NBA
What Is the Most Points Scored in An NBA Game by One Team?
In 1983, the Detroit Pistons scored 186 points in a 186-184 triple overtime win over the Denver Nuggets. To this day, that remains the highest-scoring NBA game of all-time.
A general view of the scoreboard//Getty Images
In 1983, the Detroit Pistons scored 186 points in a 186-184 triple overtime win over the Denver Nuggets. To this day, that remains the highest-scoring game in NBA history.
When two teams are tied on points, the game goes to overtime, which repeats itself until there is a winner. This is why the clash between the Pistons and the Nuggets went to triple overtime.
Isiah Thomas led the scoring for the Pistons with 47 points and 17 assists. His teammate, John Long, scored 41 points.
The Nuggets’ total of 184 points on that day remains the second-highest scoring game in NBA history.
What are the 10 Highest Team Scoring Totals in the NBA?
Although the LA Clippers have never won a championship in the NBA’s history, they are the only team to feature twice among the top 10 for most single game points scored.
The Clippers had both of their high-scoring games in this decade. In 2020, they beat the Dallas Mavericks 154-111. Then, in 2023, they scored 175 points but still lost by a point in double overtime to the Sacramento Kings.
10 Highest Team Scoring Totals in the NBA
| Team | Opponent | Date | Points |
| Detroit Pistons | Denver Nuggets | 13 December 1983 | 186 |
| Denver Nuggets | Detroit Pistons | 13 December 1983 | 184 |
| Sacramento Kings | LA Clippers | 24 February 2023 | 176 |
| LA Clippers | Sacramento Kings | 24 February 2023 | 175 |
| Boston Celtics | Minneapolis Lakers | 27 February 1959 | 173 |
| Phoenix Suns | Denver Nuggets | 10 November 1990 | 173 |
San Antonio Spurs
| Milwaukee Bucks | 6 March 1982 | 171 |
| Boston Celtics | New York Knicks | 28 April 1990 | 157 |
| Milwaukee Bucks | Philadelphia 76ers | 30 March 1970 | 156 |
| LA Clippers | Dallas Mavericks | 25 August 2020 | 154 |
How Many Points do Teams Usually Score in the NBA?
In the 2023-24 regular season, teams’ average points per game varied between 123.3 (Indiana Pacers) and 105.8 (Memphis Grizzlies).
The lowest-scoring team in the 2023-24 season, the Grizzlies, still scored more points per game than the highest-scoring team 20 years ago.
The 2003-04 season saw the Dallas Mavericks top the points per game rankings with 105.2 points per game.
The record points total for an individual player in an NBA game is 100, scored by Wilt Chamberlain on 2 March 1962 for the Philadelphia Warriors against the New York Knicks.
Why Do Teams Score More Points in Today’s NBA Than Before?
A major talking point in the NBA in recent years has been how offense-heavy the league has become due to rule tweaks.
Often, rules are made to protect the game’s stars – and many of those are players known for their key offensive contributions.
San Antonio Spurs Team//Getty Images
In Game 1 of the 2017 Western Conference Finals, Kawhi Leonard of the San Antonio Spurs attempted a baseline jumper with Golden State Warriors center Zaza Pachulia contesting the shot. Pachulia was so close that Leonard, the Spurs star player, landed on his foot, rolling his ankle for the second time that game. Spurs coach Gregg Popovich later called the play "dangerous" and "unsportsmanlike."
Only a common foul was called on Pachulia, and Leonard made both subsequent free throws. However, Leonard missed the rest of the series, and Golden State went on to sweep the Spurs and win the championship.
Following the incident, the NBA introduced what became known as "The Zaza Rule," stipulating that if a defender fails to give a shooter space to land, a flagrant foul would be called instead of a common foul.
The International Basketball Federation (FIBA) uses its own variation of this rule, but there are some rules in the NBA which do not exist in competitions sanctioned by FIBA.
A key difference between the NBA and FIBA rules is the Defensive 3-second Rule, which has existed since the 2001-2002 season. This sees violations called on defensive players who stay in the paint (the area under the basket) for longer than 3 seconds with no offensive players in the area.
This, in addition to the NBA playing 12-minute quarters as opposed to FIBA’s 10 minutes, contributes to the NBA being a higher-scoring league than those sanctioned by FIBA tend to be.
Leonard Solms is a freelance journalist who has been covering local and international sport from South Africa since 2015. Best known for his work for ESPN, he has also written for Al Jazeera, The Continent, New Frame, Planet Rugby and GiveMeSport among several other publications.