NBA Record: Player with the Most Blocks in a Single Game

On Oct. 28, 1973, the legendary Forum was the stage for a historical moment in NBA history when Lakers center Elmore Smith achieved one of the most impressive defensive performances of all time. Smith, standing at 7 feet tall and known as "The Rejector," set a record with an incredible 17 blocked shots during a decisive 111-98 victory against the Trail Blazers. In addition to his defensive prowess, Smith also contributed 12 points and 16 rebounds, securing a remarkable triple-double in the game that will forever be remembered as a standout performance by one of the league's greats.

Smith’s 17 swats remain the most by a player in an NBA game dating back to 1973-74, when blocks were first fully recorded. In that season, from Oct. 26 to Nov. 4, Smith tallied 14 or more rejections in three games. Since then, only three other players have hit 14 blocks in a single outing: Shaquille O’Neal, Manute Bol and Mark Eaton.

17 blocks (Lakers vs. Trail Blazers, Oct. 28, 1973)

15 blocks (Wizards vs. Hawks, Jan. 25, 1986)

15 blocks (Wizards vs. Pacers, Feb. 26, 1987)

15 blocks (Magic at Nets, Nov. 20, 1993)

14 blocks (Lakers vs. Pistons, Oct. 26, 1973)

14 blocks (Lakers vs. Rockets, Nov. 4, 1973)

14 blocks (Jazz vs. Trail Blazers, Jan. 18, 1985)

14 blocks (Jazz vs. Spurs, Feb. 18, 1989)

Since 2000, the most individual blocks recorded in an NBA game is 12 — a mark achieved by three different players: Keon Clark, JaVale McGee and Hassan Whiteside. Meanwhile, six players — including Whiteside — have notched exactly 11 blocks in a game since the turn of the century.

12 blocks (Raptors vs. Hawks, March 23, 2001)

12 blocks (Wizards at Bulls, March 15, 2011)

12 blocks (Heat at Bulls, Jan. 25, 2015)

11 blocks (Hawks vs. Nets, Feb. 15, 2000)

11 blocks (Nuggets vs. Jazz, Jan. 17, 2008)

11 blocks (Pacers vs. Hornets, Nov. 21, 2012)

11 blocks (Thunder vs. Nuggets, Feb. 19, 2012)

11 blocks (Bulls vs. 76ers, Feb. 28, 2013)

11 blocks (Heat at Nuggets, Jan. 15, 2016)

Nobody has ever recorded more than 10 blocks in a single Playoff game, but three players have hit the double-digit mark — Eaton, Hakeem Olajuwon and Andrew Bynum — leaving them tied for the postseason record.

10 blocks (Jazz vs. Rockets, April 26, 1985)

10 blocks (Houston at Lakers, April 29, 1990)

10 blocks (Lakers vs. Nuggets, April 29, 2012)

Additionally, 11 players have notched nine blocks in a single Playoff game, including Olajuwon (1993), Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1977), Alonzo Mourning (2000), Tim Duncan (2007) and Dwight Howard (2009, 2010). Howard’s nine blocks in 2009 came in Game 4 of the NBA Finals and remains the Finals record entering the 2024-25 season.