Breaking down the NBA's historic surge of 50-point performances this season.
01.30.2023 | tuningchampionrings | BLOG

NBA scoring has seen a notable explosion so far this season, particularly among the league's stars.

Already, there have been 17 50-point games this season, which is the third most before the All-Star break all-time and most since the 1962-63 season, per ESPN Stats & Information research.

The NBA could be on pace for a historic number of 50-point performances by season's end if this trend keeps up. By the end of the season, if this pace continues, it would be the highest rate of 50-point games since the 1965-66 season when it was one out of every 40 games, according to ESPN Stats & Info.

The culprits for these explosions so far are the usual suspects, as former MVPs Stephen Curry, Giannis Antetokounmpo, along with other superstars such as Joel Embiid, Luka Doncic, Devin Booker, Jayson Tatum and Anthony Davis have etched their name into this year's 50-point club. Doncic alone has accounted for three of these performances so far.

But with plenty of season left, there will be opportunities for other players, whether they be high-profile stars such as LeBron James or a lesser-known player, to take advantage of this season's interesting scoring trend.

Here's a look at every player who has scored at least 50 points in a game this season and the conditions behind their special nights:

Giannis Antetokounmpo, 50 points, Jan. 29, 2023

Antetokounmpo scored 50 points in only 30 minutes as Milwaukee defeated New Orleans, 135-110. Antetokounmpo went 20-for-26 from the field, including 3-for-4 from 3. It's the first time Antetokounmpo has had multiple 50-point games in a single season in his career, according to ESPN Stats & Information research.

Damian Lillard, 60 points, Jan. 26, 2023

Lillard managed to amass 50 points before the third quarter even ended in the Portland Trail Blazers' 134-124 win over the Utah Jazz. Lillard's performance featured nine 3-pointers, which catapulted him over Vince Carter into the sixth spot for most 3-pointers made all time. Lillard also now owns the five highest-scoring performance in Trail Blazers history.

Jayson Tatum, 51 points, Jan. 16, 2023

Tatum garnered his latest roar of MVP chants from the Boston Celtics crowd on Martin Luther King Jr. Day with his 51-point performance, which was capped off with 17 points in the fourth quarter of a 130-118 win against the Charlotte Hornets. It was the fifth 50-point performance of Tatum's career, according to ESPN Stats & Information research.