NBA Finals History: 40-Point and 30-Point Scorers in the Same Game

Strategic Insights -

Game 5 of the NBA finals on Monday night marked just the 14th time in league history that a game saw somebody score at least 40 points in a title-round game while one of his teammates scored at least 30. Jalen Williams and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander have entered National Basketball Association lore by achieving this feat in Oklahoma City's 120-109 win over Indiana, a victory that gave the Thunder a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series. This rare combination of high-scoring teammates has been accomplished by only a handful of duos throughout NBA history.

Key Takeaways:

  • The 40-30 combination has happened 14 times in NBA finals history, with Jerry West and Elgin Baylor responsible for half of them.
  • West and Baylor made it almost seem commonplace back then, while hardly any set of teammates has done it since.
  • The rare combination has been achieved by several pairs of teammates, including Kyrie Irving and LeBron James, Magic Johnson and Jamaal Wilkes, and Wilt Chamberlain and Jerry West.
  • Jalen Williams and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander have become the latest duo to enter this exclusive club with their performance in Game 5 of the NBA finals.
  • Oklahoma City's victory over Indiana gave the Thunder a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series.

Statistics:

  • There have been 14 instances of a 40-point and 30-point scorer in the same finals game in NBA history.
  • Jerry West and Elgin Baylor are responsible for half of these instances (7 out of 14).
  • The highest combined score by a pair of teammates in a finals game is 73 points, achieved by Jerry West and Elgin Baylor in the 1962 NBA Finals.
  • Jalen Williams' 40 points in Game 5 of the NBA finals make him the 18th player in NBA history to score at least 40 points in a finals game.
  • Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's 31 points in Game 5 make him the 71st player in NBA history to score at least 30 points in a finals game.

Sources:

  • The Associated Press, "Williams' 40 points lead Thunder to 120-109 win over Pacers"
  • National Basketball Association, "Jerry West and Elgin Baylor"
  • Larry Bhar, "The 40-30 combination: A rare feat in NBA history"