In NBA games, there are always excellent performances, some of which even go down in history as the best performances. There are many factors that make a performance or record the greatest. There is a saying that records are made to be broken at some point, but there are some exceptional records that seem almost impossible to be broken. In basketball, there are different types of records, like single-season records, career records and more. In this article, we will have a look at single-game NBA records that will most probably never be broken.
10. 14 three-pointers by Klay Thompson
In 2018, on October 29, the Golden State Warriors gave the Chicago Bulls a tough 149-124 defeat. The star of that match was Klay Thompson, who made 14 three-pointers, setting a single-game record with a three-point shooting percentage of 58.3, complemented by four two-point baskets and two free throws for a total of 52 points in the game.
9. 15 Blocks by Shaq and Manute Bol
In the history of the NBA, only three times has a player achieved the tremendous figure of 15 blocks in a game. They were Washington Bullets center Manute Bol against the Atlanta Hawks in 1986 and the Indiana Pacers in 1987, and Shaquille O’Neal against the New Jersey Nets in 1993. The special thing about Shaq’s 15 blocks was that he was just 21 at the time. Among active players, only two players could come close to this record: Hassam Whiteside and JaVale McGee.
8. Jason Kidd recorded 14 turnovers
Jason Kidd was an exceptional player in his time. He is a 10-time All-Star and an NBA champion with the Dallas Mavericks. Mr. Triple Double recorded 14 turnovers in the game against the New York Knicks on November 17, 2000. Kidd was very unlucky in this game because the Knicks got a 90-85 victory over the Phoenix Suns. Among active players, only James Harden has been able to come close to this record. He had three 11-turnover games and one 12-turnover game in 2016.
7. Bryant missed 30 field goals
On November 7, 2002, in a regular season game, Kobe Bryant missed 30 field goals in the game against the Boston Celtics. Although the Black Mamba managed to score 41 points that night, it was surprising to see him miss 30 shots. The Los Angeles Lakers lost that game 98-95. It has been 21 years since that game and it is a record that no one can break, and nor will they like to.
6. Dale Ellis played 69 minutes
In today’s era, the average minutes played per game are under 40. But on November 9, 1989, Seattle SuperSonics point guard Dale Ellis spent 69 minutes on the court in the game against the Milwaukee Bucks. There were five overtimes in that game and Ellis’s teammate Xavier McDaniel played 68 minutes in that game. Had he played one more minute, both players would have been tied on this record.
5. 39 free throw attempts by Dwight Howard
On January 12, 2012, while playing for the Orlando Magic, Dwight Howard recorded 39 free throw attempts in the game against the Golden State Warriors. Out of 39 throw attempts, 21 were successful. Before this record, it was Adrian Dantley who held the record for highest free throws. He made 31 free throws in 1983 and then Shaquille O’Neal also made 31 attempts in 1999, sharing the record with him. But Howard’s incredible performance in 2012 broke this record and in fact, he did this again while playing for the Los Angeles Lakers. He made 39 free throw attempts against his former team, the Orlando Magic.
4. Kobe made 50 field goal attempts
Kobe Bryant had a fairy tale ending for his NBA career. On April 13, 2016, when he was playing his last professional game in front of his home crowd, Bryant recorded 50 field goal attempts. The Los Angeles Lakers won that night and the Black Mamba scored 60 points in that game. Kobe was always an impressive player on the court and showed great prominence throughout his career.
3. 35 rebounds by Charles Oakley
Whenever there is talk of rebound records, most people think of Wilt Chamberlain or Bill Russell. But the surprising thing is that neither of them grabbed more rebounds in the game than Charles Oakley. On April 22, 1998, Chicago Bulls power forward Oakley grabbed 35 rebounds, setting an incredible record that seems impossible to break even after 35 years. Among the current players, Enes Freedom could reach close to his record when he grabbed 30 rebounds in the 2020–21 season.
2. 30 assists by Scott Skiles
There have been many great players in the history of the NBA, like Steve Nash, Magic Johnson, John Stockton and Chris Paul, who were known for their incredible assisting skills. But none of them holds the record for most assists in a single game. This record belongs to Scott Skiles, who recorded 30 assists in the Orlando Magic’s 155-116 win over the Denver Nuggets in 1990.
1. 100 points by Wilt Chamberlain
The legendary NBA player Wilt Chamberlain has several records under his name. But his best record is scoring 100 points in a single game. His stellar performance will always be a remarkable one. This record is so difficult to break that the second most points were scored by Kobe Bryant in 2006, which was 81. Among the current generation, only Devin Booker has reached 70 points.
