173 Points Without Overtime
On November 10, 1990, the Phoenix Suns produced one of the
most explosive offensive games in NBA history, defeating the
Denver Nuggets 173-143 at Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum
in Phoenix.
Phoenix scored all 173 points during regulation. The Suns
opened with 50 points in the first quarter and somehow
increased the pace in the second, scoring another 57 points.
By halftime, Phoenix had already accumulated an astonishing
107 points.
The Suns finished the game shooting 67-of-104 from the field,
a remarkable 64.4 percent. They added 39 free throws and
recorded 50 assists on their 67 made field goals.
Perhaps the strangest part of the performance was that
Phoenix did not make a single three-pointer. The Suns
attempted only two shots from beyond the arc and missed both,
meaning all 173 points came from two-point field goals and
free throws.
Game Information
| Date |
Matchup |
Location |
Final Score |
Total Points |
| November 10, 1990 |
Denver Nuggets at Phoenix Suns |
Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Phoenix, Arizona |
Phoenix 173, Denver 143 |
316 |
Scoring by Quarter
| Team |
1st |
2nd |
3rd |
4th |
Final |
| Denver Nuggets |
37 |
30 |
43 |
33 |
143 |
| Phoenix Suns |
50 |
57 |
30 |
36 |
173 |
Halftime: Phoenix 107, Denver 67
Phoenix first half: 107 points
Phoenix second half: 66 points
Combined points: 316
Final margin: Phoenix by 30
Denver Nuggets Box Score
| Player |
MIN |
FG |
FGA |
FG% |
3P |
3PA |
FT |
FTA |
ORB |
DRB |
REB |
AST |
STL |
BLK |
TO |
PF |
PTS |
| Orlando Woolridge |
39 |
14 |
24 |
.583 |
0 |
0 |
12 |
13 |
3 |
5 |
8 |
6 |
1 |
0 |
2 |
2 |
40 |
| Todd Lichti |
39 |
3 |
15 |
.200 |
0 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
1 |
2 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
8 |
| Walter Davis |
34 |
9 |
15 |
.600 |
0 |
0 |
4 |
4 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
4 |
4 |
0 |
3 |
2 |
22 |
| Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf |
25 |
12 |
19 |
.632 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
6 |
1 |
0 |
7 |
4 |
26 |
| Blair Rasmussen |
22 |
4 |
7 |
.571 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
6 |
9 |
2 |
0 |
1 |
3 |
6 |
8 |
| Joe Wolf |
20 |
3 |
6 |
.500 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
4 |
6 |
4 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
5 |
7 |
| Corey Gaines |
18 |
1 |
1 |
1.000 |
1 |
1 |
5 |
6 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
4 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
3 |
8 |
| Marcus Liberty |
14 |
2 |
14 |
.143 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
0 |
3 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
5 |
5 |
| Avery Johnson |
11 |
0 |
2 |
.000 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
4 |
0 |
0 |
4 |
3 |
0 |
| Anthony Cook |
9 |
3 |
9 |
.333 |
0 |
1 |
7 |
10 |
3 |
6 |
9 |
1 |
0 |
4 |
1 |
2 |
13 |
| T.R. Dunn |
9 |
3 |
5 |
.600 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
2 |
4 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
2 |
1 |
6 |
| Team Totals |
240 |
54 |
117 |
.462 |
2 |
7 |
33 |
41 |
19 |
28 |
47 |
33 |
12 |
6 |
25 |
33 |
143 |
Phoenix Suns Box Score
| Player |
MIN |
FG |
FGA |
FG% |
3P |
3PA |
FT |
FTA |
ORB |
DRB |
REB |
AST |
STL |
BLK |
TO |
PF |
PTS |
| Dan Majerle |
36 |
9 |
18 |
.500 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
4 |
2 |
5 |
7 |
13 |
2 |
1 |
5 |
2 |
21 |
| Kevin Johnson |
34 |
8 |
11 |
.727 |
0 |
0 |
7 |
8 |
1 |
4 |
5 |
17 |
5 |
0 |
4 |
3 |
23 |
| Tom Chambers |
29 |
7 |
15 |
.467 |
0 |
1 |
6 |
