DeShawn Mercer Drops 71 Points to Shatter NBA Single-Game Scoring Record
Chicago Bulls guard DeShawn Mercer rewrote the history books Friday night, pouring in 71 points against the Milwaukee Bucks in a jaw-dropping performance that left the entire basketball world speechless. The record-shattering night included 12 three-pointers and a fourth-quarter explosion that will be replayed for generations.
DeShawn Mercer Drops 71 Points to Shatter NBA Single-Game Scoring Record
CHICAGO, IL — April 17, 2026
The United Center fell into a kind of reverent silence Friday night — the kind that only descends when everyone in the building realizes they are watching something that will never be forgotten. DeShawn Mercer, the 24-year-old shooting guard for the Chicago Bulls, scored 71 points against the Milwaukee Bucks, demolishing the previous NBA single-game scoring record and cementing his name alongside the greatest individual performances in the history of professional basketball.
The Bulls won 134–109, but the scoreline was almost irrelevant. This was Mercer’s night.
The Numbers Don’t Lie
Mercer finished the game shooting 26-of-41 from the field, 12-of-19 from three-point range, and a perfect 7-of-7 from the free-throw line. He also contributed 8 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 steals — reminding everyone that this was not merely a volume-shooting outburst, but an elite all-around effort from a player operating at a frequency the game has rarely seen.
His 71 points surpassed the previous record, set decades ago, and analysts were quick to note the efficiency with which he reached the mark. His true shooting percentage on the night was an almost incomprehensible 78.4%.
Quarter by Quarter Destruction
Mercer opened quietly by his standards — 14 points in the first quarter, probing the Bucks’ defense and finding its seams. By halftime he had 31, which alone would have been a good game. But it was the third quarter where the atmosphere inside the United Center shifted from excitement to something closer to awe.
He scored 24 points in the third quarter alone, including five consecutive three-pointers that sent the crowd into an extended, rolling roar. Bucks head coach Terrence Floyd burned three timeouts trying to disrupt Mercer’s rhythm. None of it worked.
Entering the fourth quarter with 55 points, the record was within reach. Mercer — who acknowledged after the game that he became aware of the number midway through the fourth — showed zero signs of nerves.
“I just kept hearing the crowd and I knew something was happening. My teammates were unbelievable — they kept finding me, kept believing. I don’t think I’ve ever been in a zone like that. It felt like the basket was the size of a swimming pool.” — DeShawn Mercer, post-game press conference
Milwaukee’s Perspective
The Bucks tried everything. They switched to a box-and-one. They doubled Mercer off the catch. They switched every screen. Nothing held. Bucks All-Star center Malik Okafor, who finished with 28 points in a losing effort, was generous in his assessment.
“You tip your hat. That man was on another planet tonight. I’ve never seen anything like it live, and I’ve played against some great scorers. He just — he had it all working. There was nothing you could do.” — Malik Okafor
Historical Context
Sports historians were quick to contextualize the achievement. Mercer entered the 2025–26 season averaging 34.2 points per game — already one of the highest averages in modern NBA history — but nothing in his body of work predicted a performance of this magnitude. His previous career-high was 58 points, set earlier this season against the Indiana Pacers.
The Bulls, currently sitting third in the Eastern Conference with a 47-28 record, have found their franchise cornerstone. Mercer, now in his third NBA season, has transformed from a celebrated prospect into an all-time-great conversation participant in the span of one Friday night.
What Comes Next
With three regular-season games remaining before the playoffs, Bulls head coach Raymond Stills was almost laughing in disbelief at his post-game press conference.
“I’ve been coaching for 22 years. I don’t have the words. I’ll have the words in a few days, maybe. Right now I’m just trying to take it in like everyone else.” — Coach Raymond Stills
The basketball world will spend the weekend replaying every shot, every shimmy, every three-point celebration. DeShawn Mercer, meanwhile, said he plans to go home, eat pasta, and get some sleep.
Some people are just built different.