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.
Who holds the single-game scoring record for each NBA team?
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
