The Highest Points Scored Against the LA Lakers in NBA History

From their days in Minneapolis to the Showtime era and beyond, the Lakers franchise has been home to some of the most storied team and individual performances in NBA history. Whether in Philadelphia, Cincinnati, Baltimore, Washington, or Los Angeles itself, opponents have taken turns lighting up the Lakers for some of the most impressive individual scoring performances the league has ever seen. 

1. Wilt Chamberlain - 78 Points 

Before Wilt Chamberlain joined the Los Angeles Lakers franchise before the 1968–69 season, he absolutely dominated them. The Big Dipper holds 8 of the top 10 single-game scoring performances against them in NBA history. The man didn't just beat the Lakers; he owned them. Of all his games against the Lakers, nothing topped the night of December 8, 1961.

Playing for the Philadelphia Warriors against the Lakers, Chamberlain dropped 78 points, a then-NBA record, shooting 31-of-62 from the field and 16-of-31 from the free throw line in a staggering 63 minutes. He pulled down 43 rebounds and added a single assist for good measure. Despite Wilt's superhuman effort, the Warriors fell 151–147 in triple overtime, with Lakers forward Elgin Baylor putting up an impressive effort of his own with 63 points and 31 rebounds in one of the most memorable individual matchups in basketball history. 

2. Gilbert Arenas - 60 Points 

Aside from Chamberlain, the only other player to score 60 or more points against the Lakers was when Gilbert "Agent Zero" Arenas and the Washington Wizards visited the Staples Center on December 17, 2006. 

The Wizards guard erupted for 60 points, setting a new franchise record, on 17-of-32 shooting, 5-of-12 from three-point range, and 21-of-27 from the free throw line in 49 minutes. What made the performance truly iconic was the overtime heroics: Arenas set an NBA record with 16 points (of the team’s 21) in the extra period, including a massive three-pointer with 57 seconds remaining that put Washington up five. He added 8 rebounds and 8 assists as the Wizards won 147–141, handing the Lakers an overtime loss in their own building. Arenas was going toe-to-toe with Kobe Bryant (who scored 45 points himself), outplaying the Black Mamba. After the final buzzer, Arenas stopped near midcourt and took a well-earned bow.

3. Jack Twyman - 59 Points

Before Oscar Robertson arrived in Cincinnati, Jack Twyman was the focus of the Royals' offense, and on January 15, 1960, he put on a show against the Minneapolis Lakers that still ranks among the most underrated scoring explosions in NBA history. The Hall of Fame forward poured in 59 points on 21-of-39 shooting from the field, along with 17-of-20 from the free throw line, adding 14 rebounds as the Royals won 122–118.

Twyman was having one of the greatest scoring seasons in early NBA history, averaging 31.2 points per game that year, thanks in large part to his precise shooting, second in the league only to Wilt Chamberlain's ridiculous 37.6 scoring average. The Minneapolis Lakers were a struggling franchise at that point and would relocate to Los Angeles the following season. 

4. Earl Monroe - 56 Points 

Earl "The Pearl" Monroe was a rookie in 1967–68, but he certainly didn’t play like one. On February 13, 1968, at the Baltimore Civic Center, the 23-year-old Baltimore Bullets guard who lit up the NBA with his dazzling, spinning, playground artistry delivered a career-high 56 points against the Los Angeles Lakers. Monroe shot an electrifying 20-of-33 from the field and 16-of-22 from the free throw line in 51 minutes, adding 7 rebounds and 3 assists in a performance that helped to solidify Rookie of the Year honors. 

The Bullets fell 119–116 in overtime thanks to Jerry West and Elgin Baylor dropping 47 and 32 points, respectively. While the Lakers' stars may have come away with the victory, Monroe's 56-point eruption as a rookie remains the third-highest rookie scoring game in NBA history. It was also a franchise record for the Bullets for nearly four decades, until Gilbert Arenas broke it with his 60-point night against the Lakers in 2006. 

4. Oscar Robertson - 56 Points 

Before Russell Westbrook and Nikola Jokic, Oscar Robertson was the poster player for the “triple-double,” becoming the first player in NBA history to average one for an entire season. On December 18, 1964, "The Big O" dismantled the Los Angeles Lakers at the Cincinnati Gardens, shooting 17-of-33 from the field and a breathtaking 22-of-23 from the free throw line to set a career high of 56 points. He also added 9 rebounds and 12 assists in a 111–107 Royals victory, as the Lakers had no answer for his size, strength, and vision. 

Robertson's near-perfect free-throw performance that night was almost as impressive as his scoring total. Twenty-two made free throws on twenty-three attempts, while also setting up his teammates and collecting boards, paints a picture of how special Robertson was. After winning the MVP in 1963–64, Robertson could have justifiably won back-to-back awards during the 1964–65 campaign, posting nearly similar numbers.