what is the most points scored in a players first game as a starter

Kobe Bryant put up 81 points as a starter versus the Raptors on January 22, 2006.

NAMEPTSDATETMOPPMINREBASTSTLBLKFGMFGAFG%3PM3PA3P%FTMFTAFT%TS%OREBDREBTOVPF+/-
1Kobe Bryant
K. Bryant
81
1/22/2006
vs
42
6
2
3
1
28
46
60.9
7
13
53.8
18
20
90.0
73.9
2
4
3
1
+25
2David Thompson
D. Thompson
73
4/9/1978
@
43
7
2
0
1
28
38
73.7
17
20
85.0
78.0
3
4
4
2
3Luka Dončić
L. Dončić
73
1/26/2024
@
45
10
7
1
0
25
33
75.8
8
13
61.5
15
16
93.8
91.2
0
10
4
1
+13
4David Robinson
D. Robinson
71
4/24/1994
@
44
14
5
0
2
26
41
63.4
1
2
50.0
18
25
72.0
68.3
4
10
8
2
5Donovan Mitchell
D. Mitchell
71
1/2/2023
vs
50
8
11
0
1
22
34
64.7
7
15
46.7
20
25
80.0
78.9
3
5
4
3
+19
6Damian Lillard
D. Lillard
71
2/26/2023
vs
39
6
6
0
0
22
38
57.9
13
22
59.1
14
14
100.0
80.4
1
5
2
0
+21
7Devin Booker
D. Booker
70
3/24/2017
@
45
8
6
3
1
21
40
52.5
4
11
36.4
24
26
92.3
68.0
2
6
5
3
-6
8Joel Embiid
J. Embiid
70
1/22/2024
vs
37
18
5
1
1
24
41
58.5
1
2
50.0
21
23
91.3
68.5
9
9
1
2
+11
9Michael Jordan
M. Jordan
69
3/28/1990
@
50
18
6
4
1
23
37
62.2
2
6
33.3
21
23
91.3
73.2
7
11
2
5
10Pete Maravich
P. Maravich
68
2/25/1977
vs
43
6
6
3
2
26
43
60.5
16
19
84.2
66.2
1
5
6
11Kobe Bryant
K. Bryant
65
3/16/2007
vs
50
7
3
3
0
23
39
59.0
8
12
66.7
11
12
91.7
73.4
1
6
2
3
+4
12Rick Barry
R. Barry
64
3/26/1974
vs
43
10
9
5
0
30
45
66.7
4
5
80.0
67.8
0
10
4
13Michael Jordan
M. Jordan
64
1/16/1993
vs
47
6
1
5
0
27
49
55.1
1
5
20.0
9
11
81.8
59.4
4
2
2
5
14Giannis Antetokounmpo
G. Antetokounmpo
64
12/13/2023
vs
37
14
3
4
1
20
28
71.4
0
3
0.0
24
32
75.0
76.0
3
11
4
1
+29
15George Gervin
G. Gervin
63
4/9/1978
@
33
2
1
2
1
23
49
46.9
17
20
85.0
54.5
3
16Michael Jordan
M. Jordan
63
4/20/1986
@
53
5
6
3
2
22
41
53.7
0
0
19
21
90.5
62.7
1
4
4
4
17Tracy McGrady
T. McGrady
62
3/10/2004
vs
46
10
5
1
0
20
37
54.1
5
14
35.7
17
26
65.4
64.0
3
7
6
1
+10
18Kobe Bryant
K. Bryant
62
12/20/2005
vs
33
8
0
3
0
18
31
58.1
4
10
40.0
22
25
88.0
73.8
3
5
2
3
+35
19Carmelo Anthony
C. Anthony
62
1/24/2014
vs
39
13
0
0
0
23
35
65.7
6
11
54.5
10
10
100.0
78.7
1
12
0
1
+34
20Stephen Curry
S. Curry
62
1/3/2021
vs
36
5
4
0
0
18
31
58.1
8
16
50.0
18
19
94.7
78.8
1
4
5
0
+20
21Karl-Anthony Towns
K. Towns
62
1/22/2024
vs
38
8
2
0
0
21
35
60.0
10
15
66.7
10
14
71.4
75.3
3
5
7
2
0
22Devin Booker
D. Booker
62
1/26/2024
@
38
5
4
1
2
22
37
59.5
6
12
50.0
12
13
92.3
72.6
0
5
4
2
+1
23Michael Jordan
M. Jordan
61
3/4/1987
@
43
7
3
3
3
22
39
56.4
0
0
17
18
94.4
65.0
3
4
5
0
24Michael Jordan
M. Jordan
61
4/16/1987
vs
41
10
1
4
1
22
38
57.9
0
3
0.0
17
21
81.0
64.6
5
5
3
3
25Karl Malone
K. Malone
61
1/27/1990
vs
33
18
2
3
0
21
26
80.8
0
0
19
23
82.6
84.4
9
9
2
2
Results may be incomplete. StatMuse has complete game-level data for games started going back to the 1981-82 season.

More Lakers Stats

Team Leaders

PPG

34.7

Dončić

Luka Dončić

RPG

9.0

Ayton

Deandre Ayton

APG

8.8

Dončić

Luka Dončić
Team Rankings

ORTG

119.1

6th

DRTG

117.5

20th

NETRTG

1.6

13th

3P%

35.4

18th

2025-26 Conference Standings
TEAMWLPCTGB
1
24
2
.923
2
19
6
.760
4.5
3
Lakers Lakers
18
7
.720
5.5
4
18
7
.720
5.5
5
16
7
.696
6.5
Schedule
DATEMATCHUPTIME (ET)
Thu
12/18
@
9:00 PM
Sat
12/20
@
10:30 PM
Tue
12/23
@
9:00 PM
Thu
12/25
@
8:00 PM
Sun
12/28
@
9:30 PM
Last Game
LAL Lakers

18 - 7

116

Final

114

PHX Suns

14 - 12

Sun 14 Dec 2025

NBA 2025-26 Leaders

NBA 2025-26 Rankings

NBA Fantasy 2025-26

NBA 2025-26 Betting

NBA 2025-26 Standings

EasternWLPCTGB
1
21
5
.808
2
18
7
.720
2.5
3
16
11
.593
5.5
4
15
11
.577
6.0
5
15
11
.577
6.0
6
14
11
.560
6.5
7
15
12
.556
6.5
8
14
12
.538
7.0
9
15
13
.536
7.0
10
11
15
.423
10.0
11
11
16
.407
10.5
12
8
18
.308
13.0
13
7
18
.280
13.5
14
6
20
.231
15.0
15
4
20
.167
16.0
WesternWLPCTGB
1
24
2
.923
2
19
6
.760
4.5
3
18
7
.720
5.5
4
18
7
.720
5.5
5
16
7
.696
6.5
6
17
10
.630
7.5
7
14
12
.538
10.0
8
13
14
.481
11.5
9
13
14
.481
11.5
10
10
15
.400
13.5
11
10
16
.385
14.0
12
10
17
.370
14.5
13
6
20
.231
18.0
14
6
20
.231
18.0
15
5
22
.185
19.5

NBA 2025-26 Scores & Schedule

Scores

DATEMATCHUPSCORE
Fri
11/14
@
119-95
Sat
11/15
@
118-121
Sat
11/15
@
110-123
Sat
11/15
@
129-106
Sat
11/15
@
124-106

Schedule

DATEMATCHUPTIME (ET)
Thu
12/18
@
7:00 PM
Thu
12/18
@
7:00 PM
Thu
12/18
@
7:30 PM
Thu
12/18
@
8:00 PM
Thu
12/18
@
8:00 PM