James Harden Makes Unique History With Record-Setting 55-Point Game for Clippers

James Harden now holds the single-game scoring record for two different NBA teams.

James Harden furthered cemented his place amongst the greatest scorers in NBA history with his performance on Saturday. / Sam Sharpe-Imagn Images

James Harden went off on Saturday against the Hornets.

In what started as a celebration of Chris Paul’s career—with the veteran making official that this would be his final season in the NBA—quickly shifted to a celebration of Harden’s still masterful ability as a bucket-getter.

Harden went off for a whopping 27 points in the first quarter, and ultimately finished the game with 55, leading the Clippers to a much-needed 131–116 victory and setting a new franchise record for most points scored in a game.

While that would have been history on its own, Harden’s accomplishment is especially notable as he is now the only player in the league to hold the single-game scoring record for two different teams, as he also still holds the record in Houston with a pair of 61-point performances in 2019.

After the win, Harden kept his message simple.

“Basketball is life,” Harden said.

When you can score like he can, it certainly is.

Who holds the single-game scoring record for each NBA team?

Below we break down the single-game scoring champion from every NBA team, from Wilt’s infamous 100-point night to Ja Morant’s 52-point outing for the Grizzlies.

Team	Player	Points	Opponent	Date
Golden State Warriors	Wilt Chamberlain	100	Knicks	3/2/62
Los Angeles Lakers	Kobe Bryant	81	Raptors	1/22/06
Dallas Mavericks	Luka Dončić	73	Hawks	1/26/24
Denver Nuggets	David Thompson	73	Pistons	4/9/78
Cleveland Cavaliers	Donovan Mitchell	71	Bulls	1/2/23
Portland Trail Blazers	Damian Lillard	71	Rockets	2/26/23
San Antonio Spurs	David Robinson	71	Clippers	4/24/94
Philadelphia 76ers	Joel Embiid	70	Spurs	1/22/24
Phoenix Suns	Devin Booker	70	Celtics	3/24/17
Chicago Bulls	Michael Jordan	69	Cavaliers	3/28/90
Utah Jazz	Pete Maravich	68	Knicks	2/25/77
Milwaukee Bucks	Giannis Antetokounmpo	64	Pacers	12/13/23
Minnesota Timberwolves	Karl-Anthony Towns	62	Hornets	1/22/24
New York Knicks	Carmelo Anthony	62	Bobcats	1/24/14
Orlando Magic	Tracy McGrady	62	Wizards	3/10/04
Houston Rockets	James Harden (2)	61	Spurs, Knicks	3/22/19, 1/23/19
Miami Heat	LeBron James	61	Bobcats	3/3/14
Boston Celtics	Jayson Tatum, Larry Bird	60	Spurs, Hawks	4/30/21, 3/12/85
Brooklyn Nets	Kyrie Irving	60	Magic	3/15/22
Charlotte Hornets	Kemba Walker	60	76ers	11/17/18
Sacramento Kings	De’Aaron Fox	60	Timberwolves	11/15/24
Washington Wizards	Bradley Beal, Gilbert Arenas	60	76ers, Lakers	1/6/21, 12/17/06
New Orleans Pelicans	Anthony Davis	59	Pistons	2/21/16
Oklahoma City Thunder	Russell Westbrook	58	Trail Blazers	3/7/17
Atlanta Hawks	Dominique Wilkins (2), Lou Hudson, Bob Pettit	57	Bulls, Nets, Bulls, Pistons	12/10/86, 4/10/86, 11/10/69, 2/18/61
Detroit Pistons	Jerry Stackhouse	57	Bulls	4/3/01
Indiana Pacers	Reggie Miller	57	Hornets	11/28/92
Los Angeles Clippers	James Harden	55	Hornets	11/22/25
Toronto Raptors	Fred VanVleet	54	Magic	2/2/21
Memphis Grizzlies	Ja Morant	52	Spurs	2/28/22

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