The Highest Points Scored Against the Portland Trail Blazers in NBA History

After entering the NBA as an expansion team in 1970, the Portland Trail Blazers quickly became a respected franchise, winning a championship in 1977 and developing some of the game's greatest talents. Over more than five decades, however, they've also witnessed some of the most spectacular offensive performances in basketball history

1. Kobe Bryant - 65 Points 

Kobe Bryant's 65-point outburst on March 16, 2007, remains the greatest individual offensive performance against the Portland Trail Blazers. The Lakers star’s game high came on 23-of-39 shooting, 8-of-12 from three, and 11-of-12 from the line in the Lakers' 116-111 overtime victory. On the court for 50 minutes, Bryant dominated when it mattered most as 33 of his 65 points came in the final 14 minutes of regulation and overtime, going 11-of-13 from the field, including 5-of-5 from three during that stretch. The performance was the second-highest scoring game of Bryant's career, behind his 81-point game from the previous season, and was the first of what would be a four-game streak of 50-point games.

2. Rick Barry - 64 Points

Rick Barry's career-high 64 points on March 26, 1974, came in what would be a disappointing season for the Golden State Warriors, as they would miss the playoffs by 3 games. In 43 minutes, Barry shot a stunning 30-of-45 from the field and 4-of-5 from the line, adding 10 rebounds, nine assists, and five steals in the Warriors' 143-120 rout of Portland. Barry scored 45 of his 64 points in the second half, dominating several Trail Blazers defenders. At the time, only Wilt Chamberlain and Elgin Baylor had ever scored more points in an NBA game. Despite the impressive stat line, Barry acknowledged that it meant nothing, as the Warriors would fail to advance to the postseason.  

3. Stephen Curry - 62 Points

After sitting out all but five games the season before with a broken hand, Stephen Curry reminded the basketball world of his greatness with a career-high 62 points on January 3, 2021, leading the Golden State Warriors to a 137-122 victory over the Trail Blazers. Six games into the shortened 2020-21 season, Curry caught fire in the second of two straight games against Portland, shooting 18-of-31 from the field, 8-of-16 from three-point range, and a near-perfect 18-of-19 from the free-throw line in just 36 minutes. Starting the game with a 21-point first quarter, Curry hit the 30-point mark in both halves of the game. Playing in front of a sparse crowd at the Chase Center due to COVID-19 rulings, Curry completed the night with a deep 27-foot three-pointer with 42 seconds remaining. At 32 years and 295 days old, Curry became the second-oldest player in league history to score 60 points in a game, behind 37-year-old Bryant in his final performance. 

4. Russell Westbrook - 58 Points 

Russell Westbrook's career-high 58 points on March 7, 2017, came during his historic MVP season. Westbrook shot 21-of-39 from the field, added three three-pointers, hit 13-of-16 free throws, and dished out nine assists in 36 minutes. Still, it wasn't enough as the Portland Trail Blazers, with seven players hitting double digits, three of which scored more than 20 points, defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder 126-121. Westbrook scored 28 points in the first half and was near unstoppable for most of the night, but went just 6-of-15 in the fourth quarter as the Thunder trailed by seven points. With less than two minutes remaining and the score tied at 116, Westbrook missed three consecutive shots, including back-to-back mid-range jumpers and a wide-open three-pointer, that would have given Oklahoma City the lead, sending the Thunder crowd home happy. 

5. Trae Young - 56 Points 

Trae Young put together one of the most impressive individual performances of the 2021-22 season on January 3, 2022, scoring 56 points and dishing out 14 assists, but it wasn’t enough to stop the Atlanta Hawks from falling 136-131 to the Portland Trail Blazers. Young shot 17-of-26 from the field, hit 7-of-12 from three-point range, and went a perfect 15-of-15 from the free-throw line in 37 minutes, becoming the first player in NBA history to record 56 points and 14 assists in a single game. The final three of Young’s 29 first-half points came from just shy of the half-court logo as the clock wound down. Anfernee Simons spearheaded Portland’s offense with a career-high 43 points, hitting 9-of-16 from three-point range. Young's 56 points were the most scored by any player that season and made him just the sixth player in league history with at least 55 points and 10 assists, joining Oscar Robertson, Michael Jordan, Tony Parker, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden.