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Luka Doncic, Nikola Jokic highlight top 22 stat lines from 2022

As the year comes to a close, here are the top 22 individual performances from 2022.

Brian Martin, for NBA.com

Luka Doncic has registered some crazy games in 2022, including the first 60-point, 20-rebound triple-double in NBA history.

As we get ready to close the book on 2022, it’s time to look back at some of the top individual performances from this calendar year. We are publishing this list with two days remaining in 2022, so we may have to edit the list if a player pulls off a James Harden in 2016 when he posted a 50-point triple-double on New Year’s Eve.

Notes: Eligible games include: End of the 2021-22 regular season (Jan-April), the 2022 Play-In Tournament (April), the 2022 Playoffs and the start of the 2022-23 regular season (no preseason games). These stat lines are not presented in ranked order, but rather grouped by category. 

Here are 22 stat lines that stood out from the rest in 2022.

The History Books

Let’s take a look at three stat lines never before seen in the history of the NBA.

Luka Doncic: Dec. 27, 2022; Dallas vs. New York

60 PTS, 21 REB, 10 AST, 2 STL, 1 BLK, 21-31 FG, 2-6 3P, 16-22 FT, +7, 47 MIN

Had these stat lines been ranked 1-22 in order of significance and jaw-dropping-ness, then this masterpiece from Luka Doncic would have taken the top spot. It was one of those games that forces you to call your fellow hoops addicts to make sure they’re watching.

In addition to becoming the first player in NBA history to post a 60-point, 20-rebound triple-double, Doncic also spearheaded one of the most unlikely comebacks in league history as the Mavericks overcame a nine-point deficit in under 34 seconds to force overtime.

In the extra session, Luka single-handedly outscored the Knicks 7-6 as he sank a pair of free throws with 34 seconds remaining to reach 60 points and wrap up a career night that won’t soon be forgotten. Doncic finished with career highs in both points (60, a Dallas franchise record) and rebounds (21) as he became the first player since Shaquille O’Neal in 2000 to post a 60-20 game. He added 10 assists to secure just the second 60-point triple-double in league history, and the first with 20 rebounds.

Joel Embiid: Nov. 13, 2022; Philadelphia vs. Utah

59 PTS, 11 REB, 8 AST, 7 BLK, 1 STL, 19-28 FG, 1-5 3P, 20-24 FT, +25, 37 MIN

The league’s reigning scoring champion (30.6 ppg in 2021-22) and current leader (33.7 ppg in 2022-23) had the best scoring night of his career in Philadelphia’s win over Utah on Nov. 13. Embiid finished with 59 points on 19-for-28 shooting from the field and 20-for-24 at the free-throw line.

What makes this stat line historic? In addition to his 59 points, he added 11 rebounds, eight assists and tied his career best with seven blocks as he became the first player to record at least 50 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and five blocks in an NBA game. It must be noted that steals and blocks were not officially tracked by the NBA until the 1973-74 season.

Nikola Jokic: March 6, 2022; Denver vs. New Orleans

46 PTS, 12 REB, 11 AST, 3 STL, 4 BLK, 16-22 FG, 3-5 3P, 11-12 FT, +22, 43 MIN

With the same caveat in mind, Jokic became the first player to ever record 45 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists, three steals and three blocks in an NBA game as he led Denver to a 138-130 overtime win against New Orleans. Jokic scored 30 of his 46 points in the fourth quarter and overtime after the Nuggets had squandered a 21-point first-quarter lead. The Nuggets outscored the Pelicans by 22 points in Jokic’s 43 minutes on the court and were outscored by 14 in 10 minutes off the court.

60+ Point Games

In addition to Luka’s masterpiece earlier this week, there were two other 60-point games posted in 2022 and they came on back-to-back days.

Karl Anthony-Towns: March 14, 2022; Minnesota At San Antonio

60 PTS, 17 REB, 3 AST, 1 STL, 19-31 FG, 7-11 3P, 15-16 FT, +16, 36 MIN

First, Karl-Anthony Towns defied the odds to become the first center to win the MTN DEW 3-Point Contest at NBA All-Star Weekend in Cleveland. Less than a month later, Towns knocked down a career-best seven 3-pointers on his way to a career-high and franchise-record 60 points in a 149-139 win over San Antonio. And he did more than score, he also grabbed 17 rebounds to become the first player with 60 points and 17 boards in a game since Shaquille O’Neal had 61 and 23 on March 6, 2000.