6 |
0 |
6 |
6 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
4 |
20 |
| Mark West |
16 |
8 |
8 |
1.000 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
4 |
5 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
4 |
16 |
| Kurt Rambis |
10 |
1 |
2 |
.500 |
0 |
0 |
4 |
4 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
1 |
6 |
| Jeff Hornacek |
27 |
5 |
8 |
.625 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
3 |
4 |
7 |
1 |
0 |
2 |
1 |
12 |
| Kenny Battle |
26 |
8 |
14 |
.571 |
0 |
1 |
7 |
8 |
2 |
8 |
10 |
5 |
5 |
0 |
2 |
5 |
23 |
| Cedric Ceballos |
23 |
12 |
15 |
.800 |
0 |
0 |
8 |
12 |
2 |
2 |
4 |
2 |
0 |
1 |
3 |
2 |
32 |
| Tim Perry |
22 |
3 |
4 |
.750 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
4 |
3 |
7 |
10 |
3 |
4 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
8 |
| Eddie Johnson |
17 |
6 |
9 |
.667 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
3 |
12 |
| Team Totals |
240 |
67 |
104 |
.644 |
0 |
2 |
39 |
48 |
12 |
41 |
53 |
50 |
19 |
7 |
27 |
28 |
173 |
The Numbers Behind 173
| Category |
Phoenix |
| Points |
173 |
| First-Half Points |
107 |
| Field Goals |
67-104 |
| Field-Goal Percentage |
64.4% |
| Three-Pointers |
0-2 |
| Free Throws |
39-48 |
| Assists |
50 |
| Rebounds |
53 |
| Steals |
19 |
| Blocks |
7 |
| Players in Double Figures |
8 |
107 Points Before Halftime
Phoenix did most of the historic damage before halftime.
The Suns scored 50 points in the opening quarter and then
added an extraordinary 57 during the second.
That gave Phoenix 107 points through only 24 minutes. The
Suns led 107-67 at halftime, meaning they had already built
a 40-point advantage despite Denver scoring 67 points of
its own.
To put the pace into perspective, Phoenix averaged nearly
4.5 points per minute during the first half. The Suns made
basket after basket without relying on three-point shooting,
instead overwhelming Denver with transition opportunities,
interior scoring, passing and free throws.
Denver actually won the third quarter 43-30 and outscored
Phoenix 76-66 after halftime. It made little difference
because the Suns had already scored enough points in the
first half to create an enormous cushion.
173 Points — Zero Three-Pointers
The most striking statistic from the game may be Phoenix's
three-point total: zero.
The Suns attempted only two three-pointers all night. Tom
Chambers and Kenny Battle each attempted one and both missed.
Despite receiving no scoring at all from behind the arc,
Phoenix still reached 173 points.
Phoenix made 67 field goals, all of them two-pointers,
producing 134 points from made field goals. The Suns added
39 points at the free-throw line to reach their final total
of 173.
The box score provides a remarkable snapshot of NBA offense
before the three-point shot became a central part of modern
basketball strategy. Phoenix generated one of the highest
scoring totals in league history almost entirely through
two-point baskets.
50 Assists on 67 Baskets
Phoenix's scoring was driven by extraordinary ball movement.
The Suns recorded 50 assists on 67 made field goals, meaning
nearly three-quarters of their baskets were assisted.
Kevin Johnson led the passing display with 17 assists while
also scoring 23 points on 8-of-11 shooting. Dan Majerle
added 13 assists to go with his 21 points and 7 rebounds.
Jeff Hornacek contributed 7 assists, Kenny Battle had 5,
and Tom Chambers and Tim Perry each added 3. Eight different
Phoenix players recorded at least two assists.
Johnson and Majerle alone combined for 30 assists, only
three fewer than Denver's entire team.
