Batemon's 51 among modern-day best

In the last two weeks, fans have been treated to two extraordinary individual performances that will live on in history.

First it was Chris Goulding’s 46-point display, where he scored 20 points in a three-minute span to provide one of the best highlight reels of all time. Then it was James Batemon, who put up 51 points, which is the most in the NBL in the modern 40-minute era.

It is worth noting that the NBL played 40 minute games from 1979 to 1983, which involved two 20-minute halves and no three-point line. In that time, it was the late Reg Biddings who scored an astonishing 63 points on 25/50 from the field, including 45 points by half-time. When the NBL moved to 48 minute games, it was Al Green’s 71-point night in 1984 that lives on in history as the best we have ever seen.

With all that in mind, let’s take a look at some of the notable performances in the modern 40-minute era.

James Batemon
17/11/2024

51 points
19/28 FG
9/15 3p

James Batemon’s explosion against Perth in Round 9 will live on in history as the highest individual score of the modern 40-minute era. He eclipsed the magical 50-point mark in just 33 minutes of action, which included a five minute stretch in the fourth quarter where he didn’t attempt a shot.

It was as efficient as it was damaging, as Batemon ripped apart the Wildcats' defence on his way to his historical night. Through his nine NBL games prior, he'd only scored in double-figures four times previously. He also committed zero turnovers in this performance, which makes it this record that much more impressive. 

Chris Goulding
9/3/2014

50 points
20/33 FG
9/14 3p

It stood as the scoring record in the modern 40-minute era for over a decade, when Chris Goulding erupted for 50 points as the Melbourne Tigers hosted the Sydney Kings in 2014. It was a special night for one of the best shooters the league has ever seen, as Goulding hit nine threes and ripped the heart out of the Kings, who simply had no answer.

He played all 40 minutes and remarkably made just one free throw in that 50-point outing, hitting just one of his three attempts at the line. After winning the All-Star MVP in 2012, it was 2014 that Goulding established himself as one of the biggest names in Australian basketball.

Kirk Penney
21/1/2010

49 points
16/23FG
9/15 3p

One of New Zealand’s best ever, Kirk Penney put together a game for the ages back in 2010, when he led his team to a win over Adelaide by dropping 49 points. Penney was efficient all over the floor, only missing eight shots from the field and knocking down eight of 11 free-throws. His career night came on the back of a career-high nine made threes, as he was simply unstoppable. The New Zealand legend didn’t commit a single turnover in this game.

Penney had scored 40 once prior to this, back in 2008 in the 48-minute era, where he scored 41 against the Hawks. 

Bryce Cotton
5/3/2017

45 points
12/17FG
7/12 3p

To some, this may still be the single best performance of the modern 40-minute era, due to the sheer magnitude of what was at stake. It was Game 3 of the finals series against the Illawarra Hawks, where Cotton took over with a 45-point onslaught to secure his first NBL title.

It was the announcement to the league that greatness had arrived, as Cotton put this performance together in just his 16th NBL game on the biggest stage of them all. The efficiency of his night was clear, with the now four-time MVP hitting 14 of his 15 free-throw attempts and putting his Wildcat team on his back to win the first of many pieces of hardware in his trophy cabinet. 

Derrick Walton JR / Mitch Creek
18/12/2022

Walton Jr. 
45 points
14/27FG
5/10 3p
10 assists

Creek
46 points
15/27
4/11 3p
10 rebounds

It was one of the best head-to-head battles of all time, when Derrick Walton Jr and Mitch Creek went back and forth in a double-overtime thriller in 2022.

Both superstars ended the game with 45+ point double-doubles in a performance that will live on for a long time. It was the first time that two players had scored 45 in a single game since 1991, 5149 games prior.

Both players filled it up from everywhere, including an identical 12/13 from the free-throw line. Creek did enough in the end to lead his team to a much needed win against the then reigning champions, Sydney Kings.