players to score 40 points in a playoff game before 2009

LeBron James dropped 45 points in Game 7 of the 2008 Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Celtics on May 18, 2008.

Interpreted as:

players to score 40 or more points in a playoff game before 2009

	NAME	DATE	PTS	TM		OPP	MIN	REB	AST	STL	BLK	FGM	FGA	FG%	3PM	3PA	3P%	FTM	FTA	FT%	TS%	OREB	DREB	TOV	PF	+/-
1	LeBron James L. James	5/18/2008	45	CLE	@	BOS	47	5	6	2	0	14	29	48.3	3	11	27.3	14	19	73.7	60.2	1	4	2	4	0
2	Paul Pierce P. Pierce	5/18/2008	41	BOS	vs	CLE	44	4	5	2	0	13	23	56.5	4	6	66.7	11	12	91.7	72.5	1	3	4	4	+10
3	Tracy McGrady T. McGrady	5/2/2008	40	HOU	@	UTA	42	10	5	0	1	13	26	50.0	2	7	28.6	12	18	66.7	59.0	1	9	1	1	-17
4	Tony Parker T. Parker	4/25/2008	41	SAS	@	PHX	41	5	12	2	0	17	26	65.4	1	3	33.3	6	7	85.7	70.5	0	5	3	2	+24
5	Kobe Bryant K. Bryant	4/23/2008	49	LAL	vs	DEN	42	4	10	1	1	18	27	66.7	5	9	55.6	8	9	88.9	79.1	1	3	2	4	+13
6	Tim Duncan T. Duncan	4/19/2008	40	SAS	vs	PHX	51	15	5	1	3	16	24	66.7	1	1	100.0	7	12	58.3	68.3	6	9	4	3	+3
7	LeBron James L. James	5/31/2007	48	CLE	@	DET	50	9	7	2	0	18	33	54.5	2	3	66.7	10	14	71.4	61.3	3	6	2	3	+2
8	Kobe Bryant K. Bryant	4/26/2007	45	LAL	vs	PHX	45	6	6	1	1	15	26	57.7	2	3	66.7	13	13	100.0	70.9	0	6	5	3	+1
9	Carlos Boozer C. Boozer	4/23/2007	41	UTA	@	HOU	42	12	6	0	0	17	30	56.7	0	0		7	9	77.8	60.4	3	9	1	4	-6
10	Dwyane Wade D. Wade	6/18/2006	43	MIA	vs	DAL	50	4	4	3	0	11	28	39.3	0	2	0.0	21	25	84.0	55.1	0	4	3	1	+1
11	Dwyane Wade D. Wade	6/13/2006	42	MIA	vs	DAL	43	13	2	2	0	14	26	53.8	1	2	50.0	13	18	72.2	61.9	2	11	1	5	+6
12	Dirk Nowitzki D. Nowitzki	6/1/2006	50	DAL	vs	PHX	43	12	3	1	0	14	26	53.8	5	6	83.3	17	18	94.4	73.7	1	11	1	2	+22
13	Tim Duncan T. Duncan	5/22/2006	41	SAS	vs	DAL	50	15	6	1	3	12	24	50.0	0	1	0.0	17	23	73.9	60.1	6	9	3	4	-7
14	Vince Carter V. Carter	5/12/2006	43	NJN	vs	MIA	41	6	3	0	0	17	34	50.0	3	6	50.0	6	9	66.7	56.6	2	4	3	4	-23
15	Elton Brand E. Brand	5/8/2006	40	LAC	@	PHX	42	9	3	0	4	18	22	81.8	0	0		4	6	66.7	81.2	5	4	1	2	-2
16	Anthony Johnson A. Johnson	5/4/2006	40	IND	vs	NJN	45	5	5	2	0	16	23	69.6	3	5	60.0	5	9	55.6	74.2	1	4	2	2	-8
17	Kobe Bryant K. Bryant	5/4/2006	50	LAL	vs	PHX	52	8	5	3	0	20	35	57.1	5	8	62.5	5	6	83.3	66.4	1	7	7	4	-6
18	Gilbert Arenas G. Arenas	5/3/2006	44	WAS	@	CLE	53	5	4	1	0	14	24	58.3	6	9	66.7	10	10	100.0	77.5	1	4	3	4	+1
19	LeBron James L. James	5/3/2006	45	CLE	vs	WAS	46	7	6	2	0	14	23	60.9	0	1	0.0	17	18	94.4	72.8	5	2	4	5	-4
20	Richard Hamilton R. Hamilton	5/3/2006	40	DET	vs	MIL	36	3	3	0	0	15	23	65.2	2	2	100.0	8	9	88.9	74.2	1	2	3	2	+28
21	Michael Redd M. Redd	4/29/2006	40	MIL	vs	DET	35	5	2	0	0	14	21	66.7	4	5	80.0	8	8	100.0	81.6	3	2	0	1	+31
22	LeBron James L. James	4/28/2006	41	CLE	@	WAS	48	5	3	2	0	16	28	57.1	3	5	60.0	6	9	66.7	64.1	1	4	4	3	+1
23	Amar'e Stoudemire A. Stoudemire	6/1/2005	42	PHX	vs	SAS	46	16	2	1	4	16	32	50.0	0	1	0.0	10	11	90.9	57.0	7	9	3	4	-2
24	Dwyane Wade D. Wade	5/25/2005	40	MIA	vs	DET	43	8	6	1	2	15	28	53.6	0	0		10	10	100.0	61.7	3	5	4	2	+9
25	Amar'e Stoudemire A. Stoudemire	5/22/2005	41	PHX	vs	SAS	36	9	1	0	1	13	21	61.9	0	0		15	18	83.3	70.9	6	3	2	2	-9