Cedric Ceballos Scores 32 in 23 Minutes
Cedric Ceballos led Phoenix in scoring despite playing only
23 minutes. The young forward scored 32 points on 12-of-15
shooting and made 8 of 12 free throws.
Ceballos' 80 percent field-goal shooting was part of an
exceptionally efficient night throughout the Phoenix lineup.
Mark West was perfect from the field, making all eight of
his attempts for 16 points.
Kevin Johnson shot 8-of-11, Tim Perry went 3-of-4, Eddie
Johnson made 6-of-9 and Jeff Hornacek converted 5-of-8.
Phoenix had six players shoot at least 60 percent from the
field.
Eight Suns Score in Double Figures
Phoenix did not need one player to dominate the scoring.
Eight Suns finished in double figures.
Cedric Ceballos led the team with 32 points. Kevin Johnson
and Kenny Battle each scored 23, Dan Majerle added 21 and
Tom Chambers scored 20.
Mark West finished with 16, while Jeff Hornacek and Eddie
Johnson each scored 12. Tim Perry narrowly missed joining
them with 8 points.
The balance made Phoenix extraordinarily difficult to stop.
Seven different Suns made at least five field goals, while
five players scored at least 20 points.
Denver Scores 143 — And Loses by 30
Denver's side of the box score makes the game even stranger.
The Nuggets scored 143 points in regulation, a total that
would ordinarily be enough to win comfortably, yet lost by
30.
Orlando Woolridge scored a game-high 40 points on 14-of-24
shooting and made 12 of 13 free throws. Rookie Mahmoud
Abdul-Rauf added 26 points and 6 assists, while former Suns
star Walter Davis scored 22 points.
Denver shot a respectable 46.2 percent from the field and
made 33 free throws. The Nuggets scored 37 points in the
first quarter, 43 in the third and at least 30 in every
period.
The problem was simply that Phoenix operated at an almost
unreachable offensive level. The Suns made 13 more field
goals while shooting more than 18 percentage points better
from the floor.
The 1990-91 Nuggets and Extreme Pace
The game also came during one of the most unusual experiments
in NBA history. Denver began the 1990-91 season under head
coach Paul Westhead with an extremely fast offensive system
designed to push the ball and shoot as quickly as possible.
The approach created enormous scoring totals at both ends of
the floor. Denver entered this game still searching for its
first victory, and the loss in Phoenix dropped the Nuggets
to 0-6.
The pace helped Denver score 143 points, but it also gave
Phoenix a huge number of possessions and opportunities.
The Suns took full advantage, particularly during their
107-point first half.
Denver would finish the 1990-91 season allowing 130.8 points
per game, one of the most extreme defensive figures in NBA
history.
A Historic Regulation Total
Phoenix's 173 points remain one of the highest totals ever
recorded by an NBA team in a game completed without overtime.
The performance also stands as one of the defining offensive
box scores in Suns franchise history.
The combination of 173 points, 67 field goals, 50 assists,
64.4 percent shooting and zero made three-pointers makes the
game particularly unusual even among the highest-scoring
games in league history.
The two teams combined for 316 points in only 48 minutes.
Phoenix averaged 43.25 points per quarter, while Denver
averaged 35.75.
Game Details
Date: November 10, 1990
Final Score: Phoenix Suns 173, Denver Nuggets 143
Arena: Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum,
Phoenix, Arizona
Attendance: 14,487
Officials: Jim Clark, Nolan Fine and Hugh Evans
Phoenix: 67-of-104 FG (.644), 0-of-2 3PT,
39-of-48 FT (.813), 53 rebounds, 50 assists, 19 steals,
7 blocks and 27 turnovers.
Denver: 54-of-117 FG (.462), 2-of-7 3PT,
33-of-41 FT, 47 rebounds, 33 assists, 12 steals, 6 blocks
and 25 turnovers.
Phoenix leading scorer: Cedric Ceballos —
32 points in 23 minutes
Kevin Johnson: 23 points, 17 assists and
5 steals
Dan Majerle: 21 points, 13 assists and
7 rebounds
Denver leading scorer: Orlando Woolridge —
40 points
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