most points in less than 40 minutes playoff game

Michael Jordan has the most points with fewer than 40 minutes played in a playoff game, with 54 points in Game 4 of the 1993 Eastern Conference Finals against the Knicks.

Interpreted as:

most points by a player in less than 40 minutes playoff game

	NAME	PTS	MIN	DATE	TM		OPP	REB	AST	STL	BLK	FGM	FGA	FG%	3PM	3PA	3P%	FTM	FTA	FT%	TS%	OREB	DREB	TOV	PF	+/-
1	Michael Jordan M. Jordan	54	39	5/31/1993	CHI	vs	NYK	6	2	2	1	18	30	60.0	6	9	66.7	12	14	85.7	74.7	0	6	2	5
2	Nikola Jokić N. Jokić	53	39	5/7/2023	DEN	@	PHX	4	11	0	1	20	30	66.7	2	4	50.0	11	13	84.6	74.2	1	3	6	2	+2
3	Donovan Mitchell D. Mitchell	51	38	8/23/2020	UTA	vs	DEN	4	7	0	0	15	27	55.6	4	7	57.1	17	18	94.4	73.0	1	3	4	2	+5
4	Stephen Curry S. Curry	50	38	4/30/2023	GSW	@	SAC	8	6	1	0	20	38	52.6	7	18	38.9	3	5	60.0	62.2	1	7	1	2	+25
5	Donovan Mitchell D. Mitchell	48	36	5/6/2025	CLE	vs	IND	5	9	4	1	15	30	50.0	1	7	14.3	17	21	81.0	61.2	2	3	5	4	+13
6	Anthony Davis A. Davis	47	39	4/21/2018	NOP	vs	POR	10	1	0	3	15	23	65.2	2	4	50.0	15	17	88.2	77.1	4	6	2	4	+15
7	LeBron James L. James	46	40	4/18/2018	CLE	vs	IND	12	5	2	0	17	24	70.8	2	5	40.0	10	13	76.9	77.4	1	11	3	1	+7
8	Shaquille O'Neal S. O'Neal	46	35	4/25/1997	LAL	vs	POR	11	2	1	2	17	27	63.0	0	0		12	18	66.7	65.9	3	8	1	3	+23
9	Bernard King B. King	46	39	4/19/1984	NYK	@	DET	6	2	2	0	18	35	51.4	0	0		10	13	76.9	56.5	2	4	5	3
10	James Harden J. Harden	45	39	5/1/2023	PHI	@	BOS	1	6	2	0	17	30	56.7	7	14	50.0	4	4	100.0	70.8	0	1	3	4	+8
11	Jimmy Butler III J. Butler III	45	39	4/19/2022	MIA	vs	ATL	5	5	2	0	15	25	60.0	4	7	57.1	11	12	91.7	74.3	0	5	0	0	+19
12	Donovan Mitchell D. Mitchell	45	37	6/8/2021	UTA	vs	LAC	3	5	1	1	16	30	53.3	6	15	40.0	7	8	87.5	67.1	0	3	3	0	+5
13	Kawhi Leonard K. Leonard	45	38	4/27/2019	TOR	vs	PHI	11	2	2	1	16	23	69.6	3	7	42.9	10	11	90.9	80.8	0	11	2	1	+26
14	Luka Dončić L. Dončić	44	39	5/28/2021	DAL	vs	LAC	9	9	1	0	15	28	53.6	7	13	53.8	7	13	53.8	65.2	2	7	5	2	+3
15	Donovan Mitchell D. Mitchell	44	40	8/30/2020	UTA	vs	DEN	6	5	3	0	14	25	56.0	9	13	69.2	7	7	100.0	78.3	2	4	4	1	+2
16	James Harden J. Harden	44	38	4/21/2017	HOU	@	OKC	6	6	0	1	11	21	52.4	4	12	33.3	18	18	100.0	76.1	1	5	7	5	+1
17	Derrick Rose D. Rose	44	38	5/6/2011	CHI	@	ATL	5	7	1	1	16	27	59.3	4	7	57.1	8	9	88.9	71.1	1	4	2	1	+17
18	Michael Jordan M. Jordan	44	39	5/3/1989	CHI	vs	CLE	7	10	5	1	18	34	52.9	1	1	100.0	7	9	77.8	58.0	2	5	5	4
19	Gail Goodrich G. Goodrich	44	36	4/25/1973	LAL	vs	GSW	3	8			19	26	73.1				6	7	85.7	75.7				3
20	Jalen Brunson J. Brunson	43	38	5/21/2025	NYK	vs	IND	1	5	0	0	15	25	60.0	1	6	16.7	12	14	85.7	69.0	0	1	7	5	-8
21	Donovan Mitchell D. Mitchell	43	37	5/9/2025	CLE	@	IND	9	5	1	0	14	29	48.3	5	13	38.5	10	14	71.4	61.1	5	4	2	4	+35
22	Nikola Jokić N. Jokić	43	39	4/23/2023	DEN	@	MIN	11	6	2	0	15	26	57.7	5	8	62.5	8	12	66.7	68.7	2	9	4	3	-14
23	Anthony Davis A. Davis	43	36	8/29/2020	LAL	vs	POR	9	4	1	0	14	18	77.8	4	6	66.7	11	13	84.6	90.6	2	7	1	2	+15
24	Nikola Jokić N. Jokić	43	38	4/25/2019	DEN	@	SAS	12	9	2	1	19	30	63.3	2	6	33.3	3	4	75.0	67.7	6	6	2	2	-11
25	LaMarcus Aldridge L. Aldridge	43	36	4/23/2014	POR	@	HOU	8	1	0	3	18	28	64.3	0	0		7	8	87.5	68.2	3	5	1	2	+3