Most Points Scored by One Team
The Indiana Pacers hold the ABA record for the most
points scored by one team in a game. Indiana scored
177 points in a 177-135 victory over the
Pittsburgh Pipers on April 12, 1970.
Five years later, the San Diego Conquistadors came within one point
of the record when they defeated the New York Nets 176-166 in four
overtimes.
| Points |
Team |
Opponent |
Opponent Points |
Date |
OT |
Notes |
| 177 |
Indiana Pacers |
Pittsburgh Pipers |
135 |
04/12/1970 |
0 |
ABA record for most points by one team |
| 176 |
San Diego Conquistadors |
New York Nets |
166 |
02/14/1975 |
4 |
Highest-scoring game in ABA history |
| 166 |
New York Nets |
San Diego Conquistadors |
176 |
02/14/1975 |
4 |
Most points by the losing team in an ABA game |
| 162 |
Washington Capitols |
Dallas Chaparrals |
158 |
03/13/1970 |
2 |
320 combined points |
| 158 |
Dallas Chaparrals |
Washington Capitols |
162 |
03/13/1970 |
2 |
Double-overtime loss |
| 157 |
Washington Capitols |
Dallas Chaparrals |
155 |
03/20/1970 |
0 |
312 combined points |
| 155 |
Dallas Chaparrals |
Washington Capitols |
157 |
03/20/1970 |
0 |
312 combined points |
Highest-Scoring ABA Games — Combined Points
Unlike a list of individual team totals, this table counts the points
scored by both teams. Overtime played a major role in the two highest
combined scores listed below.
| Total Points |
Date |
Winner |
Loser |
Score |
OT |
| 342 |
02/14/1975 |
San Diego Conquistadors |
New York Nets |
176-166 |
4 |
| 320 |
03/13/1970 |
Washington Capitols |
Dallas Chaparrals |
162-158 |
2 |
| 312 |
04/12/1970 |
Indiana Pacers |
Pittsburgh Pipers |
177-135 |
0 |
| 312 |
03/20/1970 |
Washington Capitols |
Dallas Chaparrals |
157-155 |
0 |
ABA High-Scoring Game Records
Most points by one team:
177 — Indiana Pacers vs. Pittsburgh Pipers, April 12, 1970.
Most combined points:
342 — San Diego Conquistadors 176, New York Nets 166,
February 14, 1975.
Most points by a losing team:
166 — New York Nets in their 176-166 loss to San Diego on
February 14, 1975.
Most points without overtime:
177 — Indiana Pacers in their 177-135 victory over Pittsburgh.
Most overtimes in a highest-scoring ABA game:
4 — San Diego vs. New York on February 14, 1975.
The 176-166 San Diego-New York Classic
On February 14, 1975, the San Diego Conquistadors and New York Nets
played one of the wildest games in professional basketball history.
After four overtime periods, San Diego finally defeated New York
176-166 at the San Diego Sports Arena.
The teams combined for 342 points, establishing the
ABA record for combined scoring. The game lasted 68 minutes of
playing time.
Julius Erving scored a career-high 63 points for
New York despite the loss. The Nets scored 166 points, which remains
one of the highest losing totals in major professional basketball
history.
The 342-point combined total stood as the highest-scoring game in
major professional basketball until December 13, 1983, when the
Detroit Pistons defeated the Denver Nuggets 186-184 in triple
overtime for 370 combined points.
Indiana's 177-Point Record
The Indiana Pacers established the ABA's single-team scoring record
on April 12, 1970, defeating the Pittsburgh Pipers 177-135 at the
Indiana State Fair Coliseum.
The game came late in a season that ended with Indiana winning its
first ABA championship. The Pacers' 177 points remain the highest
single-game total recorded by an ABA team.
The original version of this page listed Pittsburgh as the
Condors. That name did not take effect until the
following season; the club was still known as the
Pittsburgh Pipers when the record game was played.
ABA vs. NBA Scoring Records
The ABA's 177-point single-team record stood above every NBA
single-game total until December 1983. In that game, Detroit scored
186 points and Denver scored 184, surpassing both Indiana's
single-team ABA mark and the San Diego-New York combined scoring
record.
ABA statistics are maintained separately from official NBA
statistics, even for franchises such as Indiana, Denver, San Antonio
and the Nets that later joined the NBA.
Historical ABA game records can be incomplete in surviving sources.
This page lists verified high-scoring performances and can be expanded
as additional documented games are located.
