Jan. 22, 2024, was a historic day in the NBA.
In Philadelphia's win over San Antonio, Joel Embiid erupted for 70 points, 18 rebounds and five assists. Later in the same night, Karl-Anthony Towns scored a career-best 62 points in a loss to the Hornets.
It marks only the fourth time in NBA history that two players have recorded 60 points on the same night. The last time it happened was in 1978.
Towns didn't quite do enough to crack the 15 highest scoring performances in NBA history, but Embiid is now one of only nine players to score at least 70 points in a single game.
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Who has the most points in a game in NBA history?
Wilt Chamberlain holds the record for most points scored in an NBA game with 100. Kobe Bryant ranks second with 81 points.
Other than Chamberlain and Bryant, the only players in NBA history who have scored 70 points in an NBA game are David Thompson (73), Elgin Baylor (71), David Robinson (71), Donovan Mitchell (71), Damian Lillard (71), Devin Booker (70) and Embiid (70).
Chamberlain is the only player in NBA history with multiple 70-point games. He had six such games in his career.
| Rank | Player | Points | Year |
| 1. | Wilt Chamberlain | 100 | 1962 |
| 2. | Kobe Bryant | 81 | 2006 |
| 3. | Wilt Chamberlain | 78 | 1961 |
| T-4. | Wilt Chamberlain | 73 | 1962 |
| T-4. | Wilt Chamberlain | 73 | 1962 |
| T-4. | David Thompson | 73 | 1978 |
| 7. | Wilt Chamberlain | 72 | 1962 |
| T-8. | Elgin Baylor | 71 | 1960 |
| T-8. | David Robinson | 71 | 1994 |
| T-8 | Donovan Mitchell | 71 | 2023 |
| T-8. | Damian Lillard | 71 | 2023 |
| T-12 | Joel Embiid | 70 | 2024 |
| T-12. | Devin Booker | 70 | 2017 |
| T-12. | Wilt Chamberlain | 70 | 1963 |
| 15. | Michael Jordan | 69 | 1990 |
Mitchell and Lillard have the highest-scoring games among active players with 71 points, while Booker and Embiid are right behind them with 70. A number of active players have scored 60 points in a game, including James Harden, LeBron James and Bradley Beal.
At the age of 20, Booker is also the youngest player ever to score 60 points in a game. The oldest? Bryant, at 37.
Fun fact: Kevin Durant, who has the fourth-highest career scoring average in NBA history, has never scored 60 points in a game. His career high is 55 points.
