Playoff Jimmy in full effect! The greatest individual NBA Playoff scoring nights in history
Miami Heat's Jimmy Butler scored the fourth-highest single-game points in NBA Playoff history on Monday night, finishing with 56 points in a game-four victory over the Milwaukee Bucks.
In 40 minutes on the floor, Butler shot 19 of 28 field goals attempted, made 15 of 18 free throws, and was three of eight from the three-point line.
Following on from his franchise playoff record, Butler scored another 42 points in game five, securing Miami's passage into the second round of the NBA Playoffs.
Despite Butler's magical performance for Miami, six players in NBA history have scored more or the same amount as The Heat star on Monday night.
Here are the greatest single-game scoring nights in NBA history!
Wilt Chamberlain is notorious for being the most effective scorer in NBA history, being the all-time single-game points leader with 100 points.
In the same year as his 100-point game, Chamberlain scored his highest playoff total securing 56 points in the Eastern Division Semi-finals against the Syracuse nationals. Despite his dominance that season, he, and his Philadelphia side came up short to the Boston Celtics.
After securing his long-awaited first NBA title, Michael Jordan dropped 56 points in the opening round of the 1992 NBA Playoffs against the Miami Heat, scoring 20 of 30 attempts from the field.
Jordan's 56 points in the opening round set the tone for the Chicago Bulls playoff run, winning their second NBA title in a row, beating the Portland Trail Blazers in the finals.
Following their tough NBA Finals loss in 1993 against the Chicago Bulls, Suns forward Charles Barkley set out to make a statement in the first round of the 1994 playoffs, scoring 56 against the Golden State Warriors.
Barkley made 23 of 31 attempts from the field and went seven from nine from the free throw line. The Suns progressed to the second round but were knocked out by Houston in game seven.
Donovan Mitchell had the third-highest single-game points in playoff history against the Denver Nuggets in the NBA bubble in 2020, scoring 57 points in the first round.
Mitchell was 58% from the field, scoring 19 of his 33 attempts. Ultimately though, the Utah Jazz lost the game 125-135 and were knocked out by The Nuggets in the opening round.
The highest single-game points in NBA Finals history is by Los Angeles Lakers legend Elgin Baylor, scoring 61 points in the 1962 finals against the Boston Celtics.
Baylor shot 22 of 46 attempts from the field and made 17 of 19 free throws in a 126-121 Laker win. However, the Boston Celtics, led by Bill Russell, eventually won the series 4-3 in their sixth straight NBA Finals.
The record for the highest number of points in a playoff game is held by Michael Jordan, scoring a record-breaking 63 points in the opening round of the 1986 playoffs against the Boston Celtics.
The Bulls lost the series 3-0, but Jordan had a series to remember, scoring 49 and 63 points in the opening two games. His historic performance led to Celtics legend Larry Bird saying, "That was god disguised as Michael Jordan."