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What Does PTS Mean in Basketball?

What Does PTS Mean in Basketball?

Chris Tacker

Written by Chris Tacker
Updated October 7, 2025
3 min to read

If you’ve ever looked at a basketball box score or a player’s stats, you’ve seen the abbreviation PTS — but what does it mean exactly? Let’s break it down simply.

The Meaning of PTS in Basketball

The abbreviation PTS stands for “Points”.

It’s the total number of points a player or team scores in a game.
Points are the most basic and important statistic in basketball — the team with the most points at the end of the game wins.

How Points (PTS) Are Scored

Points in basketball come from three types of shots:

Shot Type

Description

Points Awarded

Free Throw

From the foul line after a foul

1 point

Field Goal (inside the arc)

Any basket made from inside the 3-point line

2 points

Three-Point Shot

Any basket made from beyond the 3-point line

3 points

So, if a player makes 5 two-pointers, 2 three-pointers, and 4 free throws, their total points (PTS) are:

(5×2)+(2×3)+(4×1)=10+6+4=20PTS(5 × 2) + (2 × 3) + (4 × 1) = 10 + 6 + 4 = 20 PTS

That player scored 20 points in the game.

Example of PTS in a Box Score

Player

MIN

FG

3PT

FT

REB

AST

PTS

LeBron James

35

10-18

2-5

4-5

8

7

26

Stephen Curry

37

9-20

5-11

3-3

4

6

26

Jayson Tatum

33

7-15

1-4

6-6

10

5

21

Here, the PTS column shows the total number of points scored by each player in that game.

What Does “PTS per Game” Mean?

You’ll often see PPG, which stands for Points Per Game — the average number of points a player scores per game across a season.

For example:

A player with 820 total points in 41 games has a PPG of 20.0.

Formula:

PPG=Total PointsGames PlayedPPG = \frac{\text{Total Points}}{\text{Games Played}}

This stat helps compare scoring consistency between players.

Why PTS Is Important

PTS is one of the most visible measures of performance in basketball, but it’s not the only one.
High scorers often get attention, but analysts also look at:

  • FG% (Field Goal Percentage) – shooting efficiency
  • AST (Assists) – how many scoring passes a player makes
  • REB (Rebounds) – how often they recover missed shots
  • EFF (Efficiency Rating) – combines all stats into one number

So while PTS shows how many points a player scored, it doesn’t always tell how well they played.

Interesting Fact

In the NBA, the all-time leaders in total PTS include:

  • LeBron James — over 39,000 career points
  • Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
  • Karl Malone
  • Kobe Bryant
  • Michael Jordan

These players are often referred to as “elite scorers” because of their consistently high PTS numbers.

Final Thoughts

So, what does PTS mean in basketball?

It simply stands for points scored — the foundation of every game, every stat, and every highlight reel.

Understanding PTS helps fans interpret box scores, compare players, and appreciate the true art of scoring in basketball.