LeBron James and Michael Jordan scored the most points per game in elimination games in NBA history.
Being a team leader during the regular season and playoffs is vital to a team’s success and a chance at a championship. Normally, there are 1 or 2 guys who step up when their team needs it the most to go get themselves a clutch basket or completely take over on the offensive end. There are also the guys who elevate their game when their backs are against the wall. They are players who leave it all out on the floor when they are facing elimination from championship contention. These guys do whatever it takes to keep their team’s hopes alive for at least one more day.
The players who score the most in elimination games are the ones that can be counted on the night in and night out to keep their team in contention. There are some players currently who have shown their propensity for stepping up in elimination games as well, they just don’t have the experience for this list. Luka Doncic and De’Andre Hunter are technically the all-time leaders in PPG in elimination games but they have a combined 7 games of elimination game experience. Today, we are here to talk about the players that did it consistently throughout their careers with a larger sample size.
Here are the 10 players who showed up and showed out for their teams when they most needed it. These are the 10 players with the most PPG in elimination games in NBA history.
*Condition: Players considered for this list must have played at least 10 elimination games in their career
10. Dirk Nowitzki - 27.4 PPG
Dirk Nowitzki is one of the all great power forwards to ever play the game. He was an efficient scorer, especially in the post where he would set you up for his patented one-legged fadeaway. He could knock down shots from the outside and occasionally put the ball on the floor and either pull up for a short jumper or take it right to the rim for a basket. Nowitzki played in 26 elimination games in his career and finished with averages of 27.4 PPG and 10.7 RPG on 47.8% shooting overall and 36.0% from three.
In his 26 elimination games in the NBA playoffs, Nowitzki garnered an 11-15 record. His best performance came in the 2009 Western Conference Semifinals against the Denver Nuggets. Facing a sweep in the series, Dirk went off for the Mavericks, scoring 44 points and grabbing 13 rebounds. He shot 56.0% from the field without taking a single three-point shot and went 16-17 from the foul line. On his lone championship run in his career in 2011, Dirk did not face a single elimination game for the entirety of the playoffs. His 27.4 PPG ranks 10th all-time among players who have played in 10 or more elimination games.
9. Stephen Curry - 27.5 PPG
Stephen Curry is the consensus greatest shooter to ever play the game. He has shattered 3-point records year after year and has become the career leader in 3-pointers made. He has claimed 2 MVP awards, 4 championships, and 1 Finals MVP while leading the Golden State Warriors for the past 13 years. That doesn’t mean that Curry hasn’t faced any adversity on the way to those accomplishments. Curry has played in a total of 11 elimination games in his career and averages 27.5 PPG, 7.2 APG, and 1.6 SPG on 37.6% shooting from three.
In his 11 elimination games, Curry and the Warriors have an overall record of 7 wins and 4 losses. In Game 6 of the 2016 Western Conference Finals and down 3-2 to the Thunder, Curry put up 31 points, 10 rebounds, and 9 assists to extend the series. In Game 7, he dropped 36 points on 7-12 from three to advance to the NBA Finals. He would face elimination in the Finals and in Game 7 would have the worst such game of his career. He would have just 17 points on 6-19 shooting from the field and the Warriors would drop the Finals to the Cavaliers. Overall, to play for so long and face so few elimination games while winning multiple championships is a significant accomplishment. Curry is no doubt, someone, you want on your team with your back against the wall.
8. Elgin Baylor - 27.8 PPG
Elgin Baylor played 14 seasons for the Minneapolis and Los Angeles Lakers. He was known as the first player to play above the rim and bring style and flair to the game of basketball. You can point to his style and his resume as a reason that the Lakers made the move from Minneapolis to Los Angeles as he was so marketable at the time. Baylor never took home a championship for the Lakers but he was still one of their go-to guys when the going got rough and hope looked bleak.
