The 8 Highest Scoring NBA Finals Performances

• Date: 2001 NBA Finals
• Shooting Splits: 18/41 from the field, 9/9 from free throw line, 3/8 from three
• Opponent: Los Angeles Lakers

Allen Iverson was on an otherworldly tear in 2001. Not only did he will his Philadelphia 76ers to the number one seed, but he secured himself his first and only regular season MVP.

He used that momentum to spur the 76ers all the way to the Finals, where they faced off against a stacked Los Angeles Lakers team who were looking to go back-to-back. Iverson did all he could in game one and scored an incredible 48 points on 41 shots from the field.

• Date: 1958 NBA Finals
• Shooting Splits: 19/34 from the field, 12/15 from free throw line
• Opponent: Boston Celtics

Bob Pettit was one of the NBA's first true superstars. He was the leagues first ever regular season MVP in 1956 after leading the Hawks to the best record in the NBA. He helped win the Hawks their first and only franchise title in 1958 after scoring a then record 50 points in a closeout game six. Pettit was recently named to the NBA's all-time top 75 players list and his legacy will continue to grow with the game of basketballs.

• Date: 2021 NBA Finals
• Shooting Splits: 16/25 from the field, 17/19 from free throw line, 1/3 from three
• Opponent: Phoenix Suns

Many members of the media and most fans believed that Giannis would never win a championship if he chose to play out the entirety of his career in Milwaukee... Man, were they wrong!

Giannis and the Bucks miraculously bounced back from the 2020 NBA bubble to become the 2021 NBA champs. That was behind some incredible performances from Finals MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, who dropped 50 in a closeout game six game in Milwaukee.

• Date: 2018 NBA Finals
• Shooting Splits: 19/32 from the field, 10/11 from free throw line, 3/7 from three
• Opponent: Golden State Warriors

What LeBron James was able to accomplish in 2018 with a depleted Cavaliers roster was special, truly earning him the moniker LeGM. Over eleven players were moved either to or from the Cavs by the trade deadline.

Despite a shaky roster, Bron was able to power through the East and take the Cavs to their fourth straight Finals. His highest scoring performance came in game one. Despite a 10 point loss, LeBron James put up 51 points, 8 rebounds, and 8 assists. The Cavs went on to lose in four games and LeBron took his talents to Los Angeles in the offseason.

• Date: 1967 NBA Finals
• Shooting Splits: 22/48 from the field, 11/19 from free throw line
• Opponent: Philadelphia 76ers

When talking about the forefathers of scoring in the NBA, it’s criminal to leave Rick Barry’s name out. Despite shooting his free throws underhanded like my 81 year old grandma at the YMCA, Barry was elite at putting the ball in the basket.

His highest scoring NBA Finals performance came in game three. Barry’s Warriors were down 2-0 heading back to San Francisco and needed something epic to get back into the series. No one could stop Rick Barry as he put in 55 points and nabbed 12 rebounds. The Warriors went on to lose in six games, but Barry cemented himself with this game three performance.

• Date: 1993 NBA Finals
• Shooting Splits: 21/37 from the field, 13/18 from free throw line
• Opponent: Phoenix Suns

When you dominate on the biggest stage year in and year out, you earn the title of GOAT. Michael Jordan did just that and more in his six finals performances, never losing once with the rings on the line.

Many point to the 1995-96 season the Bulls won 72 games. However, the 1993 team was maybe the most complete. After a game three loss, the Bulls led the series 2-1. Jordan took that loss personally and delivered a 55-piece en route to a six point win. MJ averaged 41 points across the six game series and was awarded his third NBA Finals MVP.