The 2024 NBA Playoffs have had some truly memorable performances. Although defenses are locked in and scoring is down at the team level, a number of individual players have exploded to set new franchise records or reach personal milestones.
Joel Embiid and Donovan Mitchell dropped 50 points, while Jalen Brunson set a new New York Knicks single-game scoring mark with 47 points against the Philadelphia 76ers.
The Toronto Raptors aren't playing in this year's postseason, but they have certainly had their share of big playoff performances in the past. Who holds the record for most points in a single playoff game?
Let's look at the answer to that question and a few more.
Which Raptors player scored the most points in a playoff game?
There have been a number of star players to suit up for the Toronto Raptors in the playoffs, and the Top 12 single-game performances include all of the names that you would expect: Chris Bosh, DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry all show up. Kawhi Leonard, in just one season for the Raptors, put up six of the top 12 highest-scoring playoff games in franchise history.
The most points in a single game, however, belongs to Vince Carter, the franchise's first playoff star. Vinsanity detonated on the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2001 NBA Playoffs, scoring 50 points in Game 3 in a blowout Toronto victory. He shot 9-for-13 from deep and chipped in six rebounds, seven assists and four blocks.
Who scored the most points against the Raptors in a playoff game?
What about the other side of the ledger? The Raptors have faced a number of elite playoff performers throughout the years, from "LeBronto" to upending Embiid, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Stephen Curry en route to their 2019 championship.
Curry does show up third in opponent scoring, dropping 47 points in the 2019 Finals; LeBron James is fourth on the list. The top two slots, however, belong to Allen Iverson, from that very same series where Vince Carter had his own 50-spot.
In Game 2 of that epic Second Round series in 2001, Allen Iverson scored 54 points on a whopping 39 shots, going 9-for-9 from the stripe and hitting 18 2-point field goals, playing all 48 minutes. He came back and dropped another 52 points in Game 5 for the second-highest scoring opponent game in Raptors playoff history.
Who has scored the most total playoff points for the Raptors?
Perhaps unsurprisingly to most Toronto Raptors fans, Kyle Lowry has scored the most career playoff points for the franchise. His 1,435 points is out in first by a wide margin, well ahead of DeMar DeRozan and Pascal Siakam.
What may be surprising is that Kawhi Leonard ranks fourth on the list despite playing just a single season with the Raptors. His 732 career playoff points for Toronto beats out Serge Ibaka, Jonas Valanciunas and Fred VanVleet. Vince Carter made it to 385 points in 15 games, good for just ninth on the list.
Who has scored the most points in any game in Raptors history?
What about if the regular season is included? Which player in Toronto Raptors history has scored the most points in a single game no matter the timing?
That honor goes to Fred VanVleet, who erupted for 54 points in February of 2021 against the Orlando Magic, remarkably needing just 23 field goal attempts to do it. He hit 11 3-pointers (second-most in franchise history) and was a perfect 9-for-9 from the free-throw line.
DeMar DeRozan, Pascal Siakam and Terrence Ross also reached the 50-point mark, and Vince Carter did it once in the regular season and once in the playoffs as previously mentioned.