What Were the Biggest Blowouts in NBA History?

Sure, 20-point wins are fairly common in the NBA, but blowouts like the Boston Celtics' 53-point demolition of the Sacramento Kings on Jan. 26, 2022, are a rare sight.

Surprisingly, though, that lopsided victory—one of the biggest of the 2021-22 season—doesn’t even crack the top 10 in NBA history. In fact, another blowout from that same season holds the all-time record.

Let’s take a look back at that historic rout, along with the biggest blowouts the league has ever seen.

Biggest Regular-Season Blowouts

73 Points – Memphis Grizzlies 152, Oklahoma City Thunder 79 (Dec. 2, 2021)

In the most lopsided game in NBA history, the Memphis Grizzlies delivered a record-breaking performance—despite being without star point guard Ja Morant. They set franchise highs for both total points and shooting percentage (62.5%), with nine players scoring in double figures, led by Jaren Jackson Jr.'s 27 points.

Memphis dominated from start to finish, putting up at least 31 points in every quarter while draining 52.8% of their three-pointers. Four Grizzlies posted a plus-minus above 40, further highlighting their dominance. Meanwhile, the short-handed Oklahoma City Thunder, missing key starters Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Josh Giddey, struggled mightily, shooting just 32.9% from the field.

68 Points – Cleveland Cavaliers 148, Miami Heat 80 (Dec. 17, 1991)

Yes, the Cavaliers and Heat had a history even before the LeBron James era. In this dominant performance, no Cleveland player scored more than 18 points, with Mark Price and John Battle both hitting that mark. After taking a commanding 73-53 lead at halftime, the Cavs completely overwhelmed Miami in the second half, outscoring them 75-27—including a staggering 42-13 fourth quarter.

The Heat struggled mightily, with only Steve Smith and Kevin Edwards reaching double figures, while Glen Rice was held to just nine points. Cleveland, shooting an impressive 57.3% from the field, carried their strong form into the playoffs, defeating the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference semifinals before falling to the Chicago Bulls in the conference finals.

65 Points – Indiana Pacers 124, Portland Trail Blazers 59 (Feb. 27, 1998)

Most of these blowouts were fueled by offensive explosions, but this one was different. Portland struggled to find any rhythm, failing to score more than 16 points in any quarter. Meanwhile, the Pacers cruised to 124 points, though surprisingly, five-time All-Star and Hall of Famer Reggie Miller contributed just 11—despite tying for the team’s highest plus-minus. Instead, Mark Jackson led Indiana with 18 points as eight Pacers finished in double figures.

Despite the lopsided loss, the Trail Blazers still secured the sixth seed in the Western Conference that season but were eliminated by the Los Angeles Lakers in four games in the first round of the playoffs. Indiana, on the other hand, made a deep run to the Eastern Conference Finals before falling to Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls in a hard-fought seven-game series.

63 Points – Los Angeles Lakers 162, Golden State Warriors 99 (March 19, 1972)

The Warriors entered this late-season showdown with a solid 49-30 record—but that didn’t stop them from getting completely overwhelmed at The Forum. Gail Goodrich led the way with 30 points on 11-of-17 shooting, while Jim McMillian added 22 and John Trapp chipped in 19.

That legendary 1971-72 Lakers squad, featuring icons like Jerry West, Pat Riley, and four-time MVP Wilt Chamberlain, went on to defeat the Milwaukee Bucks in the Western Conference Finals before taking down the New York Knicks to claim the NBA title.

Golden State managed to win the second quarter 32-29, but that was a small victory in an otherwise disastrous night. Across the other three quarters, the Lakers outscored the Warriors by a staggering 133-67 margin.

62 Points – Golden State Warriors 153, Sacramento Kings 91 (Nov. 2, 1991)

In just the second game of the season, the Warriors and Kings made history—at least briefly—with Golden State’s 62-point demolition of Sacramento, marking what was then the second-largest margin of victory in NBA history. However, that record didn’t last long, as it was quickly bumped to third place just over a month later.

Chris Mullin, one of the purest shooters the game has ever seen, led the charge with 32 points, six assists, and seven rebounds.

The Kings struggled all season, finishing with a 29-53 record and landing at the bottom of the Pacific Division. Meanwhile, the Warriors thrived, posting a 55-27 record to secure the third seed in the Western Conference—though their playoff run was short-lived, as they fell to the Seattle SuperSonics in the first round.

62 Points – Syracuse Nationals 162, New York Knicks 100 (Dec. 25, 1960)

It was anything but a merry Christmas for Knicks fans. Despite two players putting up 21 points, the league’s worst team that season had no answer for the Nationals' relentless offense.

Syracuse spread the scoring load, with 10 players seeing minutes and nine of them hitting double figures. Dave Gambee and Hall of Fame guard Hal Greer led the charge with 24 points each. The Nationals put on an offensive clinic, dropping 39 points in each of the first two quarters and 42 in both the third and fourth.

62 Points – Oklahoma City Thunder 139, Portland Trail Blazers 77 (Jan. 11, 2024)

The Rest of the List

• 61 Points – Charlotte Hornets 140, Memphis Grizzlies 79; March 22, 2018
• 60 Points – Miami Heat 142, Portland Trail Blazers 82; March 29, 2024
• 59 Points – Los Angeles Clippers 126, Brooklyn Nets 67; Jan. 15, 2025
• 59 Points – Milwaukee Bucks 143, Detroit Pistons 84; Dec. 26, 1978
• 59 Points – Golden State Warriors 150, Indiana Pacers 91; March 19, 1977
• 58 Points – Sacramento Kings 139, Dallas Mavericks 81; Dec. 29, 1992
• 58 Points – Milwaukee Bucks 140, Sacramento Kings 82; Dec. 15, 1985