Baylor and the Lakers faced elimination 24 times during Baylor’s tenure with the team and had a record of 13 wins and 11 losses. His best performance in such games came in Game 4 of the NBA Finals in 1966. To avoid the sweep at the hand of the Boston Celtics, Baylor had 41 points and 16 rebounds to help L.A. extend the Finals. In Game 5 of the 1963 NBA Finals, Baylor extended the series with a 43-point and 20-rebound performance to extend that series as well. Unfortunately for Baylor, he was never able to capture the NBA championship in his career. Despite that fact, he is still considered one of the greatest players to ever play the game.
7. George Gervin - 27.9 PPG
George “The Iceman” Gervin is one of the most prolific scorers in NBA history. With 4 scoring titles to his name, it comes as no surprise that he made his way to this list for his playoff accomplishments. With the Spurs, Gervin led them to the playoffs 9 times in his career and faced elimination 14 times. In those games, he averaged 27.9 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 1.1 SPG, and 1.1 BPG. He shot 49.2% from the field and had a 6-8 record in those games. Gervin is yet another all-time great who never got to hoist the Larry O’Brien trophy and win an NBA championship.
In Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Washington Bullets, Gervin had one of the best playoff performances of his career. He finished with 42 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 steals on 16-31 shooting. The Spurs lost the game by 2 points and the best chance Gervin ever had at an NBA Finals. In Game 2 of the first round in 1980, Gervin led the Spurs to a 106-101 win with 44 points, 7 rebounds, 2 steals, and 2 blocks. The Spurs would lose the series and yet another chance for Gervin was spoiled. Despite his lack of hardware, Gervin is a Hall Of Famer who change the game forever with his high-flying style and efficient scoring bursts.
6. Jerry West - 29.3 PPG
Jerry West is another NBA legend whose prolific scoring in big games will go down in history forever. He is the only player in NBA history to win a Finals MVP on the losing team and his scoring is to thank for it. He possessed a smooth jumper off of the dribble and could get to the rim if he needed to as well. In 24 career games when facing elimination, West averaged 29.3 PPG and 6.4 RPG on 50.2% shooting from the field.
The Lakers finished 13-11 in elimination games when West was on the floor for them with his biggest performances coming early on in his career. Overall, West eclipsed 30 points thirteen times in those 24 elimination games and 35 points nine times. West led the Lakers to 9 NBA Finals in his career and only managed to capture 1 championship toward the end of his career with the team. Despite the Finals' losses, West is still regarded as one of the game’s greatest scorers both in the regular season and playoffs.
5. Allen Iverson - 29.8 PPG
Allen Iverson is well known for being a prolific scorer no matter the circumstances. At just 6’0’’ tall, Iverson was one of the shiftiest players to ever play at the guard position. He used his elite handles and blazing speed to get to the rim at will and had no fear of the much bigger opposition he would face there. He could knock down mid-range shots at a high clip and had no issues creating his own shots considering the skills I just mentioned. In 14 career elimination games, Iverson averaged 29.8 PPG, 5.6 APG, and 1.8 SPG. He shot 40.0% from the field in such games and 40.0% from three as well.
In 8 out of 14 elimination games, Iverson eclipsed 30 points 8 times and 40 points twice. In 14 elimination games between his time with the Nuggets and Sixers, Iverson accumulated a record of 6-8. In the two instances that Iverson surpassed 40 points, his teams were victorious by quite a large margin. Iverson was always going to be a team’s No. 1 scoring option and he made it count every time he was on the floor no matter the situation. Iverson’s only chance at an NBA championship came in 2001 against the Los Angeles Lakers. Iverson led the Sixers to an incredible Game 1 victory against a Lakers team that hadn’t lost in the playoffs up to that point. Although they would lose the series, Iverson’s legacy as an icon was cemented.
4. Kevin Durant - 30.2 PPG
Kevin Durant is one of the best overall scorers that the NBA has ever seen. Standing at 7’0’’ tall, Durant uses his height and length to score at will on any opponent in front of him. He rises up for easy mid-range shots which he hits at exceptionally high efficiency. He does the same from the three-point range as well. He also uses his point guard-like handles and skills to get to the basket or set up the aforementioned shots. In 14 career elimination games, Durant averages 30.2 PPG, 8.0 RPG, and 1.4 BPG. He shoots the ball at 45.1% overall and 39.6% from three.
