who scored the most points in a game on opening night of a season since 1980

Since 1979-80, Michael Jordan has scored the most points in a season opener, with 54 points against the Cavaliers on November 3, 1989.

Interpreted as:

Who scored the most points in a regular-season game on opening night of a season since 1980?

	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	Michael Jordan M. Jordan	54	11/3/1989	CHI	vs	CLE	47	14	6	3	1	19	31	61.3	1	2	50.0	15	17	88.2	70.2	3	11	0	3
2	Aaron Gordon A. Gordon	50	10/23/2025	DEN	@	GSW	39	8	2	0	1	17	21	81.0	10	11	90.9	6	6	100.0	105.8	0	8	2	1	-1
3	Kyrie Irving K. Irving	50	10/23/2019	BKN	vs	MIN	38	8	7	0	1	17	33	51.5	7	14	50.0	9	10	90.0	66.8	2	6	0	4	+18
4	Anthony Davis A. Davis	50	10/26/2016	NOP	vs	DEN	41	15	5	5	4	17	34	50.0	0	2	0.0	16	17	94.1	60.3	1	14	3	4	-3
5	Michael Jordan M. Jordan	50	11/1/1986	CHI	@	NYK	41	6	3	4	3	15	31	48.4	0	0		20	22	90.9	61.5	2	4	6	2
6	Alex English A. English	47	10/25/1985	DEN	@	GSW	39	5	3	1	1	16	31	51.6	0	0		15	18	83.3	60.4	2	3	3	4
7	Kiki VanDeWeghe K. VanDeWeghe	47	10/27/1984	POR	@	KCK	38	4	1	0	1	19	23	82.6	0	0		9	9	100.0	87.2	1	3	2	1
8	Jaylen Brown J. Brown	46	10/20/2021	BOS	@	NYK	46	9	6	3	1	16	30	53.3	8	14	57.1	6	8	75.0	68.6	0	9	4	5	+16
9	Monta Ellis M. Ellis	46	10/27/2010	GSW	vs	HOU	40	3	2	2	0	18	24	75.0	1	2	50.0	9	12	75.0	78.6	0	3	1	4	+9
10	Dale Ellis D. Ellis	46	11/4/1988	SEA	@	UTA	37	5	1	3	0	14	23	60.9	1	5	20.0	17	19	89.5	73.3	3	2	1	3
11	World B. Free W. B. Free	46	10/12/1979	SDC	vs	LAL	41	7	5	7	1	19	29	65.5	0	0		8	8	100.0	70.7	2	5	8	4
12	Kobe Bryant K. Bryant	45	10/30/2007	LAL	vs	HOU	43	8	4	4	1	13	32	40.6	1	3	33.3	18	27	66.7	51.3	0	8	5	4	+3
13	Latrell Sprewell L. Sprewell	45	10/31/1997	GSW	@	MIN	41	3	7	0	0	18	31	58.1	4	7	57.1	5	6	83.3	66.9	1	2	3	0	-16
14	James Harden J. Harden	44	12/26/2020	HOU	@	POR	43	4	17	1	0	12	21	57.1	6	13	46.2	14	16	87.5	78.5	1	3	5	1	-6
15	Ja Morant J. Morant	44	12/23/2020	MEM	vs	SAS	35	2	9	2	1	18	27	66.7	1	2	50.0	7	8	87.5	72.1	0	2	1	1	+10
16	Jerry Stackhouse J. Stackhouse	44	10/31/2000	DET	@	TOR	42	5	3	0	1	17	35	48.6	1	3	33.3	9	10	90.0	55.8	1	4	2	1	+16
17	Luka Dončić L. Dončić	43	10/21/2025	LAL	vs	GSW	41	12	9	2	1	17	27	63.0	2	10	20.0	7	10	70.0	68.5	0	12	3	1	-8
18	Jalen Rose J. Rose	43	10/30/2001	IND	@	NJN	44	6	3	1	0	18	27	66.7	2	3	66.7	5	6	83.3	72.5	1	5	3	3	+8
19	Terry Rozier T. Rozier	42	12/23/2020	CHA	@	CLE	38	3	2	2	1	15	23	65.2	10	16	62.5	2	4	50.0	84.8	1	2	3	5	-4
20	Kevin Durant K. Durant	42	10/30/2013	OKC	@	UTA	39	6	1	3	0	9	24	37.5	2	8	25.0	22	24	91.7	60.8	0	6	5	1	+3
21	Michael Jordan M. Jordan	42	11/3/1995	CHI	vs	CHA	39	6	7	0	0	16	29	55.2	3	7	42.9	7	9	77.8	63.7	1	5	1	4
22	Shaquille O'Neal S. O'Neal	42	11/5/1993	ORL	@	MIA	31	12	1	1	1	17	24	70.8	0	0		8	13	61.5	70.7	4	8	1	4
23	Nick Anderson N. Anderson	42	11/6/1992	ORL	vs	MIA	42	8	6	5	0	17	26	65.4	3	6	50.0	5	12	41.7	67.1	2	6	3	4
24	Anthony Edwards A. Edwards	41	10/22/2025	MIN	@	POR	39	7	1	0	1	14	28	50.0	5	10	50.0	8	8	100.0	65.0	1	6	4	4	+9
25	Kemba Walker K. Walker	41	10/17/2018	CHA	vs	MIL	39	2	4	2	0	15	29	51.7	7	13	53.8	4	5	80.0	65.7	1	1	3	0	-1