Lopsided NBA games aren’t exactly fun to watch, especially for fans of the teams that are losing. However, those are the kind of games that showcases a team’s dominance. Plus, it gives the players at the end of the bench a chance for extended minutes. Here are the 10 most lopsided blowouts in NBA history, ranked.
Check out the gallery.
1. 2021-22 Memphis Grizzlies def. Oklahoma City Thunder (152-79)
Just around three years ago, the Memphis Grizzlies gave the Oklahoma City Thunder a huge beating, blasting the latter by an NBA record of 73 points. Jaren Jackson Jr. led all scorers with 27 points in only 20 minutes of action. The Thunder were paced by Luguentz Dort, who scored 15 points. Around this time, OKC was pretty much tanking, and Memphis capitalized.
2. 1991-92 Cleveland Cavaliers def. Miami Heat (148-80)
Before the Grizzlies destroyed the Thunder, the initial record for the most lopsided game was set by the Cleveland Cavaliers. The team made short work of the Miami Heat, beating them by 68 points, which is still the second-biggest deficit in a final score. Mark Price and John Battle led all scorers with 18 apiece. On the other hand, the Heat only saw two of their players post double digits with Steve Smith and Kevin Edwards posting 15 and 10 points, respectively.
3. 1997-98 Indiana Pacers def. Portland Trail Blazers (124-59)
It was certainly a nightmare game for the Portland Trail Blazers against the Indiana Pacers. It was a hot shooting night for Reggie Miller and the Pacers, as they enjoyed eight players finishing in double digits with all five of their starters finishing with at least 10 points. On the other side, the Blazers had a long night as they struggled to put points on the board, converting only 33.3% of their shots from the field. Throughout the game, the Blazers also never scored more than 16 points in a single quarter.
4. 1971-72 Los Angeles Lakers def. Golden State Warriors (162-99)
It was certainly an easy night for Wilt Chamberlain and Jerry West as the Los Angeles Lakers cruised past the Golden State Warriors. The Lakers only needed 10 and 17 points from Chamberlain and West, respectively. The blowout win also saw Gail Goodrich register a game-high 30 points. Despite getting points on the board, the Warriors simply had no answers on defense.
5. 1991-92 Golden State Warriors def. Sacramento Kings (153-91)
In just the second game of the 1991-92 season, the Golden State Warriors caught the Sacramento Kings off guard, putting the hammer down early into the season. Chris Mullin led the Warriors with 32 points. The Warriors’ Victor Alexander scored 28 points off the bench. Furthermore, Sarunas Marciulionis and Tyrone Hill also scored 27 and 20 points, respectively. Surprisingly, the Warriors only made one three-pointer.
6. 1960-61 Syracuse Nationals def. New York Knicks (162-100)
The New York Knicks became the first team to get blown out by at least 60 points in NBA history. To make matters worse, it was easily a bloodbath on the Syracuse Nationals’ homecourt on Christmas Day. Fortunately for the Knicks, this was long before Christmas Day games were shown on national TV. Hal Greer and Dave Gambee led the Nationals with 24 points apiece.
7. 2023-24 Oklahoma City Thunder def. Portland Trail Blazers (139-77)
Although the Thunder found themselves on the receiving end of the most lopsided loss in NBA history, they did find a little redemption two years later when they defeated the Portland Trail Blazers by 62 points. As the top team in the West, the Thunder showed no mercy on a Blazers team still reeling from the trade of All-Star guard Damien Lillard. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was unstoppable, finishing with 31 points in only 21 minutes of action.
8. 2017-18 Charlotte Hornets def. Memphis Grizzlies (140-79)
It’s quite rare to see the Charlotte Hornets make some noise in the NBA. However, they did make the headlines positively during the 2017-18 season when they handed the Grizzlies a 61-point drubbing. Kemba Walker had a huge night as well, exploding for 46 points while going 10-for-14 from beyond the arc. He was also 10-for-10 from the charity stripe.
9. 2023-24 Miami Heat def. Portland Trail Blazers (142-82)
Despite only getting eight points from Jimmy Butler, the Miami Heat easily took care of business against the Blazers. Fueled by their 45-point second quarter, the Heat trashed the Blazers in dominant fashion. Bam Adebayo, Haywood Highsmith, Thomas Bryant, and Terry Rozier combined for a total of 89 points. Adebayo and Bryant also finished with double-doubles, grabbing 12 rebounds apiece.
10. 2024-25 Los Angeles Clippers def. Brooklyn Nets (126-67)
The Los Angeles Clippers are one of the most surprising teams this year, especially after the departure of Paul George. In fact, they proved to be a dark horse, especially when they gave the Brooklyn Nets their worst loss in franchise history. The Clippers were led by Kawhi Leonard and James Harden, who had 23 and 21 points, respectively. Harden also chipped in 11 assists.
The post Ranking the 10 most lopsided blowouts in NBA history appeared first on ClutchPoints.
