Before 1982-83, Magic Johnson dropped his most points in a game versus the Jazz on March 28, 1981, with 41 points.

Interpreted as:

Magic Johnson most points in a regular-season game until 1982

	NAME	PTS	DATE	TM		OPP	MIN	REB	AST	STL	BLK	FGM	FGA	FG%	3PM	3PA	3P%	FTM	FTA	FT%	TS%	OREB	DREB	TOV	PF
1	Magic Johnson M. Johnson	41	3/28/1981	LAL	@	UTA	44	12	11	1	0	17	23	73.9	0	0		7	10	70.0	74.8	2	10	5	2
2	Magic Johnson M. Johnson	40	1/9/1982	LAL	@	DET	36	10	9			18	23	78.3	0	0		4	5	80.0	79.4				4
3	Magic Johnson M. Johnson	33	3/29/1981	LAL	vs	DEN	47	15	17	6	1	14	26	53.8	0	1	0.0	5	8	62.5	55.9	3	12	8	5
4	Magic Johnson M. Johnson	33	10/25/1980	LAL	@	UTA	32	8	6	4	0	9	15	60.0	0	1	0.0	15	17	88.2	73.4	2	6	1	0
5	Magic Johnson M. Johnson	32	1/8/1982	LAL	@	CHI	38	7	5	2	1	11	26	42.3	0	1	0.0	10	12	83.3	51.2	2	5	2	4
6	Magic Johnson M. Johnson	32	11/7/1980	LAL	@	DAL	31	9	7	8	0	12	16	75.0	1	1	100.0	7	7	100.0	83.9	3	6	1	2
7	Magic Johnson M. Johnson	31	12/7/1979	LAL	vs	SDC	35	13	8	0	1	14	22	63.6	0	1	0.0	3	3	100.0	66.5	3	10	3	3
8	Magic Johnson M. Johnson	31	11/9/1979	LAL	vs	DEN	43	6	8	4	1	10	16	62.5	0	0		11	15	73.3	68.6	2	4	3	4
9	Magic Johnson M. Johnson	30	3/12/1982	LAL	vs	CHI	40	8	8	3	0	13	20	65.0	2	2	100.0	2	3	66.7	70.4	3	5	3	5
10	Magic Johnson M. Johnson	30	10/12/1980	LAL	vs	HOU	40	9	10	5	2	14	24	58.3	0	0		2	3	66.7	59.2	4	5	3	4
11	Magic Johnson M. Johnson	30	2/20/1980	LAL	@	DEN	39	12	4	3	2	11	19	57.9	0	0		8	9	88.9	65.3	3	9	5	1
12	Magic Johnson M. Johnson	30	1/29/1980	LAL	@	CLE	47	11	8	0	1	12	18	66.7	0	0		6	7	85.7	71.2	2	9	4	5
13	Magic Johnson M. Johnson	29	3/30/1982	LAL	vs	SDC	30	7	11		2	10	18	55.6	0	1	0.0	9	13	69.2	61.1			4	1
14	Magic Johnson M. Johnson	29	1/17/1982	LAL	@	KCK	38	7	9	0	0	12	15	80.0	0	1	0.0	5	5	100.0	84.3				4
15	Magic Johnson M. Johnson	29	10/28/1980	LAL	@	SDC	31	8	10	2	2	13	21	61.9	1	2	50.0	2	2	100.0	66.3			1	1
16	Magic Johnson M. Johnson	28	1/10/1982	LAL	@	MIL	36	7	6	2	0	8	21	38.1	0	1	0.0	12	13	92.3	52.4			1	1
17	Magic Johnson M. Johnson	28	3/20/1981	LAL	vs	SEA	37	5	8	2	1	6	12	50.0	0	0		16	21	76.2	65.9	1	4	2	3
18	Magic Johnson M. Johnson	28	11/8/1980	LAL	@	SAS	44	10	8	3	5	12	22	54.5	0	1	0.0	4	5	80.0	57.9				3
19	Magic Johnson M. Johnson	28	3/5/1980	LAL	@	KCK	38	16	3	2	0	12	17	70.6	0	0		4	5	80.0	72.9			5	4
20	Magic Johnson M. Johnson	27	3/9/1982	LAL	vs	KCK	36	9	4	1	0	8	13	61.5	0	0		11	13	84.6	72.1				3
21	Magic Johnson M. Johnson	27	10/30/1981	LAL	vs	HOU	51	14	12	3	1	10	23	43.5	1	4	25.0	6	6	100.0	52.7			6	2
22	Magic Johnson M. Johnson	27	3/12/1981	LAL	@	SDC	37	9	7	5	0	12	17	70.6	0	0		3	4	75.0	72.0	2	7	3	3
23	Magic Johnson M. Johnson	27	12/14/1979	LAL	vs	DET	37	4	9	4	0	9	14	64.3	0	0		9	11	81.8	71.7	3	1	3	2
24	Magic Johnson M. Johnson	26	2/19/1982	LAL	vs	GSW	34	14	6	1	1	9	13	69.2	0	0		8	8	100.0	78.7	4	10	2	4
25	Magic Johnson M. Johnson	26	1/22/1982	LAL	vs	DET	38	16	12			10	15	66.7	0	0		6	9	66.7	68.6				2