Most Outlying Scoring Performances in NBA History
Shake Milton scoring 39 points yesterday was quite an outlier from his career average of 6.2. In fact, it was such an outlier, it made me wonder if it’s the biggest outlier ever.
Spoiler: it wasn’t.
The biggest outlier ever measured in standard deviations from the players' career average was, in fact, Mario West scoring 13 while averaging 0.9 points per game.
Here’s the all-time top 50:
| player_name | matchup | game_date | career_ppg | sd | pts | deviations |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mario West | NJN @ PHI | 2011-04-01 | 0.90 | 1.78 | 13 | 6.82 |
| Anthony Johnson | IND vs. NJN | 2006-05-04 | 5.51 | 5.07 | 40 | 6.81 |
| Brian Scalabrine | NJN @ GSW | 2005-01-26 | 3.04 | 3.83 | 29 | 6.78 |
| Rick Carlisle | NYK vs. SEA | 1987-12-01 | 2.23 | 2.77 | 21 | 6.77 |
| Corey Brewer | MIN vs. HOU | 2014-04-11 | 8.68 | 6.30 | 51 | 6.72 |
| Bob Brannum | SHE vs. DN | 1950-03-10 | 7.25 | 5.06 | 41 | 6.67 |
| Mike Dunleavy | HOU vs. DEN | 1980-12-06 | 7.85 | 6.08 | 48 | 6.60 |
| Reggie Jordan | LAL vs. UTH | 1994-02-06 | 2.67 | 3.88 | 28 | 6.52 |
| Bruno Sundov | IND @ ORL | 2001-01-30 | 1.70 | 2.35 | 17 | 6.51 |
| Tony Delk | PHX @ SAC | 2001-01-02 | 8.97 | 6.77 | 53 | 6.51 |
| Sidney Lowe | MIN vs. HOU | 1989-12-27 | 2.89 | 2.98 | 22 | 6.42 |
| Perry Jones III | OKC @ LAC | 2014-10-30 | 3.26 | 4.51 | 32 | 6.37 |
| Ed Nealy | SAN @ UTH | 1987-03-27 | 2.68 | 3.21 | 23 | 6.33 |
| Hank Finkel | SDR vs. LAL | 1968-03-07 | 4.89 | 5.92 | 42 | 6.27 |
| Acie Earl | TOR @ BOS | 1996-04-12 | 5.06 | 5.59 | 40 | 6.25 |
| Damien Wilkins | SEA @ ATL | 2007-11-16 | 6.13 | 5.69 | 41 | 6.13 |
| Peter Verhoeven | POR vs. SEA | 1981-12-25 | 3.58 | 4.07 | 28 | 6.00 |
| Robert Horry | HOU @ MIL | 1995-11-16 | 7.15 | 5.50 | 40 | 5.98 |
| Pace Mannion | NJN @ HOU | 1986-11-29 | 3.09 | 3.67 | 25 | 5.98 |
| Darius Miles | POR @ DEN | 2005-04-19 | 10.11 | 6.18 | 47 | 5.97 |
| Jeryl Sasser | ORL @ BOS | 2003-01-26 | 2.38 | 3.95 | 26 | 5.97 |
| Randy Breuer | MIN vs. GOS | 1990-02-04 | 6.60 | 5.62 | 40 | 5.95 |
| Bart Kofoed | SEA vs. CHH | 1992-01-14 | 1.51 | 2.27 | 15 | 5.94 |
| Jeff Ayres | POR vs. GSW | 2010-04-14 | 2.67 | 3.43 | 23 | 5.93 |
| Ervin Johnson | SEA vs. MIN | 1996-02-14 | 4.06 | 4.04 | 28 | 5.93 |
| Calvin Booth | SEA @ DAL | 2001-11-20 | 3.27 | 3.52 | 24 | 5.88 |
| Don Reid | DET vs. CHH | 1999-04-12 | 3.56 | 3.66 | 25 | 5.86 |
| Emmette Bryant | BOS @ ATL | 1969-11-05 | 6.68 | 5.55 | 39 | 5.82 |
| Quincy Douby | SAC @ LAL | 2008-04-15 | 4.11 | 4.80 | 32 | 5.81 |
| Trevor Booker | UTA @ POR | 2015-04-11 | 6.80 | 5.03 | 36 | 5.81 |
| Terrence Ross | TOR vs. LAC | 2014-01-25 | 10.64 | 6.96 | 51 | 5.80 |
