Elvin Hayes

Cross-checked NBA, Rockets, and Wizards legends profiles, official franchise histories and box scores, playoff scoring and Game 7 records, championship retrospectives, contemporary statistical records, and recurring fan discussion. The list separates Hayes's actual authorship from team ceremony: his rookie explosion, franchise playoff scoring record, singular shot-blocking game, title-saving Finals performance, and defending-champion Game 7 masterpiece each represent a distinct part of his career. The 1978 title clincher was excluded because Hayes fouled out with 12 points and eight rebounds; Game 6 more accurately captures his championship contribution.

1. #1. Hayes set the Washington franchise playoff scoring record with 46 points on 19-of-26 shooting, adding 12 rebounds, five assists, three steals, and three blocks to win pivotal Game 5 against Buffalo. NBA: Washington's five highest-scoring playoff games
2. #2. Hayes played all 48 minutes and produced 39 points, 15 rebounds, and three blocks in the 1979 East semifinals Game 7, carrying the defending champions past Atlanta and back toward the Finals. NBA Archive 75: Elvin Hayes
3. #3. Only seven games into his NBA career, Hayes scored a career-high 54 points with 22 rebounds, the defining single game of the rookie season in which he became only the second first-year player to win the scoring title. Rockets media guide: Elvin Hayes rookie records · NBA legends profile: Elvin Hayes
4. #4. Hayes amassed 22 points, 27 rebounds, and a career-high 11 blocks against Detroit, a singular defensive performance produced just weeks before Washington's championship run began. Wizards jersey retirement profile: Elvin Hayes
5. #5. Facing elimination in the 1978 Finals, Hayes supplied 21 points, 15 rebounds, five blocks, three assists, and two steals as Washington won Game 6 by 35 points and forced the road Game 7 that completed its only championship. Wizards: Bullets capture the 1978 championship · Wizards: 1977–78 championship history

Reviewed through 2026-07-17