Who saw that coming?
A year after squaring off in the NBA Finals, the Milwaukee Bucks and Phoenix Suns had a pair of disheartening Game 7 losses within a few hours of each other.
The Bucks, who held a 3-2 series lead through five games, went to Boston for Game 7 on Sunday and fell 109-81 to the Celtics.
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The basketball world figured Sunday's second Game 7 between the Suns and Dallas Mavericks would be closer, but the Mavs had other plans.
Dallas took a 57-27 lead into halftime with Luka Doncic matching Phoenix’s total scoring output through two quarters. The Mavs' 30-point edge was the biggest halftime lead in NBA Game 7 history, and it never got any better for the Suns.
The Mavs took a lead as big as 46 points in the second half. It wasn’t until the fourth quarter, one in which Doncic spent the entire time on the bench, that the Suns made the score a smidge more tolerable. Phoenix posted 40 points in the fourth quarter, bringing the final score to 123-90 as its season came to a close.
It was a shocking defeat for a No. 1 seed, to say the least, especially in a Game 7 at home. The 33-point margin doesn’t approach the biggest playoff loss in NBA history, but where does it rank among Game 7s?
Golden State Warriors
What is the biggest Game 7 blowout in NBA playoff history?
The Mavs own the record for the biggest blowout in an NBA Game 7, but not for their dominant win over the Suns.
Dallas manhandled the Houston Rockets at home in Game 7 of their 2005 first-round series. Jason Terry led the Mavs with 31 points as the team cruised to a 116-76 win over the Rockets. Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming put up fine stats, combining for 60 points, but the rest of the Houston roster mustered just 16.
Here’s a list of the 10 biggest Game 7 blowouts in NBA playoff history:
1. 2005 first round: Dallas Mavericks 116, Houston Rockets 76 (40 points)
2. 1948 semifinals: Philadelphia Warriors 85, St. Louis Bombers 46 (39 points)
3. 2008 first round: Boston Celtics 94, Atlanta Hawks 65 (34 points)
T-4. 2016 first round: Miami Heat 106, Charlotte Hornets 73 (33 points)
T-4. 2022 second round: Dallas Mavericks 123, Phoenix Suns 90 (33 points)
6. 2006 first round: Phoenix Suns 121, Los Angeles Lakers 90 (31 points)
7. 1992 second round: Chicago Bulls 110, New York Knicks 81 (29 points)
8. 2022 second round: Boston Celtics 109, Milwaukee Bucks 81 (28 points)
T-9. 2005 first round: Indiana Pacers 97, Boston Celtics 70 (27 points)
T-9. 2016 second round: Toronto Raptors 116, Miami Heat 89 (27 points)
