On Wednesday, the New York Knicks absolutely destroyed the Brooklyn Nets 120-66. This New York showdown became a 54-point beatdown, with six Knicks players scoring in double figures.
New York shot 57% from the field and 50% from three-point range. Meanwhile, the Nets shot a dreadful 29% from the field, and their leading scorer was Michael Porter Jr. with just 12 points. While the Knicks clearly dominated, is this the biggest blowout of all time? Let’s revisit the most one-sided contest in NBA history.
Revisiting the Biggest Blowout in League History
The Memphis Grizzlies’ 152-79 demolition of the Oklahoma City Thunder on Dec. 2, 2021, stands alone as the most lopsided game in NBA history.
That’s a 73-point margin.
Memphis had nine players score in double-figures, led by Jaren Jackson Jr.’s 27 points. What made this blowout even more impressive is that the Grizzlies did it without Ja Morant (but it’s worth noting that the Thunder didn’t have Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who was in the NBA’s concussion protocol).
Memphis shot 63% from the field and 53% from three-point range, while OKC shot 33% from the field and 29% from long range.
While Oklahoma City is a juggernaut these days, the franchise was rebuilding back then. In fact, this was their eighth loss in a row and it dropped them to 6-16 on the season, and they finished the year 24-58.
“Tonight is not necessarily who we are,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said after the historic loss. “I think we’ve definitely shown that from a competitive standpoint.”
MORE: What’s the Lowest-Scoring Game in NBA History?
The previous record holder was the Cleveland Cavaliers, whose 148-80 win over the Miami Heat on Dec. 17, 1991, came in a different era. That Cavaliers team, led by Mark Price and Brad Daugherty, faced a Heat squad in just their fourth NBA season. The 68-point margin stood for three decades.
Consider this: five of the 12 largest margins of victory in NBA history have occurred since 2018. The 2020s have seen a dramatic increase in 50-point blowouts compared to previous decades (likely due to the number of three-pointers teams are shooting today).
In 2023-24, the Portland Trail Blazers lost by 62 points to Oklahoma City and 60 points to Miami within the same season, becoming the first team in league history to suffer multiple 60-point losses in a single campaign.
The Complete List of the NBA’s Biggest Blowouts
Here are the biggest blowouts in league history. While the Knicks’ win over the Nets was impressive, it didn’t crack the top 10 all-time.
1. 73 points: Memphis Grizzlies 152, Oklahoma City Thunder 79 (Dec. 2, 2021)
2. 68 points: Cleveland Cavaliers 148, Miami Heat 80 (Dec. 17, 1991)
3. 65 points: Indiana Pacers 124, Portland Trail Blazers 59 (Feb. 27, 1998)
4. 63 points: Los Angeles Lakers 162, Golden State Warriors 99 (Mar. 19, 1972)
5T. 62 points: Golden State Warriors 153, Sacramento Kings 91 (Nov. 2, 1991)
5T. 62 points: Syracuse Nationals 162, New York Knicks 100 (Dec. 25, 1960)
5T. 62 points: Oklahoma City Thunder 139, Portland Trail Blazers 77 (Jan. 11, 2024)
In the NBA Playoffs, the biggest blowout was 58 points, and it happened twice: The Minneapolis Lakers’ 133-75 win over St. Louis in 1956, and the Denver Nuggets’ 121-63 rout of New Orleans in 2009.
Some teams now attempt more than 40 three-pointers per game, which is why blowouts are more common these days. When shots fall for one team and clank for another, the scoreboard can spiral out of control unlike ever before.