In these 14 elimination games, Durant’s teams have a 6-8 record. He has surpassed 30 points scored in such games 8 times and 40 points once. His greatest performance came in the 2021 playoffs as the Nets faced elimination against the Milwaukee Bucks. The game was forced to overtime on a shot by Durant that if he had just been an inch deeper, would have won them the series. Durant scored 48 points, grabbed 9 rebounds, and dished out 6 assists in the loss while Milwaukee went on to win the NBA Finals. Durant is just 1 of 4 players in NBA history to average 30.0 PPG or more in elimination games.
3. Wilt Chamberlain - 31.1 PPG
The next 3 players on this list are among the Top 10 players and scorers to ever play the game of basketball. The tales of Wilt’s scoring are legendary and almost carry the same amount of awe as any fantasy tale you've heard in your lifetime. Chamberlain participated in 23 career elimination games and averaged 31.1 PPG and 25.7 RPG. Like I said, ridiculous and mythical numbers of production from Wilt. Of all the players with at least 10 elimination games played, Wilt holds the highest field goal percentage at 54.6%.
In his 23 elimination games, Chamberlain's teams finished with a record of 12 wins and 11 losses. He accumulated 13 30-point games in these 23 elimination games and scored 50 3 different times as well. In Game 5 of the Semifinals in 1962, Wilt dropped 56 points and 35 rebounds against the Syracuse Nationals. He also grabbed 50 points and 35 rebounds in a 128-107 victory against the Boston Celtics in 1960. Wilt’s incredible scoring in elimination games makes him one of the greatest performers in these situations.
2. Michael Jordan - 31.3 PPG
Easily the greatest scorer to ever live, Michael Jordan ranks second on this list with 31.3 PPG in 13 career elimination games. Jordan was a master at work in the NBA playoffs and the elimination games were no different. Any way that you needed him to score, he would get it done. If you needed him to get to the rim and draw fouls, he could. If you needed him to control the mid-range, he could. We have even seen him take control from three even though he was never considered a great 3-point shooter. Jordan was the consummate scorer and consummate winner throughout his NBA career.
Jordan’s Bulls amassed just a 6-7 record in elimination games which seems like a less than ideal record for anyone considered the greatest to ever play. He surpassed 30 points in these games 7 different times and broke 40 points just twice. His best performance in such games came in 1988 against the Cleveland Cavaliers. He dropped 44 points on 53.1% shooting and grabbed 9 rebounds with 6 assists. Jordan didn’t need to face elimination at all on his way to all 6 championships topped off with 6 Finals MVPs. Just the G.O.A.T. doing G.O.A.T things.
1. LeBron James - 33.5 PPG
If there is any other player you want leading your team in elimination games aside from Michael Jordan, it is LeBron James. LeBron has played in a total of 25 elimination games in his career with 33.5 PPG, 10.7 RPG, 7.5 APG, and 1.6 SPG. No one is better when they put their head down and attack the basket in crunch time than LeBron James. You knew it was over for the opponent when James would start hitting his jump shots at a consistent rate as well. In these 25 career elimination games, LeBron shot 48.8% overall and 35.3% from three.
In 25 elimination games, LeBron’s teams have a 14-11 record overall. Out of 25 games, James recorded at least 30 points in 13 of them and 40 points in 7 games. He has had some great performances with his back against the wall but none better than what he faced in the 2016 NBA Finals. Down 3-1 to the Golden State Warriors, LeBron recorded games of 41 points back-to-back in Games 5 and 6. He capped off the miraculous comeback with a 27-point, 11-rebound, and 11-assist performance to win his 3rd championship and Cleveland’s first. LeBron James is most definitely among the greats as far as getting his team a win when they need it most.
Next
The Most Points Per Game In A Single Season Tiers: Wilt Chamberlain’s 50.4 PPG Is Untouchable
NBA Players Who Averaged At Least 20.0 PPG And 10.0 RPG For Their Entire Career
Scoring Adjusted For Today's NBA Game: Kobe Bryant Would Have Averaged Almost 40 PPG
Only 8 NBA Players Have Never Averaged Less Than 20 PPG In Their Career
More must-reads: