Michael Jordan had the most games with 40+ points in 1996-97, with 8 games.

Interpreted as:

most 40 or more point games by a player in 1997

	NAME	GP	PTS	SEASON	TM	MPG	PPG	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	FGM	FGA	FG%	3PM	3PA	3P%	FTM	FTA	FT%	TS%	OREB	DREB	TPG	MIN	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TOV	PF	+/-
1	Michael Jordan M. Jordan	8	358	1996-97	CHI	41.9	44.8	6.0	3.5	1.8	0.8	16.0	28.1	56.9	1.3	3.1	40.0	11.5	13.3	86.8	65.9	1.4	4.6	2.4	335	48	28	14	6	19	17	+33
2	Glen Rice G. Rice	7	296	1996-97	CHA	46.0	42.3	4.3	2.4	0.6	0.3	13.3	22.7	58.5	4.3	6.7	63.8	11.4	12.6	90.9	74.9	0.6	3.7	2.1	322	30	17	4	2	15	17	+26
3	Latrell Sprewell L. Sprewell	6	251	1996-97	GSW	43.5	41.8	4.2	5.3	3.0	0.3	13.0	23.0	56.5	4.0	6.5	61.5	11.8	14.5	81.6	71.2	0.7	3.5	3.2	261	25	32	18	2	19	14	+1
4	Allen Iverson A. Iverson	5	218	1996-97	PHI	46.0	43.6	4.6	7.4	1.8	0.2	15.2	30.0	50.7	4.2	8.8	47.7	9.0	12.8	70.3	61.2	2.2	2.4	5.8	230	23	37	9	1	29	17	-71
5	Hakeem Olajuwon H. Olajuwon	3	134	1996-97	HOU	42.7	44.7	12.0	4.3	0.7	2.0	17.3	31.0	55.9	0.7	0.7	100.0	9.3	10.3	90.3	62.8	2.3	9.7	4.0	128	36	13	2	6	12	8	+18
6	Karl Malone K. Malone	3	123	1996-97	UTA	41.7	41.0	7.0	4.7	1.7	1.3	15.7	26.3	59.5	0.0	0.0		9.7	12.7	76.3	64.2	1.7	5.3	2.3	125	21	14	5	4	7	6	+50
7	Glenn Robinson G. Robinson	3	126	1996-97	MIL	41.0	42.0	6.7	3.3	1.3	1.3	16.3	25.0	65.3	2.3	3.7	63.6	7.0	8.0	87.5	73.6	2.0	4.7	3.0	123	20	10	4	4	9	8	+10
8	Mitch Richmond M. Richmond	2	81	1996-97	SAC	42.0	40.5	6.0	6.0	1.5	0.0	12.5	22.5	55.6	4.5	9.5	47.4	11.0	12.0	91.7	72.9	0.5	5.5	4.0	84	12	12	3	0	8	4	+1
9	Shaquille O'Neal S. O'Neal	2	83	1996-97	LAL	38.0	41.5	12.5	2.5	1.5	2.0	15.0	28.0	53.6	0.0	0.5	0.0	11.5	15.0	76.7	60.0	3.5	9.0	3.5	76	25	5	3	4	7	6	+23
10	Kerry Kittles K. Kittles	1	40	1996-97	NJN	45.0	40.0	5.0	5.0	3.0	0.0	14.0	21.0	66.7	5.0	8.0	62.5	7.0	7.0	100.0	83.1	2.0	3.0	3.0	45	5	5	3	0	3	2	0
11	Rik Smits R. Smits	1	40	1996-97	IND	42.0	40.0	9.0	0.0	3.0	1.0	17.0	28.0	60.7	0.0	0.0		6.0	7.0	85.7	64.4	3.0	6.0	4.0	42	9	0	3	1	4	3	+13
12	Tim Hardaway T. Hardaway	1	45	1996-97	MIA	51.0	45.0	7.0	7.0	4.0	0.0	13.0	25.0	52.0	6.0	12.0	50.0	13.0	14.0	92.9	72.2	1.0	6.0	6.0	51	7	7	4	0	6	3	+1
13	Elden Campbell E. Campbell	1	40	1996-97	LAL	46.0	40.0	10.0	4.0	0.0	4.0	12.0	24.0	50.0	1.0	1.0	100.0	15.0	19.0	78.9	61.8	3.0	7.0	6.0	46	10	4	0	4	6	6	+8
14	Scottie Pippen S. Pippen	1	47	1996-97	CHI	41.0	47.0	5.0	4.0	2.0	0.0	19.0	27.0	70.4	2.0	5.0	40.0	7.0	7.0	100.0	78.1	4.0	1.0	1.0	41	5	4	2	0	1	3	+7
15	Isaiah Rider I. Rider	1	40	1996-97	POR	43.0	40.0	3.0	2.0	1.0	0.0	13.0	19.0	68.4	2.0	2.0	100.0	12.0	13.0	92.3	80.9	0.0	3.0	4.0	43	3	2	1	0	4	2	+6
16	Anthony Peeler A. Peeler	1	40	1996-97	VAN	43.0	40.0	7.0	5.0	3.0	0.0	13.0	28.0	46.4	6.0	12.0	50.0	8.0	8.0	100.0	63.5	5.0	2.0	2.0	43	7	5	3	0	2	5	+2
17	Steve Smith S. Smith	1	41	1996-97	ATL	46.0	41.0	2.0	0.0	1.0	0.0	13.0	25.0	52.0	5.0	11.0	45.5	10.0	11.0	90.9	68.7	0.0	2.0	3.0	46	2	0	1	0	3	1	-8
18	Reggie Miller R. Miller	1	40	1996-97	IND	36.0	40.0	3.0	2.0	0.0	0.0	14.0	22.0	63.6	6.0	9.0	66.7	6.0	7.0	85.7	79.7	1.0	2.0	0.0	36	3	2	0	0	0	2	+8
19	Kendall Gill K. Gill	1	41	1996-97	NJN	46.0	41.0	7.0	9.0	3.0	0.0	17.0	25.0	68.0	3.0	4.0	75.0	4.0	4.0	100.0	76.6	1.0	6.0	3.0	46	7	9	3	0	3	1	0