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November 15, 1960 at the New York Knicks: 71 points, 25 rebounds and one assist, 28-of-48 shooting from the field and 15-of-19 from the free-throw line

Analyzing the game's formative years in the same space as the modern game is tricky (maybe even impossible). Video is sparse, and what's available is grainy (to put it generously).

The level of competition and number of teams players competed against was dramatically different than what the league has now.

But the pioneers are more than worthy of recognition, and that's especially true of Elgin Baylor.

In an era dominated by Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell, Baylor was a revolutionary.

"The style of basketball that we accept as conventional today all comes out of him," Bijan C. Bayne wrote in Elgin Baylor: The Man Who Changed Basketball (h/t Jason Reid of The Undefeated). "The things that we accept as routine today, like changing direction after one has left one's feet. A spin move, double-pumping, any improvisation off the dribble, hesitation dribbles, all of that comes out of Elgin. And even to some degree, for a person of his size, no-look passes. That's all from Elgin."

With a repertoire that was essentially unprecedented for his time, Baylor had a number of huge games. There's an argument to have his 63-point, 31-rebound, seven-assist performance from December of 1961 here, but he was more efficient in this contest, and there's just something about hitting that magic 70.