In this blog, we will review the Top 10 Biggest Blowouts in NBA History, in which a team pulled off the biggest blowout in the NBA and absolutely destroyed their opponents. The list was compiled taking into account every game from the NBA's inaugural season in 1949-50 through 2024, according to NBA News 2024.
List of Biggest Blowouts in NBA History
Here is our list of the top 10 Biggest NBA Game Blowouts in history, selected from the latest NBA news in 2024:
| No. | Date | Teams | Score | Point Diff. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dec 2, 2021 | Memphis Grizzlies vs. Oklahoma City Thunder | 152-79 | 73 |
| 2 | Dec 17, 1991 | Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Miami Heat | 148-80 | 68 |
| 3 | Feb 27, 1998 | Indiana Pacers vs. Portland Trail Blazers | 124-59 | 65 |
| 4 | Mar 19, 1972 | Los Angeles Lakers vs. Golden State Warriors | 162-99 | 63 |
| 5 | Nov 2, 1991 | Golden State Warriors vs. Sacramento Kings | 153-91 | 62 |
| 6 | Dec 25, 1960 | Syracuse Nationals vs. New York Knicks | 162-100 | 62 |
| 7 | Jan 11, 2024 | Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Portland Trail Blazers | 139-77 | 62 |
| 8 | Mar 22, 2018 | Charlotte Hornets vs. Memphis Grizzlies | 140-79 | 61 |
| 9 | Mar 29, 2024 | Miami Heat vs. Portland Trail Blazers | 142-82 | 60 |
| 10 | Dec 26, 1978 | Milwaukee Bucks vs. Detroit Pistons | 143-84 | 59 |
Top 6 Games with Biggest Point Differential in Biggest NBA Blowout
Let us go through the details of five games with the biggest blowouts in NBA history, as per NBA news 2024.
1. Memphis Grizzlies - Oklahoma City Thunder: 152-79 (73 points)
The 1st game on the Biggest NBA Blowout list is between the Grizzlies and Thunder. In this historic game, the Memphis Grizzlies made a club record for the most number of points in a game and the highest shooting percentage (62.5%). It is more surprising that they achieved this feat without their star point guard, Ja Morant. 9 Grizzlies players scored in double figures, and Jaren Jackson Jr. was the leader on the points sheet with 27 points. Memphis scored at least 31 points in each quarter and shot 52.8% from three-point range.
Additionally, four Memphis players had a plus-minus above 40. On the other hand, the Oklahoma City Thunder, missing starters Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Josh Giddey, struggled big time in this important game. The rest of the Thunder team shot just 32.9% from the field.
2. Cleveland Cavaliers - Miami Heat: 148-80 (68 points)
The 2nd Biggest NBA Blowouts was Dec 17, 1991, when the Cleveland Cavaliers faced the Miami Heat. The Cavaliers led 73-53 at halftime and then dominated the second half, outscoring the Miami Heat 75-27, including a 42-13 run in the fourth quarter.
From the Cleveland's team, John Battle scored 18 points alongside key contributions of 18 points and 11 assists from Mark Price, 5 points from Steve Kerr and Larry Nance with his 9 points.
Miami had only 2 players reach double figures, with Steve Smith and Kevin Edwards leading the team, while Glen Rice was held to just 9 points. Cleveland shot 57.3% as a team.
"I don't know what we played, but it wasn't basketball." Glen Rice said in agony about his team's outing on the Cleveland Cavaliers' court.
3. Indiana Pacers - Portland Trail Blazers: 124-59 (65 points)
It was a historic night for Pacers fans, witnessing one of the NBA Biggest Blowout, as they watched the Pacers outscore the Trail Blazers by twice as many points. This happened for the very first time in the National Basketball Association history. The Trail Blazers could not score more than 16 points in a single quarter. They scored only 59 and 38 out of these points were scored by Rasheed Wallace, Walt Williams and Isaiah Rider, each scoring 14, 13 and 11 points respectively.
On the other side, the Indiana Pacers scored 124 points with a collective contribution from their players where 8 different players scored more than 10 points. Mark jackson was the highest scorer for the Pacer with 18 points. Riggie Miller and Rik Smits both scored 12 points each for the Pacers. "I didn't think we could hold an NBA team to less than 60 points," Miller later appreciated.
4. Los Angeles Lakers - Golden State Warriors: 162-99 (63 points)
The Los Angeles Lakers were brilliant with their record performances in the 1972 season of the NBA. They managed to defeat the Golden State Warriors by a point difference of 63 points in the second game of the season. Gail Goodrich led the Lakers with 30 points on 11 of 17 shooting, Jim McMillian added 22 points, and John Trapp scored 19.
Wilt Chamberlain was at the peak of his career and he led the charge against the Warriors along with Jerry West. He scored 10 points, 10 rebounds, and 6 assists for the team.
During this game, the Warriors did manage to outscore the Lakers 32-29 in the second quarter. However, the Lakers dominated the other three quarters, outscoring Golden State 133-67.
5. Golden State Warriors - Sacramento Kings: 153-91 (62 points)
There is a tie for5th place on the NBA Biggest Blowouts list. The Golden State Warriors delivered a historic performance against the Sacramento Kings, and achieved what was then the 2nd -largest margin of victory in NBA history with a 62-point win. This record became the 3rd-largest margin of victory in NBA history just a month later.
Chris Mullin, who was known for his shooting prowess, led the Warriors with 32 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists. The Kings struggled throughout the season, finishing with a 29-53 record and last in the Pacific Division. In contrast, the Warriors ended the edition with a 55-27 record, and secured the 3rd position in the Western Conference. However, their playoff run was cut short as they fell to the Seattle SuperSonics in the first round.
6. Syracuse Nationals - New York Knick: 162-100 (62 points)
The Syracuse Nationals (currently the Philadelphia Sixers) were in brutal form against the home team, the New York Knicks, on December 25, 1960. The Nationals scored 39 points in each of the first two quarters and 42 points in each of the last two.
Nine of the ten players on the Nationals' score sheet scored at least 11 points. The tenth, Swede Halbrook, failed to score a unit (9) but was credited with 13 rebounds. Hal Greer and Dave Gambee had a great time (24 points each), while on the Knicks side, Jim Palmer and Willie Naulls (21 points each) did not save their team from the offense of the Nationals.
NBA News 2024
