The mantle for the NBA's best scorer is always up for debate, but Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant sent a timely reminder that he's the elite bucket getter in the league, with a signature performance against the Detroit Pistons.
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Playing without James Harden, Joe Harris, and Paul Millsap, the Nets came into Detroit shorthanded, but thanks to Durant's explosive scoring, they walked away with a 116-104 win to move to 19-8 on the season.
Durant piled up a season-high 51 points, nine assists, seven rebounds, two blocks and a steal on an efficient 16-of-31 from the field, 5-of-10 from beyond the arc and 14-of-15 at the free throw line.
"We [were] missing James and we missing Paul Millsap, so I feel like I had to pick up the scoring a little bit more, Durant said postgame.
Let's dive into some of the numbers behind Durant's scorching night in Detroit.
1: Highest score of the season
Durant's 51 fell just short of his career-high 54 points which he set against the Golden State Warriors in 2014 while playing for the Oklahoma City Thunder.
His 51 tonight, however, set the benchmark for the 2021-22 season, eclipsing the previous highest score of the season, set by Stephen Curry in November.
| RANK | PLAYER | SCORE |
| 1. | Kevin Durant | 51 points |
| 2. | Stephen Curry | 50 points |
| 3. | Anthony Edwards | 48 points |
| 4. | Giannis Antetokounmpo | 47 points |
| 5. | Jaylen Brown | 46 points |
10: 50-point games in Nets franchise history
Durant's 51-point performance is just the 10th 50-point game in Nets franchise history and ties Caris LeVert for the fifth-highest score all-time.
Deron Williams still holds the record for the most points scored in a Nets uniform with 57 points in 2012.
🚨 MAKE THAT 51 FOR KD 🚨
— NBA (@NBA) December 13, 2021
That's his @BrooklynNets career high. pic.twitter.com/GaaJ6RhXrl
7: Durant's seventh 50-point game
The four-time scoring champion now has seven 50-point games in his career, with tonight's his first 50-ball in a Nets uniform and his first since 2018.
Among active players, Durant ranks fifth all-time, behind Stephen Curry, Damian Lillard, LeBron James and his Nets teammate James Harden who has nearly double the amount of 50-point games as second place.
Kyrie Irving sits tied for eighth all-time, making it three payers from the Nets currently sitting in the top 10 among active players.
| RANK | PLAYER (all-time) | 50-PT GAMES |
| 1. | James Harden (4th) | 23 |
| 2= | LeBron James (7th) | 12 |
| 2= | Damian Lillard (7th) | 12 |
| 4. | Stephen Curry (10th) | 11 |
| 5. | Kevin Durant (13th) | 7 |
| 6. | Russell Westbrook (18th) | 5 |
| 7. | Bradley Beal (18th) | 5 |
| 8= | Anthony Davis (22nd) | 4 |
| 8= | Carmelo Anthony (22nd) | 4 |
| 8= | Kyrie Irving (22nd) | 4 |
