100 Points: Who & Against which Team?

[JaoSming]

I was talking with some friends about the nevergunnahappenagain 100 point game, and it got a bit deeper than I thought. So NLSC, I want to know, who do you think could pull off a 100 point game, who would it be against, and what type of game would it be?

[Mavs4Life]

Durant against the Bobcats, in an April game where the Bobcats are letting there bench play, but the Thunder are trying to get a good playoff spot.

[Lamrock]

Kobe @ Toronto in a loss

[el badman]

Jeremy Lin next year, every other game. Be ready bitches.

[Andrew]

I still highly doubt it happens; today's game just doesn't favour it and neither does the culture. It'd have to happen within the flow of the game and that just seems highly unlikely.

If it were to happen though, I'd say it would be someone like Durant or LeBron, who can score in bunches in a variety of different ways and are very difficult to stop once they get going. Kobe's probably still a candidate as well.

As for the opponent...my first inclination is to suggest a team like the Bobcats, who don't have the players to shut down those guys and are prone to taking a beating. However, if the approach of pulling your starters and not running up the score/chasing records in a blowout holds true, they're likely to be out of the game by the end of the third quarter. I doubt that's enough time to rack up 100 points.

Perhaps it's more likely to come against a team like the Rockets or Suns: middle-of-the-pack, on the fringe of the Playoffs types of teams that have enough talent to be competitive, but aren't that well equipped to shut down an elite scorer like Durant, LeBron or Kobe. That way, they'd be in a position to have their way with the defense if they've got it going, while still playing enough minutes to get there.

[Nick]

It's fun to think about but realistically it's not going to happen in today's game. Simple as that.

Who knows how NBA basketball will have developed in 10-20 years though...

[Andrew]

Unless players develop the ability to shoot close to 100% from virtually anywhere within 25 feet, abandon all interest in playing defense and the culture changes regarding chasing records and leaving stars in games that have been decided early, I don't think the chances are going to improve much.

[Kenny]

I'd say Kobe against the Wizards, with some record on the line.

[rise]

A healthy Dwight Howard against a depleted Bobcats roster with only Byron Mullens playing center.

[benji]

Dwight's never scored more than 45 points in a game or even taken more than 24 FGA. You need to take almost twice as many shots to get close to 75. Plus he'd need to suddenly hit 90% at the line like Wilt did.

It's impossible for a player to score 100 points in a game in the modern NBA.

Only twice since 1985 has a player cracked 70. And both of those were with a player and team deliberately stat-padding against ineffective opposition.

[JBoom_LALALAND]

Metta World Peace against a team with clones of James Harden in all positions ... he can score up to 150 coz he elbowed all of the Hardens .. hahaha

And he doesn't shake to substitutions' hands....

[NovU]

It won't happen even with two players combined. When it does, I will quit being great.

[Patr1ck]

It would have to be a streaky player who can shoot, drive, and hit their free throws. The only player playing today that has a chance is Kevin Durant. It would have to be against a team good enough to stay in the game score wise, and with a bad matchup at the 3.

[benji]

And most importantly, Scott Brooks would have to play his franchise player every single minute of a game risking his coaching career in an effort to achieve a functionally impossible feat for said player.

[JaoSming]

Andrew made the point my friends and I got to, if it were to happen today, it would have to be against a offensively competitive game, where the star getting the points needs to score to keep them in the game, but against a crappy defense.

[Oznogrd]

I'd say Durant versus a D'antoni coached team.

[shadowgrin]

The Greatness that is Joel Anthony if he only would stop being polite to opposing players.

[jettdaking!]

Scalabrine against Dream Team.

[SkyLine03LT]

Any go to player that has a lot of weapons and against any team other than the elite defensive teams, like Chicago, Miami or Boston. Even the Bobcats- D Will already put up 50-something points on them this season (obviously it would have to be a "good" night for the 'cats).

[Andrew]

Andrew made the point my friends and I got to, if it were to happen today, it would have to be against a offensively competitive game, where the star getting the points needs to score to keep them in the game, but against a crappy defense.

Kevin Durant vs the Rockets, Suns or possibly even the Nuggets and Jazz stand out as the most plausible scenarios to me, if everything came together.

[JBoom_LALALAND]

I'd still bet that someone can do that ... maybe in a young upstart team .. and a player tries to put the team in his shoulders ...
just like what Wilt did ... 60 shots

But ... there's always a pie in the sky ..

[benji]

No player since 1985 has taken even 50 shots in a game. Only three times have players taken 35+ FGA and 25+ FTA.

[Martti.]

Durant with Westbrook out, against Houston, 3OT.

[Andrew]

Yeah, the game would probably need to have at least one overtime to account for the necessary amount of field goal and free throw attempts.

[koberulz]

Only twice since 1985 has a player cracked 70. And both of those were with a player and team deliberately stat-padding against ineffective opposition.

How are you defining 'stat-padding' and 'ineffective'? Kobe's 70th point put the Lakers up 15 with five and a half to go after they'd been down 18 earlier in the game. It was still a contest at that point (though it was over well before he hit 80, that is true). The Raptors were dominating until Kobe went off.

I'm not all that familiar with Robinson's 71, but even that was only a 15-point margin. That seems a little closer than is indicated by your initial statement, unless the Clippers cut into it a bit in the final couple of minutes while the Spurs were force-feeding the Admiral.