While March 2, 1963, is famously known in NBA history for Wilt Chamberlain`s incredible 100-point game, March 2, 2025, marked another unique statistical event.

A game between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the San Antonio Spurs concluded with a score of 146-132. This wasn`t just another final score; it was the 3,159th unique final score in NBA history, and the 14th of the current season, a phenomenon known as `scorigami`.

The recent surge in scoring across the NBA has led to final scores that were previously unheard of in the league`s almost 80-year history. Hakob Chalikyan recognized the significance of these unique scores and wanted to ensure they didn`t go unnoticed.

Inspired by the NFL scorigami phenomenon, Chalikyan launched an NBA version in September. He created scorigaminba.com, a site that archives over 70,000 NBA scores, including those from the Basketball Association of America (BAA), which existed from 1946 to 1949 before merging to form the NBA.

The X account, NBA_Scorigami, provides daily updates on game scores, noting how many times a particular score has occurred and when it last happened. Even NBA teams like the Boston Celtics, Portland Trail Blazers, and Utah Jazz are followers.

Chalikyan, 25, points out that achieving a new, unique final score is more common in the NBA compared to the NFL (which has 1,091 unique scores). This made him curious about the potential popularity of NBA scorigami. With over 35,000 followers, it`s clear that fans appreciate these unusual score outcomes.

Chalikyan explained that the appeal lies in observing how different eras in basketball history produce different types of scores. The current era, with its high scoring games, is generating unprecedented final scores, which he believes is exciting for fans.

The concept of scorigami originated in the mid-2010s with Jon Bois from SB Nation`s Secret Base. In his `Chart Party` series in September 2014, Bois introduced the term, initially spelled `scoragami`.

Bois defined `scoragami` as the creation of a final score in a football game that has never occurred before.

While Bois didn`t respond to interview requests, he mentioned in a 2021 SportsCenter feature with ESPN`s Mina Kimes that after his initial post, people began to share unusual scores with him on social media.

Two years after his written piece, Bois explored scorigami in video format, analyzing NFL score charts and highlighting interesting unique scores. In 2017, Dave Mattingly created a Twitter account with a bot to automatically track and tweet all unique scores.

Mattingly explained that he spent a weekend developing the algorithm and learning how to manage the Twitter bot to post tweets. He launched it, not expecting much attention.

However, eight years later, the NFL scorigami account has nearly 500,000 followers, establishing a dedicated online community for fans of unique NFL scores. Andrew Merriman developed an accompanying website featuring a chart of every score in NFL history. The X account and website operate independently of each other and Bois.

Merriman and Mattingly have communicated, with Mattingly offering some coding assistance to Merriman. Merriman acknowledges that he was inspired by Bois` original video and wouldn`t have created the website without it.

Merriman emphasized that getting a new unique score is exciting in any sport, making the NBA version just as interesting as the NFL one.

Chalikyan was familiar with NFL scorigami and wondered why an NBA equivalent didn`t exist. Despite previous attempts by others, Chalikyan felt he could create a comprehensive and accurate NBA scorigami resource.

He started collecting data from every NBA game about three years ago. However, lacking the website development skills at the time, the project was put on hold.

Chalikyan explained that he revisited the project last summer, realizing his improved technical skills could enable him to build the website using the collected data. Unfortunately, he discovered he had lost all the initial data.

Starting from scratch, Chalikyan wrote code to access NBA.com`s API (Application Programming Interface) – a system allowing software applications to exchange data – to gather game scores year by year, team by team. This automated process took about three days, storing the data in a private database.

With the data compiled, he proceeded to build the website. Subsequently, he launched the X account, only to find that someone else had already created a similar account a few weeks prior and had gained a substantial following.

Ethan Peterson had independently conceived the same idea. Inspired by the NFL account, he decided to create an NBA version, initially planning to manage it manually before seeking automation solutions, which he lacked the expertise for.

Peterson announced the launch of the NBA scorigami X account on September 16, 2024. Ten days later, Chalikyan contacted him, explaining his similar project and offering collaboration.

Peterson welcomed Chalikyan`s proposal, recognizing the value of Chalikyan`s automated bot for posting updates to his already popular account.

Peterson acknowledged that Chalikyan provides the `back end` infrastructure – the essential coding for the database and automated posting. Chalikyan utilizes X`s API, enabling the bot to automatically tweet game results within five minutes of the final score.

Chalikyan explained that the bot accesses his database, checks the score history to determine if it`s unique, and then tweets the result with relevant information like its uniqueness.

Mistakes can occur, such as the bot mistakenly posting a Rising Stars game score during All-Star Weekend. Chalikyan mentioned they quickly corrected such errors.

To ensure accuracy, Chalikyan and Peterson manually double-check scores and make corrections as needed. The bot, database, and website operate in sync, providing daily updates.

The NBA scorigami website, at first glance, can appear as a dense collection of data, with colored dots representing scores. However, users can filter data by year to observe scoring trends over time.

While pinpointing definitive eras is challenging, Chalikyan has observed patterns in the frequency of scorigamis within a season.

He noted that there seems to be a mid-point in NBA history where scoring was also elevated. He sometimes sees scorigamis with higher scores that occurred once or twice before around 1980, often associated with high-pace offenses. However, he believes many recent scorigamis are due to the overall increase in offensive efficiency and scoring in today`s NBA.

Pace, defined as estimated possessions per 48 minutes, is a key factor. Higher pace generally leads to more points scored. Some of the most unique high scores are linked to periods of high pace in the NBA.

Ten of the highest pace seasons in NBA history occurred before the 1986-87 season, with the 1973-74 season leading at 107.8. The highest pace season this century was 2019-20 at 100.3, ranking 16th overall.

Only one of the five NBA scorigamis involving a team scoring at least 170 points happened this century: the Sacramento Kings` 176-175 victory over the LA Clippers in 2023. The Indiana Pacers recently approached this mark, defeating the Washington Wizards 162-109 for another scorigami.

While pace doesn`t directly cause new unique scores, it expands the possibilities for them to occur. On March 30th, two separate games resulted in new final scores, the first time this happened on the same day since April 14, 2024.

Scorigamis exist across the spectrum of scores.

The highest scorigami in NBA history is a 186-184 triple-overtime game in 1983 between the Detroit Pistons and Denver Nuggets. The lowest occurred in 1950 when the Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons beat the Minneapolis Lakers 19-18.

Scorigamis add an intriguing dimension to seemingly ordinary final scores. Although they might initially appear unremarkable, Chalikyan`s project has provided a way to identify and appreciate these unique moments in NBA history.

Consider March 2, 1963. The final score of Wilt Chamberlain`s 100-point game? 169-147. A scorigami.