The five most surprising 50-point games in NBA history
- Jason Soutar
- 26 March 2022
Sometimes a player simply has a fantastic night – here, we pick out five shock performances when an average player has dropped 50+ points in the NBA.
There are certain occasions when athletes and sports stars can take your breath away. In football, it can be with a hat-trick. In darts, it's a nine-darter. But in basketball, there are few better sights than a player getting over the 50 points mark.
A number of NBA's high-calibre stars have been able to reach the highly coveted half-century, but what about the players aren't necessarily expected to pile on the points.
Here, Planet Sport looks at five of the most surprising 50-point games in the history of the NBA.
5) Brandon Jennings - 55 points
Brandon Jennings has not been in the NBA since 2018 when he played for the Milwaukee Bucks, and it was with the Bucks that the point guard dropped 55 points in only his SEVENTH game as an NBA player.
Against Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors on November 14, 2009, Jennings missed his first three shots before going absolutely crazy. He scored all of his 55 points in the final three quarters, dropping 29 in the third.
Jennings made seven of his eight three-pointers and comfortably outshone Curry. Unfortunately for the former Bucks man, his career does not hold a candle Curry's. Jennings was out of the league by the time he was 30, whereas Curry is a two-time MVP.
4) Andre Miller - 52 points
On January 30, 2010, Andre Miller dropped 52 points for the Portland Trail Blazers as they won by two points against the Dallas Mavericks.
Miller - who averaged 12.5 PPG in his career - is known for his playmaking ability, not his scoring ability. However, he shocked the Mavericks as he shot 22-31 from the field as Portland won in overtime.
34 years old at the time, Miller used his experience to create chances for himself at the rim and set a league record for field goals made in a game in the 2009/10 season. He also set a franchise record.
3) Terrence Ross - 51 points
Terrence Ross will likely be remembered for his athleticism and insane dunking ability, not his scoring expertise. However, on January 25, 2014, the Los Angeles Clippers felt Ross' wrath as he dropped a crazy 51 points on them.
Scoring 51 points in an NBA game is a terrific achievement; unfortunately for Ross and his Toronto Raptors, the best performance of his career came in a 126-118 loss.
Ross made 10 three-pointers in the defeat and averaged 9.6 PPG over the course of his career.
2) Tony Delk - 53 points
Tony Delk averaged 9.1 PPG in his career and never scored 30 or more points in an NBA game before dropping 53 points as the Phoenix Suns lost 121-117 in overtime against the Sacramento Kings - who Delk averaged 6.4 PPG for the reason prior - on January 2, 2001.
What is so amazing about Delk's performance is that he didn't score a single three-pointer, missing his only attempt from beyond the arc. He played 50 minutes, made 13 out of 15 shots from the foul line and shot 20-27 from the field.
One of the most surprising performances in league history, Delk was clearly a man possessed that night against the Kings as he never scored 30 points in an NBA game again in his career.
1) Corey Brewer - 51 points
Corey Brewer was not a great scorer during his NBA career - averaging 8.7 PPG. He was better known for his hustle and defensive play ahead of his scoring prowess.
Against the Houston Rockets on April 11, 2014, Brewer dropped 51 points as the Minnesota Timberwolves won 112-110. He shot 19-30, made two three-pointers and scored 11 of his 15 free throws. Ironically, Brewer had the worst +/- out of any of the Timberwolves' starters that night.
It was back to normality in the following game as Brewer scored 10 points in a three-point loss against the Kings.
