 22, 2019	111–105	37	19	34	9	13	14	17
62	Damian Lillard^	January 20, 2020	129–124	45	17	37	11	20	16	16
61	Damian Lillard^	August 11, 2020	134–131	41	17	32	9	17	18	18
61	Wilt Chamberlain*	December 1, 1961	138–117	48	22	47	—	—	16	26
61	Wilt Chamberlain*	December 29, 1961	123–118	48	24	43	—	—	12	19
61	Wilt Chamberlain*	January 26, 1969	126–113	—	22	36	—	—	16	24
61	Bernard King*	December 25, 1984	114–120	41	19	30	0	0	22	26
61	Larry Bird*	March 12, 1985	126–115	43	22	36	1	4	15	16
61	Tom Chambers	March 24, 1990	121–95	42	22	32	0	0	16	18
61	Allen Iverson*	February 12, 2005	112–99	42	17	36	2	5	24	27
61	Gilbert Arenas	December 17, 2006	147–141	49	17	32	5	12	21	27
61	Kobe Bryant*	March 22, 2007	121–119	45	20	37	3	7	17	18
61	Kobe Bryant*	April 13, 2016	101–96	42	22	50	6	21	10	12
61	Klay Thompson^	December 5, 2016	142–106	29	21	33	8	14	10	11
61	James Harden^	January 30, 2018	114–107	46	19	30	5	14	17	18
61	Kemba Walker^	November 17, 2018	119–122	45	21	34	6	14	12	12
61	Damian Lillard^	November 8, 2019	115–119	40	19	33	7	16	15	15
61	James Harden^	November 30, 2019	158–111	31	16	24	8	14	20	23
61	Bradley Beal^	January 6, 2021	136–141	38	20	35	7	10	13	15
61	Jayson Tatum^	April 30, 2021	143–140	45	20	37	5	7	15	17
61	Karl-Anthony Towns^	March 14, 2022	149–139	36	19	31	7	11	15	16
61	Kyrie Irving^	March 15, 2022	150–108	35	20	31	8	12	12	13
60	Luka Dončić^	December 27, 2022	126–121	47	21	31	2	6	16	22

Tracking since the 3 point line started in 1980 you can see how special the game really is the last 40+ years.


				min	FG	FA	3pt	3pta	FTM	FTA
81	Kobe Bryant*	January 22, 2006	122–104	42	28	46	7	13	18	20
72	David Robinson*	April 24, 1994	112–97	44	26	41	1	2	18	25
71	Donovan Mitchell^	January 2, 2023	145–134	50	22	34	7	15	20	25
70	Devin Booker^	March 24, 2017	120–130	45	21	40	4	11	24	26
69	Michael Jordan*	March 28, 1990	117–113	50	23	37	2	6	21	23
65	Kobe Bryant*	March 16, 2007	116–111	50	23	39	8	12	11	12
64	Michael Jordan*	January 16, 1993	124–128	47	27	49	1	5	9	11
63	Michael Jordan*	April 20, 1986	131–135	53	22	41	0	0	19	21
63	Tracy McGrady*	March 10, 2004	108–99	46	20	37	5	14	17	26
63	Kobe Bryant*	December 20, 2005	112–90	33	18	31	4	10	22	25
63	Carmelo Anthony^	January 24, 2014	125–96	39	23	35	6	11	10	10
62	Stephen Curry^	January 3, 2021	137–122	36	18	31	8	16	18	19
62	Michael Jordan*	March 4, 1987	125–120	43	22	39	0	0	17	18
62	Michael Jordan*	April 16, 1987	114–117	41	22	38	0	3	17	21
62	Karl Malone*	January 27, 1990	144–96	33	21	26	0	0	19	23
62	Shaquille O’Neal*	March 6, 2000	123–103	45	24	35	0	0	13	22
62	Kobe Bryant*	February 2, 2009	126–117	37	19	31	3	6	20	20
62	LeBron James^	March 3, 2014	124–107	41	22	33	8	10	9	12
62	James Harden^	January 23, 2019	114–110	40	17	38	5	20	22	25
62	James Harden^	March 22, 2019	111–105	37	19	34	9	13	14	17
62	Damian Lillard^	January 20, 2020	129–124	45	17	37	11	20	16	16
61	Damian Lillard^	August 11, 2020	134–131	41	17	32	9	17	18	18
61	Bernard King*	December 25, 1984	114–120	41	19	30	0	0	22	26
61	Larry Bird*	March 12, 1985	126–115	43	22	36	1	4	15	16
61	Tom Chambers	March 24, 1990	121–95	42	22	32	0	0	16	18
61	Allen Iverson*	February 12, 2005	112–99	42	17	36	2	5	24	27
61	Gilbert Arenas	December 17, 2006	147–141	49	17	32	5	12	21	27
61	Kobe Bryant*	March 22, 2007	121–119	45	20	37	3	7	17	18
61	Kobe Bryant*	April 13, 2016	101–96	42	22	50	6	21	10	12
61	Klay Thompson^	December 5, 2016	142–106	29	21	33	8	14	10	11
61	James Harden^	January 30, 2018	114–107	46	19	30	5	14	17	18
61	Kemba Walker^	November 17, 2018	119–122	45	21	34	6	14	12	12
61	Damian Lillard^	November 8, 2019	115–119	40	19	33	7	16	15	15
61	James Harden^	November 30, 2019	158–111	31	16	24	8	14	20	23
61	Bradley Beal^	January 6, 2021	136–141	38	20	35	7	10	13	15
61	Jayson Tatum^	April 30, 2021	143–140	45	20	37	5	7	15	17
61	Karl-Anthony Towns^	March 14, 2022	149–139	36	19	31	7	11	15	16
61	Kyrie Irving^	March 15, 2022	150–108	35	20	31	8	12	12	13
60	Luka Dončić^	December 27, 2022	126–121	47	21	31	2	6	16	22

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Donovan Mitchell’s 71 Points Ranked All Time

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Donovan Mitchell’s 71 Points Ranked All Time

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