The NBA he’s seen plenty of talented goal scorers go through the kind of streaks that make opposing coaches cringe and shrug. There is simply nothing your team of defenders can do except hope that the next shot doesn’t find its way into the back of the net.
Well, sometimes these good streaks go on and on until the horn is blown. Scoring streaks of this nature are usually reserved for Hall of Famers like Wilt Chamberlain and Kobe Bryantbut occasionally a lesser-known talent can get his name into the record books alongside the all-time greats. (Hi, Brandon Jennings!)
Which players have the highest scoring halves in NBA history? Let’s go through the list.
Who is the player with the record for points in a half in NBA history?
The player with the most points in a half is Wilt Chamberlain. The NBA legend scored 59 points in one half on his way to his legendary record of 100.
Chamberlain accomplished this on March 2, 1962, a record that will be difficult for any other player to match.
The closest was Kobe Bryant, who scored 55 points in the second half of a 2006 game, finishing with 81 points overall.
David Thompson and George Gervin, in particular, scored 53 points together on the same day in 1978. Gervin totaled 63 points to win the closest game for the leading scorer title in NBA history.
Highest points scored by a player in a half in an NBA game
| Pos. | Player | Points | Date | Half |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wilt Chamberlain | 59 | March 2, 1962 | Second |
| 2 | Kobe Bryant | 55 | January 22, 2016 | Second |
| 3 | David Thompson | 53 | April 9, 1978 | First |
| George Gervin | 53 | April 9, 1978 | First | |
| 5 | Devin Booker | 51 | March 24, 2017 | Second |
| 6 | David Robinson | 47 | April 24, 1994 | Second |
| 7 | Wilt Chamberlain | Four five | November 16, 1962 | First |
| Rick Barry | Four five | March 26, 1974 | Second | |
| Brandon Jennings | Four five | November 14, 2009 | Second |
According to the Elias Sports Bureau
Wilt Chamberlain’s Spectacular Half That Made Him Score 100 Points
Wilt scored 100 points in 48 minutes on March 2, 1962 as the Philadelphia Warriors defeated the New York Knicks 169-147. In leading the Warriors to victory, Chamberlain broke his own single game scoring record of 78 points set on December 8, 1961 against the Los Angeles Lakers in a game that included multiple overtime periods.
Chamberlain finished with 100 points on 36-63 shooting from the field (57.1%) and 28-32 from the free throw line (87.5%). Keep in mind that Chamberlain was a 51.1% free throw shooter for his entire career, so he made almost 90% of his Free throws in a game were something of an anomaly. If he missed just one more free throw, he’d be stuck at 99.
Along with all the baskets he made, Chamberlain also grabbed 25 rebounds and had time to dish out two assists. The NBA didn’t track blocks until the 1973-1974 season, so it’s possible he had some of those, too. Yes, Chamberlain could have recorded a 100-point triple-double.
The only thing more incredible than Chamberlain’s 100-point game was his stat line for the entire 1961-1962 season. Seriously, take a moment and think about this: 50.4 points and 25.7 rebounds per game on 50.6% shooting from the field and 61.3% from the line (a career high, by the way). Chamberlain attempted nearly 40 field goals per game and 17 free throws per game.
But that’s not the best part. Chamberlain averaged 48.5 minutes per game. If you think about it now, yes, NBA games are only 48 minutes long. However, the Warriors also played 10 overtime periods that season and Chamberlain was on the floor for 3,882 of a possible 3,890 minutes.
It’s safe to say we won’t be seeing any NBA players eclipse those season numbers, or their famous 100-point game, anytime soon.
