To put last week’s individual scoring outbursts into perspective, consider the following stat. In the NBA, there were three games with 60 points or more between 1990 and 2004. Just this past week, there were four. In just one game, Luka Doncic scored 73 points. Embiid Joel scored seventy. In defeat, Devin Booker and Karl-Anthony Towns each scored 62 points.
The increase in outstanding scoring can be attributed to several factors. The trends have only gotten worse since I wrote about them five years ago in an article titled “It’s Never Been Easier to Score 50 Points in the NBA.” Routine fireworks have been set in motion by a faster league pace, improved offensive efficiency, an embrace of 3-point shooting, and an increase in single-star lineups. (Admittedly, so have some awful defenses: the four most recent 60-point performances occurred against the Pacers, Hawks, Hornets, and Spurs, who are ranked 25, 26, 27, and 30th in defensive rating, respectively.
The extreme offense-first skew of the league worries some analysts and fans. However, this article isn’t meant to be a debate. Instead, we’re playing a hypothetical game that was sparked by the recent run of high point totals: Could any player in the modern era truly break Wilt Chamberlain’s legendary record of 100 points in a game by scoring 50, 60, or even 70 points in a game?
