The Pelicans scored 140 points last night.
And lost.
The Warriors’ 147-140 win over New Orleans was the first time both teams scored 140+ in regulation since 1992. And it didn’t even claim sole possession of yesterday’s highest-scoring game. The Nets beat the Rockets 145-142, though that one went to overtime.
It was a wild night throughout the league.
James Harden scored 58 points. Stephen Curry scored 41 points on nine 3-pointers, seven in the third quarter. Kyrie Irving created 67 points, 27 scored directly and 40 on 18 assists.
The Rockets attempted a record 70 3-pointers. The Warriors and Pelicans made a record 43 combined 3-pointers. The Trail Blazers played at the equivalent of the NBA’s slowest pace, getting just 94 possessions, and still scored 129 points (137.2 offensive rating).
All in all, teams scored 120.7 points per game yesterday. The full results:
- Warriors 147, Pelicans 140
- Nets 145, Rockets 142
- Cavaliers 112, Trail Blazers 129
- Jazz 129, Clippers 109
- Pistons 120, Magic 115
- Celtics 117, Raptors 108
- Bucks 111, Grizzlies 101
- Spurs 105, Mavericks 101
That was just the eighth day teams averaged at least 120 points in the last 30 years. But those other days featured only one to three games. There were eight games last night.
Of the more than 3,000 days in NBA history with a slate so large, yesterday’s 120.7 points per team game were the second-most ever.
Here are the most points teams have scored per game in days with at least eight games:
April 10, 1977
New York Knicks 144, Detroit Pistons 126
New Orleans Jazz 139, Denver Nuggets 125
Milwaukee Bucks 133, San Antonio Spurs 125
Washington Bullets 131, Philadelphia 76ers 121
Phoenix Suns 128, New York Nets 104
Boston Celtics 115, Cleveland Cavaliers 105
Chicago Bulls 120, Buffalo Braves 99
Los Angeles Lakers 113, Seattle SuperSonics 104
Jan. 16, 2019
Golden State Warriors 147, New Orleans Pelicans 140
Brooklyn Nets 145, Houston Rockets 142
Cleveland Cavaliers 112, Portland Trail Blazers 129
Utah Jazz 129, Los Angeles Clippers 109
Detroit Pistons 120, Orlando Magic 115
Boston Celtics 117, Toronto Raptors 108
Milwaukee Bucks 111, Memphis Grizzlies 101
San Antonio Spurs 105, Dallas Mavericks 101
Jan. 29, 1971
Baltimore Bullets 145, Cincinnati Royals 118
Milwaukee Bucks 142, Philadelphia 76ers 118
Phoenix Suns 131, Portland Trail Blazers 122
Los Angeles Lakers 122, Seattle SuperSonics 115
Detroit Pistons 131, San Diego Rockets 104
Atlanta Hawks 119, Cleveland Cavaliers 111
New York Knicks 118, Boston Celtics 111
San Francisco Warriors 106, Buffalo Braves 100
March 12, 1985
Golden State Warriors 145, San Antonio Spurs 122
Houston Rockets 131, Denver Nuggets 129
Phoenix Suns 123, New York Knicks 119
Boston Celtics 126, Atlanta Hawks 115
Kansas City Kings 120, Portland Trail Blazers 114
Los Angeles Lakers 123, Utah Jazz 108
Chicago Bulls 111, Detroit Pistons 110
Indiana Pacers 109, New Jersey Nets 108
March 23, 1979
Los Angeles Lakers 156, San Diego Clippers 119
Indiana Pacers 141, Houston Rockets 134
Denver Nuggets 137, Boston Celtics 113
Detroit Pistons 124, Washington Bullets 114
Phoenix Suns 126, Kansas City Kings 107
Golden State Warriors 116, Milwaukee Bucks 113
Atlanta Hawks 115, San Antonio Spurs 108
Chicago Bulls 116, New Orleans Jazz 99
Philadelphia 76ers 110, New Jersey Nets 98
Dec. 22, 1979
Denver Nuggets 130, Los Angeles Lakers 128
San Antonio Spurs 141, Detroit Pistons 112
Chicago Bulls 126, Cleveland Cavaliers 117
Indiana Pacers 130, Atlanta Hawks 110
