Klay Thompson has 37 points in a quarter and puts up a "Game Score" of over 44. Kyrie goes for 55 points and puts up a Games Score of 41.8. These are the only two Game Scores in the NBA above 40 this season, so these two must be all-time great efforts, right? Wrong. In the past 30 years, Kyrie's effort ranks 85th and Klay's ranks 42nd.
Hard to imagine, right? Well, let's review the top 10 regular season efforts of the past 30 years, ranked by highest Game Score.
10th best -- Carmelo Anthony Jan. 24, 2014 v. Charlotte. 62 points, 13 rebounds, 0 assists. Game Score 50.6
9 -- Kobe March 16, 2007 v. Portland. 65-7-3 -- 50.9
8 -- Jordan November 3, 1989 v. Cleveland 54/14/6
7 (tie) -- Jordan again -- February 26, 1987 v. the Nets, 58/8/3
Both had a Game Score of 51.2
6th Place -- Nique -- versus Chicago on December 10, 1986 57/9/4 -- 51.6
#5 -- David Robinson April 24, 1994 v. Clippers, 71/14/5 (I believe there was a scoring title at stake here) -- 51.8
The Top 4
4. Jordan again -- April 3, 1988 v. Detroit, 59/4/6 (so this would have been against the Bad Boys) --
54.7
3. Karl Malone in 33 minutes against Milwaukee on January 22, 1990 had 61/18/2 -- 60.2
2. Kobe again -- January 22, 2006 v. Toronto -- 81/6/2 -- 63.5
And Your Winner --
1. Jordan again -- March 28, 1990 against Cleveland -- 69/18/6. 64.6
WORTHY OF NOTE
The 5th best game score of the past 30 years was put up by Charles Barkley in a playoff game against Golden State on May 4, 1994. He went 56/14/4. That was the game where Warriors coach Don Nelson refused to double team Charles in the post and Barkley kept scoring at will. causing him to run by the Warriors bench and scream, "When are you going to double me!?!?!" The Suns won 140-133.
Barkley has 2 of the 10 best playoff Game Scores of the past 30 years, the other being a 43 point triple double in June of 1993 against Seattle in Game 5 (which he followed with a Game 7 performance of 44/24 which resulted in the 12th best playoff Game Score of the past 30 years).
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