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NBA History: 5 players with the most 20-point quarters

James Harden, Kobe Bryant and LeBron James are among the five players with the most 20-point quarters in the NBA since 1996.
James Harden, Kobe Bryant and LeBron James are among the five players with the most 20-point quarters in the NBA since 1996.

One-quarter is enough to change the course of an NBA game. Basketball, in general, is a game of fine margins. It requires a bit of everything physically and mentally.

As players get mature, they try to adapt to the smartest way of winning games. One way to do that is by exploiting certain situations or moments of a game to churn out wins for their team.

Dominating a game quarter by quarter has been a wise way of outsmarting opponents. Several players in the NBA have done that to gain an advantage for their respective teams.

Some have been highly exceptional at it, especially on the offensive end. Plenty of NBA players have had multiple 20-point quarters, which is no mean feat.

On that note, let's take a look at five players with the most 20-point quarters in NBA history since 1996, when the stats were first recorded.


#5 Damian Lillard - 21 20-point quarters

Men's Basketball Medal Ceremony: Day 15
Men's Basketball Medal Ceremony: Day 15

Damian Lillard is one of the most lethal long-range shooters in the NBA. He is also the most efficient player in clutch moments and can change the course of a game single-handedly.

Lillard has 21 20-point quarters in his NBA career. The Portland Trail Blazers talisman has always been the primary scoring option on all the teams he has played on. Lillard has had some big nights en route to tallying so many 20-point quarters in only seven years in the league.

The sharpshooting guard has several years left before he decides to call time on his career, so that number can be expected to go up eventually.

#4 LeBron James - 24 20-point quarters

Los Angeles Lakers v Phoenix Suns - Game Five
Los Angeles Lakers v Phoenix Suns - Game Five

LeBron James is one of the most intelligent players to ever play in the NBA. The LA Lakers talisman is renowned for his ability to make the right plays at the right time. One of LeBron's most underrated traits is his ability to take over the game and lead his team to wins single-handedly.

He did that a lot more during his initial years in the NBA. More often than not, he was the only top-tier player on his Cleveland Cavaliers team, which required him to deliver a lot of solo performances.

In his 18 season career so far, LeBron has managed to have 24 20-point quarters. The 'King' knows how and when to switch things up when the going gets tough for the rest of his teammates. The ability to do that has helped him make it to another top-five list.

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