What is the NBA record of points by a single player in the first half? Who has it?

There was a single game left in the 197-78 season before the playoffs. It would be the last time the Detroit Pistons played at Cobo Arena because, starting the following season, they would be using the new and spacious Pontiac Silverdome. However, the Detroit fans were not sentimental and were not planning to give the fourth-place Pistons a warm farewell in the arena that had been their home since 1961. That same night, two players, one in Detroit and another almost across the United States, made history in the NBA, scoring the most points in the first half, with a few hours of difference between the games.

David Thompson

On April 9, 1978, 3,482 fans enjoyed a thrilling game between the Detroit Pistons and the Denver Nuggets on a relaxed Sunday afternoon. David Thompson and George Gervin were engaged in a scoring duel for most of the year, and only 14 points separated them at the top of the league scoring chart heading into their last games that Sunday.

Although the Pistons vs Nuggets game was insignificant for both teams, Thompson’s performance was remarkable. He hit the first eight shots he took, mainly medium-range jumpers from 15 to 18 feet, and also got a few dunks on alley-oops. As the quarter progressed, he broke the NBA record for most points in a quarter with 32, surpassing Wilt Chamberlain’s 1962 mark by one point. He also set another record for 13 field goals in a quarter, which still stands today.

Thompson continued his outstanding performance in the second quarter, scoring 21 points, giving him 53 points in the first half. However, the Pistons scored 10 straight points in the fourth quarter to take a commanding 121-112 lead, and then they held off a late Nuggets surge to win the game 139-137. Thompson finished with an incredible 73 points, the third-highest total at that time, with the first two spots held by the great Wilt Chamberlain. Although there were no camera crews at Cobo that afternoon, the fans who witnessed Thompson’s historic feat certainly got their money’s worth.

George “Iceman” Gervin

George was an extremely competitive player who knew what Thompson had achieved earlier. He needed to score 58 points to win the scoring title, and from the first whistle, he started giving his best. By halftime, Gervin had already scored an impressive 53 points.

The “Iceman” continued to dominate the game and finally scored 63 points on 23 of 49 shots from the floor. This performance made him the winner of the closest race in NBA history, scoring 27.22 to Thompson’s 27.15.

Gervin’s 63 points that night in New Orleans meant that Thompson had only held the scoring lead for about seven hours. To add a humorous twist to the story, Gervin’s Spurs ended up losing the game 152-132.