Top 5 active NBA players with most 50-point games
There have been some incredible scorers in the history of the NBA. However, scoring with consistency and impact is an art reserved for very few superstars.
In this article, we will list five active superstars with the most 50-point games in the NBA. We will also discuss where they rank among the all-time greats in the league.
5 current NBA stars with the most 50-point games
Some names easily come to mind when we consider some of the greatest scorers in today's NBA. James Harden has led the league in points per game in the last three years, and we know he is a nuclear weapon on the attacking end.
In the current campaign, we have seen tremendous scoring displays from stars like Stephen Curry, Bradley Beal, Damian Lillard and others.
Without further ado, here are five active players with the most 50-point outings in their NBA career.
#5 Kevin Durant - Six 50-point games
Kevin Durant is regarded as one of the greatest scorers in NBA history and is possibly the best in today's game.
Durant is certainly an efficient offensive weapon. He has four NBA scoring titles (third-most in history, behind Michael Jordan and Wilt Chamberlain and tied with George Gervin and Allen Iverson).
In his illustrious 14-year NBA career, KD has scored at least 50 points in a single game six times in the regular season. Impressively, he has had more than one 50-point game in only one season, back in his MVP campaign in the 2013-14 season.
His first 50-point game came against the Denver Nuggets in the 2011-12 campaign, and his last one came against the Toronto Raptors on November 29th, 2018.
Durant ranks 14th in NBA history in terms of 50-point games.
#4 Stephen Curry - Eight 50-point games
Stephen Curry is the greatest shooter in NBA history in the minds of many analysts, fans and players. Accordingly, he has given us incredible performances throughout his NBA career.
Among active players, Curry ranks fourth with eight 50-point games in his career. The two-time NBA MVP has had two of those in the 2020-21 NBA season. We can expect more from him, given the amount of talent surrounding him in the current Golden State Warriors' roster and his supreme efficiency so far.
His first 50-point game came back in the 2012-13 season when he put up a show against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden with 54 points. Most recently, Curry put up 57 points against the Dallas Mavericks on February 6th.
On January 3rd, 2021, Curry scored at least 60 points for the first time in his career, with a 62-point outing against the Portland Trail Blazers.
Curry ranks 11th in NBA history in terms of 50-point games.
#3 Damian Lillard - 11 50-point games
Much has been said about Damian Lillard's current MVP level and the snub he suffered recently. The 30-year-old did not get selected as a starter for the 2021 NBA All-Star Game.
Nevertheless, Lillard is one of the most impressive scorers in the current NBA and is capable of putting up tremendous numbers on any given night.
Lillard has 11 games with at least 50 points throughout his nine-year career. He has recorded at least one 50-point game in each of the previous five seasons. He has not hit 50 points in the 2020-21 NBA campaign yet, but he is likely to reach that mark soon.
Last year, he led the league with three 60-point games and joined Wilt Chamberlain as the only players with at least three such outings in the same season.
Lillard ranks eighth in NBA history in terms of 50-point games, tied with Allen Iverson.
#2 LeBron James - 12 50-point games
LeBron James' scoring ability isn't praised enough. He is often regarded as a 'pass-first' player and that might certainly be the case (James is the best passer in the game). However, 'The King' is also one of the greatest scorers in NBA history.
James has 12 games in his career with at least 50 points. His most recent outing of 50 points came in the 2018-19 season against the Miami Heat.
James has the fifth-best scoring average for a career in NBA history with 27.04. Moreover, he has made 50.4% of his field goals and recently became the third player in history to reach 35,000 career points.
James ranks 7th in NBA history in terms of 50-point games.
#1 James Harden - 23 50-point games
James Harden is surely one of the best scorers in the history of the game and has stamped his mark with three consecutive NBA scoring championships in the last three seasons (each year he averaged over 30 points per game).
'The Beard' has lots of tools in his offensive game. He can score from the perimeter or attack the paint with force to draw fouls (he has led the NBA in free-throw attempts seven times and he has made 86% of those in his career).
Harden has 23 games with at least 50 points in his career and ranks fourth in that department behind Wilt Chamberlain (118), Michael Jordan (31), and Kobe Bryant (25).
Moreover, Harden's career average of points per game (25.14) ranks 11th in NBA history. He is also in the top 5 in terms of most 60-point games ever, with 4 in his NBA journey.
Also read: Top 10 NBA players under 25