Kyrie Irving: March 15, 2022; Brooklyn At Orlando

Kyrie Irving went off against the Orlando Magic, finishing with a career-high 60 points in the win.

60 PTS, 6 REB, 4 AST, 4 STL, 1 BLK, 20-31 FG, 8-12 3P, 12-13 FT, +36, 35 MIN

Playing in only his 19th game of the season, Kyrie Irving wasted no time in getting buckets against the Magic, scoring 41 points in the first half – the most points in the opening half since Kobe Bryant’s 42 points against Washington on March 28, 2003. In total, Irving needed only 35 minutes to reach his career high and Nets franchise-record 60 points – the fifth-fewest minutes in a 60-point game since 1983-84.

50+ Point Games

There was a total of 27 games with 50 or more points – 17 in the 2021-22 regular season and 10 in the 2022-23 regular season so far, none in the playoffs nor Play-In — as 18 different players hit the threshold. Doncic and Embiid led the way with three 50+ point games apiece in 2022. While we can’t include all of them in this list, here are a few that stood out.

Anthony Davis: Dec. 12, 2022; Los Angeles at Washington

55 PTS, 17 REB, 3 BLK, 1 AST, 22-30 FG, 2-3 3P, 9-9 FT, +17, 38 MIN

The Wizards had no answer for Anthony Davis on this night in Washington, D.C. as Davis recorded his first 50-plus point game in nearly three years – his previous 50-point performance for the Lakers came on Dec. 8, 2019. Davis was incredibly efficient on his way to 55 points against the Wizards, shooting over 73% from the field, making two of his three 3-point attempts and all nine of his free throws while also adding 17 rebounds and three blocks. It is games like that that make his absence from a recent foot injury so detrimental to the Lakers, who are just 2-5 since he’s been out of the lineup.

Devin Booker: Dec. 17, 2022; Phoenix vs. New Orleans

58 PTS, 6 REB, 5 AST, 21-35 FG, 6-12 3P, 10-15 FT, +11, 42 MIN

Entering this matchup with the Pelicans – the third meeting between the teams in a 10-day span – Devin Booker was mired in a shooting slump and dealing with a groin injury (one that has since sidelined him again for a month). Over his previous five games, Booker had shot just 32.9% (28-for-85) from the field and 21.4% (6-for-28) from 3-point range. Phoenix had already lost consecutive games to the Pelicans and trailed in this game by 24 points. It was Booker who led a furious Suns rally as he scored 36 of his 58 points in the second half. It was Booker’s third-highest scoring game of his career and best since 2019.

LeBron James: March 5, 2022; Los Angeles vs. Golden State

56 PTS, 10 REB, 3 AST, 1 BLK, 19-31 FG, 6-11 3P, 12-13 FT, +13, 39 MIN

LeBron posted two 50+ point games in his 19th NBA season. This 56-point performance not only marked a season high, it made a bit of history as well. At 37 years and 65 days old, LeBron became the fourth-oldest player to ever score 50 points in an NBA game and became the oldest player to record 50+ points and 10+ rebounds in a game.

Trae Young: Jan. 3, 2022; Atlanta at Portland

56 PTS, 4 REB, 14 AST, 17-26 FG, 7-12 3P, 15-15 FT, +10, 37 MIN

This is one of the few stat lines highlighted on this list that came in a loss, but Young’s combination of 56 points and 14 assists was something the league had never seen before as his 14 assists were the most ever in a 55+ point game. The closest anyone has come to it was James Harden in December 2016 when he finished with 53 points and 14 assists. Between the points he scored (56) and the points he created with his assists (30), Young was responsible for 86 (65.6%) of Atlanta’s 131 points on the night.

Kevin Durant: April 2, 2022; Brooklyn At Atlanta

55 PTS, 7 REB, 3 AST, 1 STL, 19-28 FG, 8-10 3P, 9-11 FT, +1, 32 MIN

Kevin Durant’s reputation as one of the great scorers in the history of the NBA has been solidified for years – he’s up to 15th all-time in total points and holds the fourth-highest scoring average in league history. Durant dropped a career-best 55 points on the Hawks as he put on an incredible shooting display – connecting on 19-for-28 (67.9%) of his shots from the field and 8-for-10 (80%) from beyond the arc. Unfortunately for Durant and the Nets, the effort came in a loss.