Philadelphia 76ers 126, Boston Celtics 113
Washington Bullets 122, Houston Rockets 114
Phoenix Suns 115, Kansas City Kings 111
Golden State Warriors 107, New Jersey Nets 101
April 9, 1978
New Orleans Jazz 153, San Antonio Spurs 132
Detroit Pistons 139, Denver Nuggets 137
Boston Celtics 131, Buffalo Braves 114
Cleveland Cavaliers 120, Kansas City Kings 117
Washington Bullets 123, Philadelphia 76ers 113
Seattle SuperSonics 111, Golden State Warriors 105
Portland Trail Blazers 114, Los Angeles Lakers 99
Atlanta Hawks 99, Chicago Bulls 85
March 16, 1984
Chicago Bulls 156, Portland Trail Blazers 155
Seattle SuperSonics 126, San Antonio Spurs 123
San Diego Clippers 128, Houston Rockets 118
New Jersey Nets 117, Detroit Pistons 108
Denver Nuggets 118, Cleveland Cavaliers 102
Phoenix Suns 110, Washington Bullets 109
Boston Celtics 109, Milwaukee Bucks 99
Atlanta Hawks 105, Philadelphia 76ers 102
Feb. 2, 1983
Indiana Pacers 141, Detroit Pistons 135
Houston Rockets 135, Denver Nuggets 128
Dallas Mavericks 122, Los Angeles Lakers 120
Kansas City Kings 117, Washington Bullets 115
Seattle SuperSonics 117, Milwaukee Bucks 114
Boston Celtics 120, San Diego Clippers 110
New Jersey Nets 118, Cleveland Cavaliers 105
Phoenix Suns 112, Utah Jazz 96
New York Knicks 109, San Antonio Spurs 98
April 6, 1989
Los Angeles Clippers 133, Portland Trail Blazers 123
Denver Nuggets 132, Indiana Pacers 118
Golden State Warriors 132, Boston Celtics 118
Phoenix Suns 126, Seattle SuperSonics 119
San Antonio Spurs 122, Sacramento Kings 116
Detroit Pistons 115, Chicago Bulls 108
New York Knicks 112, Milwaukee Bucks 99
Washington Bullets 101, Miami Heat 93
March 30, 1990
Philadelphia 76ers 149, Denver Nuggets 131
Washington Bullets 143, Orlando Magic 115
Seattle SuperSonics 139, Golden State Warriors 108
Phoenix Suns 126, New Jersey Nets 119
Los Angeles Lakers 135, Portland Trail Blazers 106
Atlanta Hawks 122, Los Angeles Clippers 118
Boston Celtics 123, Detroit Pistons 111
Chicago Bulls 107, New York Knicks 106
Cleveland Cavaliers 105, Miami Heat 104
Minnesota Timberwolves 84, Dallas Mavericks 82
Feb. 14, 1990
Orlando Magic 135, Chicago Bulls 129
Indiana Pacers 133, Cleveland Cavaliers 131
Portland Trail Blazers 132, Los Angeles Lakers 128
Milwaukee Bucks 127, Denver Nuggets 117
Philadelphia 76ers 122, New Jersey Nets 112
Phoenix Suns 114, Utah Jazz 103
Boston Celtics 106, San Antonio Spurs 95
Minnesota Timberwolves 95, Charlotte Hornets 86
Jan. 2, 1980
Washington Bullets 139, Seattle SuperSonics 134
Denver Nuggets 135, Detroit Pistons 116
Kansas City Kings 128, Utah Jazz 121
Los Angeles Lakers 127, Indiana Pacers 120
San Antonio Spurs 118, Phoenix Suns 109
Boston Celtics 111, Houston Rockets 103
Golden State Warriors 111, Portland Trail Blazers 92
San Diego Clippers 103, New Jersey Nets 97
Nov. 3, 1979
Milwaukee Bucks 136, Chicago Bulls 134
San Diego Clippers 126, Utah Jazz 109
Philadelphia 76ers 120, Indiana Pacers 114
Golden State Warriors 130, Denver Nuggets 103
Cleveland Cavaliers 123, Kansas City Kings 110
Houston Rockets 114, Detroit Pistons 111
Atlanta Hawks 110, New Jersey Nets 107
Boston Celtics 118, Washington Bullets 97
Feb. 28, 1978
Milwaukee Bucks 136, Washington Bullets 135
New York Knicks 138, San Antonio Spurs 123
Chicago Bulls 126, Phoenix Suns 115
New Orleans Jazz 125, Buffalo Braves 108
Denver Nuggets 122, Indiana Pacers 106
Seattle SuperSonics 114, Kansas City Kings 107
Portland Trail Blazers 113, Philadelphia 76ers 92
Atlanta Hawks 117, Boston Celtics 85