The Biggest Losses in the History of Basketball

In the past few days, basketball fans were treated to an incredibly tight game between Team USA and Team Serbia in the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics. Serbia led the game by 17 points at one moment, before the USA managed to come back and advance into the Olympic finals. While close calls make for an exciting basketball game, they hardly compare to the simultaneous misery and excellence of some of the biggest losses in the history of basketball.

Big blowouts remain relatively common in the world of college basketball. As for the NBA, they are quite a rare occurrence. Thanks to teams full of the best players in the world, most games, even huge upsets, usually only amount to around 20-point margins of victory. Once in a while, however, some teams manage to score so well that they treat the opposing team to the biggest losses in the history of basketball. In this article, we will explore 10 of these blowout moments.

(For incredible blowouts in other sports, discover the most devastating losses in baseball history. )

To compile a list of the biggest losses in the history of basketball, 24/7 Tempo consulted a range of sports and news publications including The Analyst , Sports Illustrated, and Givemesport.com. Next, we selected games in NBA history that featured a remarkable margin of victory, averaging between a 50 and 70-point lead. After that, we confirmed the circumstances and movements of each game using sites like ESPN.com and NBA.com .

Memphis Grizzlies 152, Oklahoma City Thunder 79 (December 2, 2021)

One of the biggest losses in the history of basketball is undoubtedly the Memphis Grizzles versus the Oklahoma City Thunder. Played on the Grizzlies’ home turf in Memphis, this game on December 2, 2021, resulted in the biggest blowout in NBA history. Though most of the team’s starters remained on the bench, including guard Ja Morant, the Grizzlies managed to dominate the Thunder with mostly reserve players.

The game also resulted in some of the biggest records in basketball history. Nine Grizzlies players scored in the double-figure range, including Jaren Jackson Jr. with 27 points. The Grizzlies scored over 31 points each quarter, with a 52.8% percentage from behind the arc. By the game’s end, the Grizzlies set franchise records for the most points in a game and the highest shooting percentage at 62.5%. The 73-point lead from the Grizzlies against the Thunder remains the biggest blowest ever.

Cleveland Cavaliers 148, Miami Heat 80 (December 17, 1991)

Before Lebron James embroiled Cleveland and Miami in a basketball rivalry, the teams faced off in one of the biggest losses in basketball history. From the outset, it seemed like Cleveland had it in the bag. By halftime, Cleveland led the Heat 73-53. In the second half, Cleveland continued their dominance with a 75-27 lead. From there, the Cavaliers held the upper hand ensuring victory in the final quarter with 42-13 points over the Heat.

While two Heat players, Steve Smith and Kevin Edwards, reached double figures, it wasn’t enough to tie up the game, much less win. Meanwhile, Cleveland used a true team effort to blow out Miami. Surprisingly, not a single Cleveland player scored above 18 points. As a team, however, they shot with a 57.3% point percentage. From there, the Cavaliers beat the Boston Celtics in the NBA semifinals before losing to the Chicago Bulls in the conference finals.

Indiana Pacers 124, Portland Trail Blazers 59 (February 27, 1998)

Not all of the biggest losses in basketball history come from single-player excellence. Case in point, the Indiana Pacers and Portland Trail Blazers matchup on February 27, 1998. While the Pacers finished the game with a record 65-point lead over the Trail Blazers, star player Reggie Miller only scored 11 points. Instead, Pacers player Mark Jackson held the lead with 18 points. As for the rest of the team, eight total players reached double-digit shots.

In terms of Portland’s performance, the team failed to make any headway throughout the game, ending with a paltry 59 points. A disappointing match, to be sure, but it didn’t stop Portland from making headway in the season overall. They finished sixth seed in the Western Conference that year, before losing to the Los Angeles Lakers at the start of the playoffs. As for the Pacers, they made it to the Eastern Conference finals before falling to the Chicago Bulls in a seven-game playoff series.

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

With a 49-30 record, the Golden State Warriors probably felt confident going into this matchup with the Los Angeles Lakers. Instead, the Lakers embarrassed them with a 63-point blowout. Multiple Lakers players scored in the double digits, including Gail Goodrich, Jim McMillian, and John Trapp. While the Warriors managed to outscore the Lakers in the second quarter, it did little to stop the Lakers’ onslaught for the remainder of the game.

It may have been a fortuitous win for the Los Angeles Lakers, as the team went on to win the season that year. After advancing to Western Conference finals they beat the Milwaukee Bucks. After that, the team went on to win the NBA Finals against the New York Knicks. With legendary players like Jerry West and Wilt Chamberlain dotting the Lakers’ roster, they were a shoo-in for the NBA championship.

Golden State Warriors 153, Sacramento Kings 91 (November 2, 1991)

When the Golden State Warriors faced off against the Sacramento Kings on November 2nd, it was only the second game of the 1991 season. Chris Mullin, a shooting technician and one of the best players in the league, led the Warriors with 32 points, seven rebounds, and six assists. Thanks to his help, the Warriors set the second-largest margin of victory in NBA history (at the time).

