How difficult is it to score 50+ in the Finals? Only 7 players in NBA history, James ranked 5th with 51 points in a single game.

The defensive intensity of the NBA playoffs is far beyond that of the regular season, which is already a well-known secret. Because of this, many stars have performed better than the regular season in the playoffs. It is already quite difficult for him to maintain the regular season data. For this reason, there are only 33 players who have performed 50+ in a single game in the entire playoff history. Moreover, as the playoffs deepen, it is often difficult to see a single game of 50+ in the game in the latter part of the game. Therefore, in the finals, only 7 players have performed 50+ in a single game in history. Then we will take stock of these 7 players, among which the strongest players, such as James, can only rank fifth in a single game of 51 points.

7. Bob Petit (G6 scored 50 points in the 1958 Finals)

Since Bill Russell entered the league, the Celtics have almost dominated the NBA, and one of the few teams that have beaten them in the Finals during this period was the Hawks. In the 1957-1958 season, led by Bob Petit, the Hawks first defeated the Pistons, and then they reached the finals and tied 2-2 with their opponents in the first four games. During this period, Petit performed well in 30+19 and 32+19 in a single game.

In the battle of Tianwang Mountain, Petit scored 33 points and 21 rebounds again, and under his leadership, the Hawks also took the lead to the match point. In the last game, Pettit's performance was still unsolvable. He played in 42 minutes, making 19 of 34 shots and scoring 50 points and 19 rebounds. In this game, he not only set a record of single-game score in the finals at that time, but also successfully helped the Hawks win the first championship in the team history.

6. Antetokounmpo (G6 scored 50 points in the 2021 Finals)

Before 2021, since Antetokounmpo had won two MVPs, he had not even scored in one Finals, so he was questioned a lot. Fortunately, in the 2021 playoffs, Antetokounmpo successfully proved himself. Before reaching the finals, he contributed a lot of luxury data, especially in the series against the Nets. He scored 30+10 6 times, and the tiebreak even scored 40+13+5. Later, facing the Hawks, the Bucks finally reached the finals by defeating them.

Facing the Suns, the Bucks came up and lost two games in a row. Even though G2 Antetokounmpo scored 42 points and 12 rebounds, the team still failed to equalize the big score. However, since then, the Bucks have completely exploded. After that, they won four games in a row and directly won the championship. During this period, Antetokounmpo scored at least 40+10 data twice. Among them, G6 scored 50 points, 14 rebounds, 2 assists and 5 blocks in a comprehensive data. In the end, he was elected FMVP without any controversy.

5. James (G1 scored 51 points in the 2018 Finals)

As the first player to score 50+ in the Finals, this is the only 50+ game in James's playoff career. He had several chances to score 50 points but failed to achieve it in the end. For example, in the 2012 Eastern Conference Finals G6, he scored 45 points and 15 rebounds on 19 of 26 shots. If the game had not entered garbage time early at that time, James could even score 60+ in that game. After all, his touch was too good in that game, and the Celtics could not limit him at all.

And in James's playoff career, although the finals had just begun, the lineup was obviously not as good as the opponent's Cavaliers. They had no fault tolerance. Therefore, James was fully fired as soon as he came up. He only missed 3 shots in the first 16 shots. Unfortunately, Green's shot caused his efficiency to decline later, but he still scored 49 points in regular time. However, the referee's change of the referee, Hill's 1 of 2 free throws, JR was at a loss after grabbing the rebound, and Tyron Lue's last round did not call a timeout, causing the Cavaliers to miss the chance to win the final game. In the end, the Cavaliers, who had no ambition in overtime, were directly taken away by the opponent in a wave of flowing, so James's only 50+ game became an empty score.

4. Jerry West (G1 scored 53 points in the 1969 Finals)

When it comes to the top scorers in playoff history, West's name is always on the list. After all, he is one of the few players who can average 40+ games in a single-round series. In the finals, West's performance was also very dazzling. For example, he played a dominant personal output against the Celtics in the 1969 Finals. He scored at least 39 points in five of his seven games, and he was also the player with the most assists per game in that round of the series.

Among them, in the finals G1, West also set a record of single-game scoring in his personal playoff career. At that time, he played 53 points in 46 minutes. At the same time, he also gave 10 assists in that game. With his outbreak, the Lakers also successfully won the first victory of the finals. But unfortunately, the Lakers failed to laugh to the end in this round of the series. West had no choice but to cover up his defeat in the 7th game, with 42 points, 13 rebounds and 12 assists. But it was also this year that he became the only loser in history.

3. Rick Barry (G3 scored 55 points in the 1967 Finals)

As a legendary Warriors, Rick Barry helped the team win one championship in 1975, and before that, he also helped the team reach the finals. After the Warriors reached the finals in 1967, facing the 76ers led by Chamberlain, Rick Barry played luxurious personal data. He scored 30+ in all 6 games, and in 3 games, he made 40+. In G3, he even made 48 shots and scored 55 points, 12 rebounds and 5 assists..

2. Jordan (G4 scored 55 points in the 1993 Finals)

As the best scorer in NBA history, Jordan is naturally on the list. In the 1993 Finals against the Suns, he averaged 41 points per game, and his shooting percentage was as high as 51%. In this round of G4 of the series, Jordan set a single-game scoring record in his personal finals career. At that time, he played in 46 minutes, making 21 of 37 shots, scoring 55 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists. After this game, the Bulls took a 3-1 lead. In the end, they successfully won the series and won three consecutive championships.

1. Elgin Baylor (1962, 61 points in a single game)

Although Baylor's playoff resume, every time he reached the finals ended in a defeat, if he only looked at his personal performance, most of the time he had tried his best. For example, in the series that lost to the Celtics in 1962, Baylor's worst performance in those seven games scored 34 points and 15 rebounds, while his best performance was in G5. At that time, he made 22 of 46 shots and scored a super big double-double with 61 points and 22 rebounds. The Lakers also became the first team to get the match point. Unfortunately, they failed to seize the opportunity to end the series. Baylor scored 41 points and 22 rebounds in the tiebreak, and the Lakers still lost to their opponents.