40-Point Triple-Doubles (2)

There were nine triple-doubles posted in 2022 that featured at least 40 points. And they were accumulated by a total of just three players: Doncic, Jokic and Embiid. Both Doncic and Jokic gave us four 40-point triple-doubles to choose from, which we highlighted in the opening section. But there is another Jokic game and the Embiid 40-point triple-double that must be noted.

Nikola Jokic: Dec. 18, 2022; Denver vs. Charlotte

40 PTS, 27 REB, 10 AST, 2 STL, 13-26 FG, 2-4 3P, 12-17 FT, +20, 40 MIN

Anytime you’re the first player to accomplish a statistical feat since Wilt Chamberlain, you know it’s been a good night. In Denver’s 119-115 win over Charlotte, Jokic became the first player in over 54 years to post a game with at least 40 points, 25 rebounds and 10 assists. The last player to do it was Wilt in 1968 (he has four of the six all-time such games); the other belongs to Elgin Baylor.

Joel Embiid: Feb. 12, 2022: Philadelphia vs. Cleveland

40 PTS, 14 REB, 10 AST, 3 STL, 11-22 FG, 4-5 3P, 14-15 FT, +24, 33 MIN

Embiid needed only 33 minutes on the court to stuff the stat sheet against the Cavaliers. Embiid’s 33 minutes are the second-fewest ever posted in a 40-point triple-double. The only other player to do it faster is his teammate James Harden, who posted a 43-point, 12-assist, 10-rebound triple-double in just 30 minutes on Jan. 11, 2019 with the Houston Rockets.

Category Leaders (5)

Rebounds

Ivica Zubac: Nov. 27, 2022; LA Clippers LAC vs. Indiana

31 PTS, 29 REB, 3 AST, 3 BLK, 14-17 FG, 3-3 FT, +13, 36 MIN

With their two stars (Kawhi Leonard and Paul George) and two key rotation players (Robert Covington and Luke Kennard) out of the lineup, Ivica Zubac picked the perfect time to have the best game of his six-year NBA career. Zubac finished with 31 points and a career-best 29 rebounds — one rebound shy of posting the first 30-30 game since 2018 (and only the third since 1982) – while adding three blocks, three assists and missing only three of his 17 field goal attempts.

Assists

James Harden: Dec. 23, 2022; Philadelphia vs. LA Clippers

20 PTS, 21 AST, 11 REB, 1 STL, 6-17 FG, 3-6 3P, 5-6 FT, +13, 41 MIN

Harden not only posted the most assists of his career and the most of any NBA player in 2022, he also became just the ninth player in league history to post a 20-point, 20-assist, 10-rebound triple-double. Russell Westbrook (five times) and Luka Doncic are the only two other active players with such a game in their careers.  While Harden didn’t have a great shooting night, his 21 assists created 50 points for Philadelphia as the Sixers overcame a 20-point first-half deficit to win the game.

Steals

De’Anthony Melton: Dec. 9, 2022; Philadelphia vs. Los Angeles Lakers

33 PTS, 4 REB, 2 AST, 7 STL, 11-16 FG, 8-12 3P, 3-4 FT, +3, 43 MIN

While there were three players that tied for the 2022-high in steals with seven apiece — Javonte Green, De’Anthony Melton and D’Angelo Russell – it was Melton’s overall game that stood out the most as he scored 33 points to complement his seven steals in Philadelphia’s 133-122 overtime win. Melton is the first Sixer and only the second NBA player ever (joining Michael Adams in 1991) with at least 30 points, eight 3-pointers and seven steals in a game.

Blocks

Jaren Jackson Jr.: Dec. 12, 2022; Memphis vs. Atlanta

15 PTS, 7 REB, 8 BLK, 2 AST, 6-11 FG, 1-4 3PM 2-2 FT, +25, 24 MIN

Jackson Jr. needed only 24 minutes on the court to rack up 15 points, seven rebounds and a career-best eight blocks to help Memphis earn a 128-103 win over Atlanta. Jackson Jr. was one of three players in 2022 to record eight blocks in a game – along with Cleveland’s Evan Mobley and New York’s Mitchell Robinson – and is on pace to lead the league in blocks this season. Jackson Jr. is averaging three blocks per game, which would put him in the lead as soon as he’s played enough games after missing the first 14 matchups of the season due to injury.

