Luka Doncic continues to get buckets in the NBA playoffs, tonight overtaking Michael Jordan for the highest playoff scoring average of all time.
Entering their second round series against the Phoenix Suns, Doncic had played 16 postseason games in his career with a scoring average of 32.7 points, placing him behind only Jordan for the most in NBA history.
After dropping 45 points in Game 1 and 35 points in Game 2, Doncic now owns the single highest playoff scoring average — ever.
Now, Jordan averaged 33.4 points over 179 playoff games in his career — a much, much larger sample size — but the point remains: Doncic looks right at home on the NBA's biggest stage and is rubbing shoulders with the greatest scorer we've ever seen.
With that in mind, here's where Doncic stands on the all-time leaderboard following Game 2 against the Suns.
MORE: Watch the NBA playoffs on Sling TV (U.S. only)
Highest playoff scoring average in NBA history
As it stands, Doncic now sits above Jordan in NBA history for the highest career scoring average in the playoffs.
In the first postseason series of his career, Doncic averaged 31.0 points per game. He was even better in his second, averaging 35.7 points over a seven-game series with the Clippers.
Against the Jazz in the first round of the 2022 NBA Playoffs, Doncic averaged 29.0 points per game and now through two games against the Suns, he's averaging a cool 40.0 points a game in the second round.
Doncic needed only 16 games to score 500 playoff points. That's the fewest since — you guessed it — Jordan.
Luka Doncic has reached 500 playoff points in 16 career games, the fewest needed since Michael Jordan 📈
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) April 29, 2022
MJ did it in 14 games! pic.twitter.com/jPDD3vuHeH
The other active players in the top 15 all-time in postseason scoring average are Kevin Durant, LeBron James, Donovan Mitchell, Anthony Davis, Brandon Ingram, Devin Booker, Stephen Curry and Nikola Jokic.
James holds the record for most total points ever scored in the playoffs, followed by Jordan.
Rank | Player | PPG |
1 | Luka Doncic | 33.5 |
2 | Michael Jordan | 33.4 |
3 | Allen Iverson | 29.7 |
4 | Kevin Durant | 29.4 |
5 | Jerry West | 29.1 |
6 | LeBron James | 28.7 |
7 | Donovan Mitchell | 28.3 |
8 | Anthony Davis | 27.3 |
9 | Elgin Baylor | 27.0 |
10 | Brandon Ingram* | 27.0 |
11 | George Gervin | 27.0 |
12 | Devin Booker | 26.8 |
13 | Billy Ray Bates** | 26.7 |
14 | Stephen Curry | 26.5 |
15 | Nikola Jokic | 26.4 |
* Ingram has appeared in only six playoff games to this point of his career
** Bates appeared in only six playoff games in his career