5 Active players with most 40-point games in the NBA Playoffs

#3 James Harden, 9

James Harden #13 of the Brooklyn Nets

James Harden has been on the receiving end of criticism regarding his overall NBA playoffs performance. The superstar has had subpar runs in the playoffs and has not successfully led his team to a deep run in the postseason. However, he has registered 40+ points nine times in the NBA playoffs.

Harden, who is part of a super team, failed again to register success in the playoffs after the Brooklyn Nets were sent home in Game 7 of the 2021 NBA Playoffs Eastern Conference Semi-finals. Although injuries played a huge factor in the outcome of that series, he struggled once again to find his shooting range from the field.

Out of the nine 40+ games, his highest tally came in the Game 4 win against the Warriors in the 2015 NBA Playoffs Western Conference Finals. He recorded 45 points on what was one of his best shooting nights in the postseason to rally his team to their first win in the series. However, they lost the series in Game 5 after Harden shot only 18.2% from the field.

#2 Kevin Durant, 14

Kevin Durant #7 of the Brooklyn Nets

Kevin Durant is one of the most effective scorers in the NBA and has proved it time and time again. He was part of the Golden State Warriors dynasty that won two consecutive championships in 2017 and 2018. On both occasions, he was the Finals MVP.

Kevin Durant gave it everything he had in the postseason.⚫️ Most Pts ever in Game 7⚫️ Was on the bench eight total minutes in the last three games⚫️ Averaged 34 PPG and shot 51%What a run 👏 pic.twitter.com/XDHvm3uEdI

— ESPN (@espn) June 20, 2021

Durant is fresh off an iconic NBA playoffs performance in Game 5 against the Milwaukee Bucks in the second round. He registered 49 points, 17 rebounds, and 10 assists after playing every second of the game. While he was able to keep his team in the contest with that performance, the Brooklyn Nets lost the series after a riveting Game 7.

Meanwhile, Durant's highest scoring in the postseason came in the 2019 NBA Playoffs Western Conference first round against the LA Clippers. That came off the back of 45 points scoring in the previous game.

#1 LeBron James, 28

LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers

LeBron James is one of the greatest players in NBA history, and some will argue that he is the greatest. Although Michael Jordan still holds the record for the most 40-point games in the NBA playoffs, James is ten games behind.

The 2021 NBA playoffs was the worst of LeBron's illustrious career as it marked the first time he was eliminated in the first round. Injuries to him and Anthony Davis put the Lakers in a tough spot against a hungry Phoenix Suns team led by Chris Paul.

"LeBron James tied Allen Iverson for the most 40-point games in a postseason since 2001. LeBron is No. 1 in playoff scoring, No. 3 in playoff assists, No. 7 in playoff rebounds, No. 1 in field goals ... but he still doesn't shoot the ball as much as MJ." — @ShannonSharpe pic.twitter.com/Ns4cfeBnJd

— FOX Sports (@FOXSports) May 22, 2018

LeBron has crossed the 40-point mark 28 times in his 266 NBA playoffs games. His highest tally came in the 2018 NBA Finals Game 1 against the Warriors. He added 51 points but lost the game after overtime. The Golden State Warriors went on to sweep the Cleveland Cavaliers in that series, which also served as the last game LeBron played for the Cavs.