3-Pointers Made

Robert Covington: April 1, 2022; LA Clippers at Milwaukee

43 PTS, 8 REB, 2 AST, 2 STL, 3 BLK, 15-24 FG, 11-18 3P, 2-2 FT, +30, 46 MIN

After being acquired by the Clippers at the February trade deadline, Robert Covington averaged just 22 minutes per game. But on April 1, the Clippers visited the Bucks with both teams resting their top players, which brought the opportunity for more minutes, and Covington took full advantage. He knocked down a career-best and franchise-record 11 treys on his way to a career-high 43 points in the Clippers’ victory. Three other players made 11 3-pointers in 2022: Malik Beasley (with Minnesota), Bojan Bogdanovic (with Utah) and Portland’s Damian Lillard.

Playoff Gems (5)

Ja Morant: May 3, 2022; Memphis vs. Golden State; West Semifinals, Game 2

47 PTS, 8 REB, 8 AST, 3 STL, 15-31 FG, 5-12 3P, 12-13 FT, +13, 41 MIN

With his team staring at an 0-2 deficit at home in the conference semifinals, Ja Morant took over and would not let the Grizzlies lose. Morant matched his playoff career-high with 47 points to lead the Grizzlies to a 106-101 win over the Warriors and even the first-round series at 1-1. With neither team leading by more than five points in the fourth quarter, Morant took over late by scoring Memphis’ final 15 points of the game. He finished with 18 points in the fourth quarter and did so while struggling with his vision after a collision late in the third quarter.

Jimmy Butler: May 27, 2022; Miami at Boston; East Finals, Game 6

47 PTS, 9 REB, 8 AST, 4 STL, 1 BLK, 16-29 FG, 4-8 3P, 11-11 FT, +8, 41 MIN

Jimmy Butler led all players with four 40+ point games in this year’s playoffs despite not advancing to the NBA Finals. While Butler gave us plenty of epic stat lines to choose from, there was no denying his Game 6 performance against Boston. Butler’s 47 points were a playoff career-high (he now has six 40+ point playoff games in his three seasons in Miami) while having zero 40+ point games during the regular season during his Heat tenure. Butler’s 46-9-8 performance brought flashbacks to LeBron James’ 45-15-5 Game 6 performance in Boston a decade earlier.

Jayson Tatum, Giannis Antetokounmpo: Boston at Milwaukee; East Semifinals, Game 6

Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jayson Tatum Highlights from Milwaukee Bucks vs. Boston Celtics, 05/13/2022

Tatum: 46 PTS, 9 REB, 4 AST, 1 BLK, 17-32 FG, 7-15 3P, 5-7 FT, +21 43 MIN

Giannis: 44 PTS, 20 REB, 6 AST, 1 STL, 1 BLK, 14-30 FG, 2-3 3P, 14-15 FT, -5, 41 MIN

One game with two amazing stat lines as we witnessed an amazing duel between Boston’s Jayson Tatum and Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo in Game 6 of their Eastern Conference semifinal matchup. With their season on the line, Tatum delivered a masterpiece to force a Game 7 back in Boston. As Giannis and the Bucks were mounting a fourth-quarter comeback, Tatum scored 16 of Boston’s 26 points in the final 12 minutes to secure the win and extend the series. In the loss, Giannis became the first player since Shaquille O’Neal in 2001 to post a 40-20 playoff game.

Stephen Curry: June 10, 2022; Golden State at Boston; NBA Finals, Game 4

43 PTS, 10 REB, 4 AST, 14-26 FG, 7-14 3P, 8-9 FT, +11, 41 MIN

When it came time to choose the signature stat line from the 2022 NBA Finals, Stephen Curry’s epic performance in Game 4 in Boston was an easy choice. With his team trailing 2-1, Curry put the Warriors on his back and delivered a dominant performance as he carved up the league’s top-ranked defense. Curry has had playoff games with more points, but no performance was more important than this one as he helped the Warriors even the series at 2-2 and began a three-game win streak to close out the Celtics, claim Golden State’s fourth title in eight seasons and earn his first-ever Bill Russell NBA Finals MVP Award.

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