How 50-point performances became commonplace during NBA's historic month

Gilbert McGregor

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How 50-point performances became commonplace during NBA's historic month image

You get 50 points! You get 50 points! Every. Body. Gets. 50. Points.

It's not every day that you see a 50-point performance in the NBA, although it has seemed that way during the month of March.

The month isn't over just yet and the tally of 50-point games has reached nine, tying a historic mark set almost 60 years ago, most of which belong to the one and only Wilt Chamberlain.

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Fittingly, as the NBA celebrates its 75th anniversary, some of the league's most iconic figures have had their hand in the ongoing history of prolific performances, with each showcase taking a life of its own:

  • March 5, 2022: LeBron James – 56 points vs. Warriors
  • March 6, 2022: Jayson Tatum – 54 points vs. Nets
  • March 8, 2022: Kyrie Irving – 50 points vs. Hornets
  • March 11, 2022: LeBron James – 50 points vs. Wizards
  • March 13, 2022: Kevin Durant – 53 points vs. Knicks
  • March 14, 2022: Karl-Anthony Towns – 60 points vs. Spurs
  • March 15, 2022: Kyrie Irving – 60 points vs. Magic
  • March 17, 2022: Saddiq Bey – 51 points vs. Magic
  • March 31, 2022: DeMar DeRozan — 50 points vs. Clippers

We've become accustomed to seeing Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and LeBron James getting 50 over the last 10-plus years. When Jayson Tatum or Karl-Anthony Towns do it, it gives us a glimpse of what we'll see for the next 10-plus years. But when it's Saddiq Bey, we scratch our heads before running back the tape to realize his 51-point performance wasn't exactly a fluke.

He, too, has a bright future in the league.

The number itself always jumps off the page, but it should almost go without saying that no two 50-point performances are alike. For various reasons, each performance holds a value worth much more (and on a rare occasion, less) than the final figure in the box score.

MORE: Is LeBron the greatest scorer of all-time? Debating James' case amongst the NBA's all-time great bucket getters

Take Kyrie, for example — he's got two 50-point performances this month alone. In one game, he broke analytics by scoring 50 points with a true shooting percentage of 101.3, and, as an encore, took things a step further by entering the exclusive 60-point club with a masterful performance in Orlando exactly one week later.

And with respect to that exclusive club, it was actually Towns who matched Irving, putting forth a 60-point performance less than 24 hours earlier.

As for narratives, what's more improbable: a 37-year-old in his 19th season with two games of 50-plus points in a week's time or a 22-year-old selected outside the lottery going for 51 points in his second season when his previous career-best was 34?

How about the fact that all of this happened in the same calendar month?

MORE: LeBron James, Joel Embiid, Giannis Antetokounmpo entrenched in historic race for scoring title

In any other month, these performances would have dominated most basketball discussions, but because of March Madness, NBA history being made in real-time has understandably been a subtext. Still, it's certainly worth a closer look.

Why is everyone scoring 50? Breaking down a historic month in the NBA

While no two 50-point games are alike, there are a few common threads that tie these performances in March together. And no, it's not simply "poor defense."

Efficiency

While Kyrie's efficiency was video-game-like, it's worth noting that each of the 50-point scorers shot at least 50 percent from the field, with seven performances coming at or above 61.3 percent shooting from the field.

To take it a step further, Durant's 37 attempts were the most among the 50-point scorers in March.

By The Numbers: Kevin Durant goes off for 53 points in Nets win over Knicks

A combination of good shot selection and players getting into that zone is the best explanation for such efficiency from the field. That, and taking care of business at the charity stripe, where each player sank at least seven freebies.

Bey's 7 of 10 shooting from the line was the worst among all performers.

The 3 ball

You don't need analytics to know that 3 is greater than 2, and each of these performances proved that one way or another.

Bey's 51-point outburst was largely a product of his shooting 10 of 14 from the field, while Durant's 37 attempts for 53 points can be traced to his shooting 4 of 13 from deep. Related: Durant going 15 of 24 from inside the arc reinforces the fact that he is the league's most lethal midrange scorer.

While Bey and Durant were on opposite ends of the spectrum, James knocked down six triples in each of his 50-point performances, Towns drained seven in his 60-point game and Tatum sank eight 3s en route to scoring 54 against the Nets.

As for Irving, it was nine 3s that led to 50 in Charlotte and eight 3s that resulted in 50 in Orlando.

Speaking of Orlando…

Amway Magic

Is it something about the rims at Orlando's Amway Center?

The Magic, who undoubtedly have a bright future with their young core, ended up on the wrong side of history as they allowed the career performances of Irving and Bey in consecutive home games.

Four of the 18 games of 50 points or more in the 2021-22 NBA season have come against Orlando, two of which came on the team's home floor. 

So, who's next?

While it seems like a few of these games have gone under the radar, it somehow also feels like fans are on the edge of their seats, waiting for the next 50-point performance to come.

Christian Wood seemingly had an out-of-body experience and drained eight 3s, but it only resulted in 39 points. Trae Young again embraced the villain role at Madison Square Garden but fell five points shy of the third 50-point game of his career.

MORE: Trae Young says "it wasn't even that loud" after 45-point performance at MSG

Could it be someone like Devin Booker, who once scored 70 points in the month of March? One of the league's other scoring leaders in Giannis Antetokounmpo or Joel Embiid? Or could we see one of the six names that have already made their mark in March 2022 do it once again?

Whether or not it comes at the end of this remains to be seen, but the beauty of the league is that there are a number of worthy candidates to get the job done, some of whom you might not expect.

Gilbert McGregor

Gilbert McGregor Photo

Gilbert McGregor first joined The Sporting News in 2018 as a content producer for Global editions of NBA.com. Before covering the game, McGregor played basketball collegiately at Wake Forest, graduating with a Communication degree in 2016. McGregor began covering the NBA during the 2017-18 season and has been on hand for a number of league events.