In many ways, this game spelled out the season for both teams. The Golden State Warriors went 55-27, before securing the third seed in the Western Conference. However, they fell to the Seattle SuperSonics in the first round of the playoffs. As for the Sacramento Kings, they endured a miserable 29-53 season. As such, they finished dead last in the NBA Pacific Division.

Syracuse Nationals 162, New York Knicks 100 (December 25, 1960)

One of the biggest losses in basketball history marked a low point in an already historically bad season for the New York Knicks. During their matchup against the Syracuse Nationals on December 25, 1960, the Knicks managed to have two players score 21 points each. It was not enough, however, to contain the Nationals’ dominance. Nine Nationals players scored in the double digits, including Dave Gambee and Hal Greer who led with 24 points each.

From the outset, the Nationals held an easy lead over the Knicks. In each of the first two quarters, they scored 39 points. From there, they secured victory with 42 points in each of the last two quarters. As for the New York Knicks, the game became emblematic of the team’s disappointing year. That’s because the Knicks finished the season with the worst record in the NBA.

(For other abysmal records, discover the most embarrassing sports records in history. )

Oklahoma City Thunder 139, Portland Trail Blazers 77 (January 11, 2024)

While many of the biggest losses in basketball history happened in the past, more than one occurred this year. On January 11, 2024, the Oklahoma City Thunder faced off against the Portland Trail Blazers. Embracing that home-court advantage, the Thunder obliterated the Trail Blazers with a 62-point lead by the final buzzer. From the outset, their victory should have seemed apparent. The Thunder held a 57-25 record while the Trail Blazers struggled with an abysmal 21-61 record that year.

Thunder players reinforced this mismatch after players Shai Gilgeous-Alexander earned 31 points and Josh Giddey reached a triple-double. By the season’s end, the Thunder led the Northwest division with 57 wins, while the Trail Blazers sat firmly in last place with a stunning 61 losses.

Charlotte Hornets 140, Memphis Grizzlies 79 (March 22, 2018)

While many people argue over the benefits of a home-court advantage, the Charlotte Hornets’ massive win over the Memphis Grizzlies on March 22, 2018, lends credence to the idea. From the outset, the Hornets showed dominance, scoring 37 points in the first quarter compared to the Grizzlies lowly 14 points. This trend continued the rest of the game, with the Hornets scoring at least over 28 points for the remaining quarters.

Hornets player Kemba Walker, however, emerged as the breakout star of the game. Not only did he score a remarkable 46 points total, he also made 10 3-point shots. This clinched the lopsided victory and became one of the biggest losses in basketball history. In truth, neither team ended the season with a good record. The Hornets fared a bit better, however, with their 32-41 record compared to the Grizzlies’ 19-53 record. Nevertheless, each team ended the season in second to last place for their respective regions making this game somewhat of a fluke in an otherwise unremarkable season.

Miami Heat 142, Portland Trail Blazers 82 (March 29, 2024)

Through each quarter of their matchup on March 29, 2024, the Miami Heat showed dominance over the Portland Trail Blazers. The first quarter saw the Heat score an easy 37 points while the Trail Blazers struggled with only 14 points. While the Blazers came back a bit in the second quarter by scoring 28 points, it did little to break the Heat’s stride. After scoring 38 points in the second quarter, the Head went on to win over the Trail Blazers by sixty points. This gave the Heat the largest margin of victory in franchise history.

The breakout star of the game was the Heat player Bam Adebayo. He scored 21 total points while also earning 11 rebounds and nine assists. Other notable plays include Heat player Patty Mills’ 26-foot, 3-point shot in the third quarter. By the end of the season, the Miami Heat held a 40-33 record, placing them second in the Southeastern Conference. As for the Portland Trail Blazers, they finished the season with a disappointing 19-55 record. This placed them dead last in the Northwestern Conference for the 2024 season.

Milwaukee Bucks 143, Detroit Pistons 84 (December 26, 1978)

Another one of the biggest losses in basketball history occurred on the day after Christmas, December 26, 1978. Operating with home-court advantage, the Milwaukee Bucks obliterated the Detroit Pistons with a 59-point margin of victory. This resulted in the Bucks winning against the Pistons 143-84. From the outset, the Milwaukee Bucks showed dominance, scoring no less than 32 points each quarter. For their part, the Detroit Pistons struggled to keep up, scoring no more than 24 points in any quarter of the game.

Surprisingly, five Pistons players managed to score in the double digits. The team’s lead scorer Terry Tyler, however, only managed an unexceptional 16 points total. Meanwhile, every starting player the Milwaukee Bucks scored in the double digits. The Bucks’ reserve players made their mark too, as backup Ernie Grunfeld led the team with 27 points. While both teams finished the season with a losing record, the Bucks managed to edge out the Pistons overall. By playoffs, the Bucks held a 15-22 record while the Detroit Pistons held a slightly worse record of 11-22. Though the margin of victory stood under 60 points, it still stands as one of the biggest losses in the history of basketball.

(For victorious hoop dreams, discover 12 of the biggest wins in American basketball history. )

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