Greatest NBA Finals Performances
The top 25 NBA Finals games by Game Score across LeBron James and Michael Jordan's careers.
| # | Player | Date | Opponent | W/L | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | GmSc |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | LeBron | 2016-06-16 | Golden State Warriors | W | 41 | 8 | 11 | 4 | 3 | 42.5 |
| 2 | LeBron | 2018-05-31 | Golden State Warriors | L | 51 | 8 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 41.3 |
| 3 | LeBron | 2016-06-13 | Golden State Warriors | W | 41 | 16 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 39.2 |
| 4 | LeBron | 2020-10-09 | Miami Heat | L | 40 | 13 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 39.1 |
| 5 | Jordan | 1993-06-16 | Phoenix Suns | W | 55 | 8 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 38.9 |
| 6 | Jordan | 1992-06-03 | Portland Trail Blazers | W | 39 | 3 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 36.9 |
| 7 | LeBron | 2017-06-12 | Golden State Warriors | L | 41 | 13 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 36.2 |
| 8 | Jordan | 1991-06-05 | Los Angeles Lakers | W | 33 | 7 | 13 | 2 | 1 | 34.7 |
| 9 | Jordan | 1997-06-04 | Utah Jazz | W | 38 | 13 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 34.0 |
| 10 | Jordan | 1992-06-12 | Portland Trail Blazers | W | 46 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 33.3 |
| 11 | LeBron | 2017-06-04 | Golden State Warriors | L | 29 | 11 | 14 | 3 | 1 | 32.8 |
| 12 | Jordan | 1991-06-02 | Los Angeles Lakers | L | 36 | 8 | 12 | 3 | 0 | 32.6 |
| 13 | LeBron | 2013-06-20 | San Antonio Spurs | W | 37 | 12 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 32.5 |
| 14 | LeBron | 2017-06-07 | Golden State Warriors | L | 39 | 11 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 32.4 |
| 15 | Jordan | 1993-06-11 | Phoenix Suns | W | 42 | 12 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 31.7 |
| 16 | LeBron | 2015-06-09 | Golden State Warriors | W | 40 | 12 | 8 | 4 | 2 | 31.6 |
| 17 | Jordan | 1993-06-18 | Phoenix Suns | L | 41 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 30.7 |
| 18 | LeBron | 2015-06-14 | Golden State Warriors | L | 40 | 14 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 30.7 |
| 19 | LeBron | 2020-10-02 | Miami Heat | W | 33 | 9 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 30.6 |
| 20 | LeBron | 2013-06-13 | San Antonio Spurs | W | 33 | 11 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 29.6 |
| 21 | Jordan | 1997-06-11 | Utah Jazz | W | 38 | 7 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 29.4 |
| 22 | LeBron | 2020-10-11 | Miami Heat | W | 28 | 14 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 29.2 |
| 23 | LeBron | 2015-06-07 | Golden State Warriors | W | 39 | 16 | 11 | 1 | 1 | 28.9 |
| 24 | LeBron | 2018-06-06 | Golden State Warriors | L | 33 | 10 | 11 | 2 | 2 | 28.7 |
| 25 | Jordan | 1991-06-09 | Los Angeles Lakers | W | 28 | 5 | 13 | 0 | 2 | 28.6 |
About Game Score
Game Score is a per-game metric developed by John Hollinger that estimates a player's productivity in a single game. The formula accounts for points, field goals, free throws, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks, personal fouls, and turnovers. An average NBA performance is around 10; an elite game is 25+; performances above 35 are historically exceptional.
Frequently Asked Questions
What was the greatest Finals performance ever?▼
Jordan's 55-point game in the 1993 Finals vs Phoenix is among the greatest. LeBron's 51-point Game 1 in 2018 vs Golden State is also legendary. Both players have multiple 40+ point Finals games.
Who has more 40-point Finals games?▼
Jordan has more 40-point Finals games with 6, compared to LeBron's 4. Jordan also has the highest single-game Finals scoring performance between the two.