After a marathon 82-game season, the cream of the NBA is asked to pull up their socks, adjust their shooting sleeves, and set off for a sprint known as the playoffs.

But while the game's greats can coast here and there during the regular season, with the lights brighter in the post-season and the competition even hotter, it is kill or be killed; win or go home.

From a handful of Hall of Famers to some greats of the contemporary game, here is the full list of NBA players to have scored 55 points or more in an NBA playoff game.

Points Player Team Opponent Date
63 Michael Jordan Chicago Bulls Boston Celtics April 20, 1986
61 Elgin Baylor Los Angeles Lakers Boston Celtics April 14, 1962
57 Donovan Mitchell Utah Jazz Denver Nuggets August 17, 2020
56 Wilt Chamberlain Philadelphia Warriors Syracuse Nationals March 22, 1962
Michael Jordan Chicago Bulls Miami Heat April 29, 1992
Charles Barkley Phoenix Suns Golden State Warriors May 4, 1994
Jimmy Butler Miami Heat Milwaukee Bucks April 24, 2023
55 Rick Barry San Francisco Warriors Philadelphia 76ers April 18, 1967
Michael Jordan Chicago Bulls Cleveland Cavaliers May 1, 1988
Michael Jordan Chicago Bulls Phoenix Suns August 16, 1993
Michael Jordan Chicago Bulls Washington Bullets April 27, 1997
Allen Iverson Philadelphia 76ers New Orleans Hornets April 20, 2003
Damian Lillard Portland Trailblazers Denver Nuggets June 1, 2021