On This Day in Sports: April 24, 1994
On April 24, 1994, David Robinson scored 71 points against the Los Angeles Clippers in the final game of the regular season. San Antonio won 112-97, and the enormous total allowed Robinson to pass Shaquille O’Neal for the NBA scoring championship. The unusual duel unfolded through statistics, with each star aware that a season-long race had narrowed to one afternoon.
Robinson made 26 of 41 field-goal attempts and 18 of 25 free throws while playing 44 minutes. His teammates searched for him on nearly every possession, creating chances in the post, on drives and in transition. The Clippers had little incentive beyond pride, but Robinson still had to convert the volume into points while the target kept rising.
The performance lifted Robinson’s average to 29.8 points per game, ahead of O’Neal’s 29.3. It also made him only the fourth player at the time to score at least 70 in an NBA game. For a center celebrated equally for defense and team play, the afternoon displayed a wider offensive range than his disciplined reputation sometimes suggested.
Robinson later won league Most Valuable Player and an NBA championship, achievements that more fully define his career. The 71-point game nevertheless remains one of the boldest season finales in league history. It turned a private arithmetic race into visible theater and showed how a team could unite around one player’s attempt to seize a title in real time.
Robinson scored 71 points.
San Antonio defeated the Clippers 112-97.
He made 26 of 41 field-goal attempts.
Robinson played 44 minutes.
His final scoring average was 29.8.
He edged Shaquille O’Neal for the scoring title.
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