By The Numbers: SGA headlines list of highest-scoring Canadians in NBA history
Published
Canadian Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has continued his impressive 2024-25 campaign with a record-breaking week that has seen the Oklahoma City Thunder superstar continue to separate himself as one of the league’s truly elite players.
Gilgeous-Alexander set the record for most points scored in a single game by a Canadian last Wednesday with a 54-point showing, and then came within two points of his record just seven days later.
The monumental week solidified his status as the favourite for the NBA’s Most Valuable Player award, with his odds to take home the honour being listed at -550 on FanDuel Sportsbook with a little more than two months remaining in the regular season.
If Gilgeous-Alexander were to win MVP, he would become just the second Canadian in league history to take home the award after Phoenix Suns point guard Steve Nash went back-to-back in 2005-06.
Inspired by the 6-foot-6 guard's awe-inspiring stretch of games, here is a look at the highest-scoring single-game performances by a Canadian in NBA history:
1. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, 54 points – Jan. 22, 2025
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Oklahoma City Thunder
Gilgeous-Alexander is the current record holder for the highest single-game point total among Canadians in NBA history after pouring in 54 points to lead the Oklahoma City Thunder over the Utah Jazz 123-114 on Jan. 22.
The 26-year-old superstar shot 17-of-35 from the field and sunk all but one of his 18 free-throw attempts to best his previous career-high of 45 points set earlier this season.
Gilgeous-Alexander scored 23 points in the first half, before dominating with 18 points in the third quarter alone to help his team grow their lead atop the Western Conference standings.
In addition to his record-setting scoring performance, Gilgeous-Alexander also finished with eight rebounds, five assists, and three steals in the winning effort.
2. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, 52 points – Jan. 29, 2025
Golden State Warriors Oklahoma City Thunder
Gilgeous-Alexander’s dominance was on display yet again with a 52-point performance in a 116-109 loss to the Golden State Warriors Wednesday night.
The Kentucky Wildcats alum fell just two points shy of his career-high set a week earlier, while also adding four assists, three rebounds, and one steal.
Gilgeous-Alexander hit on 16 of his 29 shots from the field, while converting on 18-of-21 free-throw attempts.
He scored 17 points in the first 8:10 of the game, and had 21 of his team’s 34 first-quarter points. He also had eight of his team’s final 11 points of the night.
Gilgeous-Alexander was the only starter for the Thunder to finish as a positive plus-minus while playing the most minutes of any player on his team.
It was Oklahoma City’s sixth road loss of the season, and just ninth overall in 46 games played to this point.
3. Jamal Murray, 50 points – Feb. 19, 2021
Jamal Murray Denver Nuggets
Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray comes in at third place after a 50-point performance in a 120-103 win against the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2021.
Murray shot an incredibly efficient 21-of-25 from the field, including eight three-pointers on 10 attempts in the victory. He also added six rebounds, two assists, and two steals in a team-high 38 minutes played.
The Kitchener, Ont. native became the first player in NBA history to score at least 50 points while not attempting a free throw, and is also just the second player ever to reach the mark while shooting better than 80 per cent from the field and from beyond the arc.
Murray has scored 50 points on two other occasions, with both coming in the Nuggets’ first-round series against the Utah Jazz in the NBA Bubble Playoffs in 2020.
Murray had 50 points, 11 rebounds, and seven assists in a Game 4 129-127 loss that saw the Jazz go up 3-1 in the best-of-seven series.
Donovan Mitchell had 51 points to help Utah to the win, marking the first time in NBA playoff history that two opponents each scored 50 points.
Murray’s heroics were on display yet again in Game 6, scoring 50 once more to help his team force a Game 7, where Denver would emerge victorious.
The Nuggets would fall to the eventual champion, Los Angeles Lakers, in the Western Conference Finals that season.
4. Jamal Murray, 48 points – Nov. 5, 2018
Jamal Murray, Denver Nuggets
Like Gilgeous-Alexander, Murray repeats on the list with a 48-point showing in a 115-107 win over the Boston Celtics on Nov. 5, 2018.
Murray shot 19-of-30 overall, while going 5-of-11 from three in the win, while adding five rebounds and four assists in 38 minutes on the floor. He also went a perfect 5-of-5 from the free throw line.
The Denver Nuggets guard attempted a three-pointer as time expired with the win comfortably in hand, angering a group of Celtics who disproved of his actions.
Kyrie Irving would take the ball and fire it into the stands before walking off the court. Murray would offer an apology for the shot attempt after the game.
“I think my emotions took over, as it normally does” Murray told ESPN. “No disrespect to the Boston organization and fans with that shot, I just had it in my mind that I was going to go 50, and I think everybody kind of understood what I was trying to do.
“I really wasn’t meaning no disrespect… I know half the team over there, so no hard feelings.”
Murray would eventually get to 50 points three seasons later.
5. Andrew Wiggins, 47 points – Nov. 13, 2016
Minnesota Timberwolves
At the start of his third NBA season, Andrew Wiggins had set the all-time record for points by a Canadian with 47 in a 125-99 win over the Los Angeles Lakers.
Wiggins, the first-overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, shot 14-for-21 on the night, and sank 17 of his 22 free-throw attempts to set what still stands today as his career-high point total. His previous career-high was 36 set just a week earlier.
The Thornhill, Ont. native was tied with Timberwolves legend Kevin Garnett for fourth place on the highest-scoring single-game performances in franchise history at the time.
Wiggins also holds the record for single-game points scored by a Canadian in the NBA Finals after a 26-point night helped the Golden State Warriors to a Game 5 victory over the Celtics.
He would go onto win his first NBA championship with a Game 6 victory three nights later.