| Tom Kozelko | CAP @ NYK | 1974-04-12 | 2.08 | 2.94 | 19 | 5.75 |
| Bob Nash | KCK vs. DEN | 1978-03-10 | 4.73 | 4.94 | 33 | 5.72 |
| Willie Burton | PHL vs. MIA | 1994-12-13 | 10.20 | 7.50 | 53 | 5.71 |
| Adam Keefe | ATL vs. MIL | 1993-04-23 | 4.83 | 4.42 | 30 | 5.70 |
| CJ Watson | GSW vs. SAC | 2010-02-17 | 7.11 | 5.80 | 40 | 5.67 |
| David Wood | HOU vs. ORL | 1990-12-20 | 3.84 | 4.09 | 27 | 5.66 |
| Randy Woods | LAC @ DEN | 1994-04-05 | 2.36 | 3.13 | 20 | 5.64 |
| TJ Leaf | IND @ ATL | 2019-04-10 | 3.32 | 4.42 | 28 | 5.58 |
| Andre Miller | POR @ DAL | 2010-01-30 | 12.49 | 7.11 | 52 | 5.56 |
| Anderson Varejao | CLE @ BKN | 2012-11-13 | 6.99 | 5.05 | 35 | 5.55 |
| Tracy Murray | WAS @ GSW | 1998-02-10 | 9.00 | 7.39 | 50 | 5.54 |
| Jevon Carter | MEM vs. GSW | 2019-04-10 | 4.29 | 5.01 | 32 | 5.53 |
| Dana Barros | PHL vs. HOU | 1995-03-14 | 10.25 | 7.20 | 50 | 5.52 |
| Paul Ruffner | CHI vs. ATL | 1971-03-20 | 2.02 | 3.08 | 19 | 5.51 |
| George Wilson | PHX vs. DET | 1968-11-10 | 5.33 | 5.02 | 33 | 5.51 |
| Manute Bol | WAS vs. MIL | 1985-12-12 | 2.57 | 2.80 | 18 | 5.51 |
| Manute Bol | PHL @ PHX | 1993-03-03 | 2.57 | 2.80 | 18 | 5.51 |
| Mike Wilks | SEA @ LAL | 2007-04-15 | 2.49 | 3.55 | 22 | 5.50 |
| CJ Wilcox | LAC @ PHX | 2016-04-13 | 1.94 | 3.10 | 19 | 5.50 |
Shake Milton’s recent game only comes in at the 706th position.
The reverse of this - the lowest scoring game compared to career average - is Kevin Durant scoring 0 points after getting injured in the first minute of a game.
| player_name | matchup | game_date | career_ppg | sd | pts | deviations |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kevin Durant | GSW @ WAS | 2017-02-28 | 27.31 | 7.70 | 0 | -3.55 |
| Paul Arizin | PHW @ DET | 1960-01-23 | 22.90 | 7.13 | 0 | -3.21 |
| Paul Arizin | PHW @ SYR | 1957-03-18 | 22.90 | 7.13 | 0 | -3.21 |
| Karl Malone | UTA @ SEA | 2002-11-03 | 24.98 | 7.95 | 0 | -3.14 |
| LeBron James | CLE vs. HOU | 2004-12-29 | 27.38 | 7.91 | 3 | -3.08 |
| Jerry West | LAL @ SFW | 1967-03-26 | 27.33 | 8.98 | 0 | -3.04 |
| Kevin Durant | SEA vs. HOU | 2008-04-04 | 27.31 | 7.70 | 4 | -3.03 |
| Bob Pettit | STL vs. NYK | 1957-03-02 | 26.24 | 8.74 | 0 | -3.00 |
| Bob Pettit | STL @ ROC | 1957-02-23 | 26.24 | 8.74 | 0 | -3.00 |
| Bob Pettit | STL @ MNL | 1957-02-17 | 26.24 | 8.74 | 0 | -3.00 |
| LeBron James | CLE @ LAC | 2003-12-03 | 27.38 | 7.91 | 4 | -2.96 |
| Joel Embiid | PHI @ TOR | 2019-11-25 | 23.76 | 8.04 | 0 | -2.96 |
| Michael Jordan | WAS vs. LAL | 2002-04-02 | 30.60 | 9.69 | 2 | -2.95 |
| Michael Jordan | WAS @ TOR | 2002-12-15 | 30.60 | 9.69 | 2 | -2.95 |
| Jerry West | LAL @ BLT | 1967-03-17 | 27.33 | 8.98 | 1 | -2.93 |
| Jerry West | LAL @ SDR | 1970-02-21 | 27.33 | 8.98 | 1 | -2.93 |