Ethan Fore / Author
This isn’t college basketball, and the biggest blowouts in NBA history aren’t all that common.
Sure, 20-point margins of victory are not atypical, but rarely do you ever see something like the BostonCeltics’ 53-point win over theSacramento Kingson Jan. 26, 2022.
But, believe it or not, that rout, one of the largest of the 2021-22 season, doesn’t even crack the 10biggest blowoutsin theNBA recordbooks. Nope, there’s a different blowout from that same campaign that takes the crown.
We’ll help you remember that one, along with the rest of the biggest runaways in league history.
Biggest Regular-Season Blowouts
73 Points – Memphis Grizzlies152,Oklahoma City Thunder79 (Dec. 2, 2021)
In thebiggest blowoutinNBA history, the surprising Grizzlies set franchise records for most points in a game and highest shooting percentage (62.5%)…and they were missing starpoint guardJa Morant. Nine Grizzlies scored indouble figures, with Jaren Jackson Jr. leading the way with 27. Memphis scored at least 31 points in each quarter and shot 52.8% from behind the arc.
Memphis had four players with a plus-minus above 40.OKCwas missing starters Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Josh Giddey, and the rest of the Thunder shot just 32.9% from the field.
68 Points – Cleveland Cavaliers148,Miami Heat80 (Dec. 17, 1991)
Yes, theCavsand Heat had a history before theLeBron Jamessaga. No Cavalier scored more than 18 points, a mark reached by Mark Price and John Battle. After leading athalftime73-53, Cleveland outscored Miami 75-27 in the second half, including a 42-13 onslaught in the fourth quarter. Miami had only two players reachdouble figures(Steve Smith and Kevin Edwards), and Glen Rice was held to just nine points. Cleveland, which shot 57.3% as a team, eventually beat the Boston Celtics in the East semifinals before falling to the Bulls in the conference finals.
65 Points – Indiana Pacers124,Portland Trail Blazers59 (Feb. 27, 1998)
Most of these blowouts featured an offensive outburst by one team. But this one is different. Portland never scored more than 16 points in a single quarter. The Pacers put up 124, but five-timeAll-Starand Hall of Famer Reggie Miller only had 11 points (though he tied two other Pacers for the highest plus-minus). Go figure. Mark Jackson was the team’s leading scorer with 18 points, as Indiana had eight players reachdouble figures. Despite the blowout, the Trail Blazers finished the 1997-98NBA seasonas the sixth seed in theWestern Conferencebefore losing to theLos Angeles Lakersin four games in the first round of theplayoffs. The Pacers reached the Eastern Conference finals before falling to Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls in seven games.
63 Points – Los Angeles Lakers162,Golden State Warriors99 (March 19, 1972)
The Warriorsentered this late-season matchup with a 49-30 record. They still got run out of The Forum. Gail Goodrich scored 30 points on 11 of 17 shooting, Jim McMillian scored 22 and John Trapp scored 19. That 1971-72 Lakers team went on to beat the Milwaukee Bucks in the Western Conference finals and the New York Knicks in the NBA Finals. It had some guys namedJerry West, Pat Riley and four-time MVP Wilt Chamberlain. Perhaps you’ve heard of them.The Warriorsactually outscored the Lakers 32-29 in the second quarter. Unfortunately for Golden State, it was outscored by the Lakers 133-67 during the other three quarters.
62 Points – Golden State Warriors153,Sacramento Kings91 (Nov. 2, 1991)
In just the second game of the season,the Warriorsand Kings set, at the time, the second-largest margin of victoryinNBA historywith Golden State’s 62-point drubbing of Sacramento (it would quickly become the third-largest margin of victoryinNBA historyjust over a month later). Chris Mullin, one of the best players in league history in terms of pure shooting ability, led the way with 32 points, sixassistsand sevenrebounds. The Kings finished 29-53 – last in the Pacific Division – whilethe Warriorswent 55-27 and clinched the third seed in theWestern Conferencebefore falling to the Seattle SuperSonics in the first round.
62 Points – Syracuse Nationals162,New York Knicks100 (Dec. 25, 1960)
It was no merry Christmas for Knicks fans. Though the lowly Knicks, who finished with the worst record in the NBA that season, had two players finish with 21 points, they could not contain the Nationals offense. Ten players recorded minutes for Syracuse, and nine of them scored in double digits. Dave Gambee and Hall of Fame guard Hal Greer led the way with 24 points. The Nationals scored 39 points in each of the first two quarters, and 42 points in each of the last two.
62 Points – Oklahoma City Thunder 139, Portland Trail Blazers 77 (Jan. 11, 2024)
The Rest of the List:
- 61 Points – Charlotte Hornets140,Memphis Grizzlies79; March 22, 2018
- 59 Points – Milwaukee Bucks143,DetroitPistons84; Dec. 26, 1978
- 59 Points – Golden State Warriors150,Indiana Pacers91; March 19, 1977
- 58 Points – Sacramento Kings139,Dallas Mavericks81; Dec. 29, 1992
- 58 Points – Milwaukee Bucks140,Sacramento Kings82; Dec. 15, 1985
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Research support provided by Quinton Bonnell.
