On This Date in Sports December 13, 1983: Mile High Score
In collaboration with the Sportsecyclopedia.com
History is made at McNichols Arena as the Detroit Pistons, and Denver Nuggets combine for 370 points in the highest-scoring game in the history of the NBA. The Pistons would win the game in triple overtime 186-184, breaking the old record by more than 30 points. The 186 points by Detroit also set a record for most points by one team in a single game.
On a Thursday night in Denver, 9,655 fans were on hand as the Nuggets and Pistons entered play, each seeking to end a three-game losing streak. The Pistons under first-year coach Chuck Daly sat at 10-12, while the Nuggets led by Doug More were 11-11. Both teams were able to light up the scoreboard right from the start, as the Pistons held a 38-34 lead at the end of the first quarter. The hot shooting continued in the second quarter, as Denver scored 40 points led by the red-hot shooting of Kiki Vandeweghe as the game was tied at 74-74 at the half.
The Nuggets' momentum continued in the third quarter as they outscored the Pistons 39-34 to take the lead into the fourth quarter, with both teams soaring past the century mark. The ball continued to go through the hoop on both sides, with Denver leading 145-142 in the final four seconds with Bill Laimbeer at the free-throw line. Laimbeer hit the first but missed the second free throw intentionally, allowing Isiah Thomas to grab the rebound and score the tying basket to force overtime.
The Nuggets had the lead in the final seconds of the first overtime when Isiah Thomas again tied the game, this time hitting the Pistons only three-pointer of the game to even the score 159-159 as Dan Issel missed a potential game-winning shot at the buzzer. Thomas again had the ball in his hand in the final seconds and made the shot, but it was too late, and the game remained tied 171-171, sending the game to a third overtime. In the second overtime, the game surpassed the record for the highest-scoring game in NBA history. A combined 337 points were scored on March 6, 1982, in a game at HemisFair Arena won by the San Antonio Spurs 171-166. The previous record for most points scored by a team had been the Boston Celtics, who scored 173 in a game against the Minneapolis Lakers in 1959. Both teams would surpass the record as the points continued to compile. With 1:11 left, John Long gave the Pistons a 181-179 lead they would not relinquish, winning 186-184.
Despite the loss, Kiki Vandeweghe of the Nuggets was the game’s leading scorer with 51 points, with nine rebounds and eight assists. Alex English also had a big night, with 47 points, 12 rebounds, and seven assists, while Dan Issel had 28 points. Isiah Thomas was the high man for Detroit, with 47 points, five rebounds, and 17 assists, while John Long, who had the game-winner, had 41 points, six rebounds, and eight assists, as Kelly Tripucka, the son of Denver Broncos legend Frank Tripucka had 35 points. The Pistons shot 54% from the field, with the Nuggets hitting 59%. Both teams attempted just two shots from beyond the arch, with Richard Anderson scoring the only three-pointer for Denver.