Who could score 50 points in a EuroLeague game? / News - Basketnews.com

European basketball scoring aces discuss the possibility of surpassing Shane Larkin's 49-point record, with Marcus Foster favoring Mike James and Errick McCollum suggesting Markus Howard.

Credit: Tolga Adanali via Getty Images Credit Tolga Adanali via Getty Images

After huge scoring outbursts in the NBA by Luka Doncic and Joel Embiid, netting 73 and 70 points, respectively, maybe it's time to have a new record for the EuroLeague.

Mike James

Team:AS MonacoPosition:PGAge:33Height:185 cmWeight:84 kgBirth place:Oregon, United States of AmericaProfileNewsStatistics

EuroLeague single-game scoring record belongs to Anadolu Efes Istanbul star guard Shane Larkin, who dropped 49 points against FC Bayern Munich in 2019.

When asked which current EuroLeague players could go for the 50-point mark, Rytas Vilnius scoring ace Marcus Foster named the second-best EuroLeague all-time scorer, 33-year-old Mike James of AS Monaco.

"You have to have good teammates around you that wanna see you be successful. When Shane Larkin did that, you could see that his teammates wanted him to get that record. It's tough to see who would do that in this situation because the system in Europe is based on a team type of thing. It is hard for guys to shoot 25-30 shots, but if I had to put my money on anybody, of course, I would always go with Mike James. When Mike James gets it going, he is unstoppable. Just like Shane Larkin was that night," Foster said during the recent URBONUS podcast.

In contrast, Pinar Karsiyaka Izmir scoring machine Errick McCollum proposed a different perspective, suggesting 24-year-old Markus Howard from Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz as a potential record-breaker.

"I have a twist. I love Mike's game, but I think the coaches won't let him [do that] because they are going to double him, box-and-one him," McCollum noted. "He has the ability, but I don't know if he will get enough shot attempts. ... So, my twist is Markus Howard. It has to be a prolific three-point shooter. You have to be able to hit a three at a high rate because if you can hit the three, you can avoid some double teams. And he does his work off ball and on ball.

Shane Larkin

MIN:33.12PTS:17.44 (57.11%)REB:2.92As:5.32ST:1.24BL:0.08TO:2.12GM:25ProfileEuroLeague2023/2024

"I could see how they [Baskonia] play," the veteran went on to say. "It seems like they like him, and they would support him if he is hot, when he is doing certain things because he shoots some erratic shots, but he is a tough-shot maker. Often, I watch the team and players' body language when guys are shooting fade-away threes or taking these types of risks. It seems like everyone [in Baskonia] is sold on it.

"The other thing that's super important is conditioning. Who better to break the record than someone who plays for Dusko [Ivanovic]?" McCollum said with a smile. "You know he's in shape if he plays for Dusko. You know he's in shape. He's going to have the motor and the energy."

Lastly, McCollum acknowledged the possibility of a player breaking the EuroLeague single-game scoring record but pointed out that European coaches are less likely to allow an individual to dominate as freely as in the NBA regular season.

"I think it's possible, but it's just like in Europe; coaches aren't going to stand by and watch a guy just continue to torch you," he said. "Like in the NBA, I feel like in a regular season, sometimes people get caught up in the display and let guys play one-on-one. I just don't understand that."

While Mike James' highest-scoring game this season reached 28 points against Baskonia and Bayern, Markus Howard showcased his scoring prowess by dropping 35 points against ASVEL.

Watch the entire URBONUS podcast with Marcus Foster and Errick McCollum:

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