When teams make the NBA Finals, fans hope their team plays well and avoids blowouts. Throughout the years, NBA fans have witnessed multiple games that were not competitive from start to finish.
Imagine a situation in Game 1 of the NBA Finals, and you have a blowout loss with a defeat margin of 30-plus points.
It doesn’t paint a pretty picture. Yet, some teams returned to level the series and regain their mojo, and the Boston Celtics showed it in 2024. Let’s look at the number of teams that won by a massive points margin in the history of the NBA Finals.
Shocking Blowouts in the History of the NBA Finals
Let’s explore teams with the highest point margin defeats.
- 1978 – Washington Bullets 117, Seattle Supersonics 82 – 35 points
The Washington Bullets won the NBA title in 1978 and, on the way, handed the Seattle Supersonics a 35-point drubbing. The Bullets had an offensive rating of 105.9 to the Supersonics’ 74.2 and shot the ball well from the floor.
Fred Brown, Gus Williams, and Marvin Webster scored 10-plus points, with the rest of the players failing to put something on the board.
In the meantime, Bullets legend Elvin Hayes scored 21 points, grabbed 15 rebounds, including eight on the offensive boards. He got plenty of second-chance efforts and finished the game with five blocks.
The 44.6 ORB% changed the game, with Hayes and Wes Unseld dominating the paint. Ultimately, Seattle lost the game by a 35-point margin as the Bullets took that momentum into Game 7 and won the championship.
- 2013 – San Antonio Spurs 113, Miami Heat 77 – 36 points
With a 16.6 TOV%, the San Antonio Spurs battled hard for the ball, forcing turnovers from the sensational Miami Heat trio of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Mario Chalmers. James and Wade had two turnovers, while Chalmers had four turnovers. The Heat’s Big 3 had an off-shooting night, while the Spurs took full advantage.
Danny Green ended the night with 27 points, while Kawhi Leonard had 14 points, 12 rebounds, and four steals. The Spurs’ three-point shooting made the difference, with a 50.0% shooting average from beyond the arc. Hence, the Spurs gave the Heat a good old-fashioned thrashing as they won the game by 36 points.
- 2024 – Dallas Mavericks 122, Boston Celtics 84 – 38 points
With the Celtics leading the series 3-0, the Dallas Mavericks avoided a clean sweep with a spectacular performance in Game 4. The Mavericks held Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown under 16 points apiece, forcing the Celtics into 14 turnovers. They shot 36.3% from the floor, and the Celtics couldn’t catch a break.
But the Mavericks had a solid time in racking up the points. Luka Dončić finished with 29 points. Even though he shot 0-for-8 from beyond the arc, the Mavericks’ role players came in to drain some crucial three-pointers.
Kyrie Irving finished the game with 21 points and six assists, and Derrick Lively II grabbed 12 rebounds. Yet, the Celtics came away with the victory and won their 18th NBA title.
- 2008 – Boston Celtics 131, Los Angeles Lakers 92 – 39 points
The Celtics finished the 2008 season with their 17th NBA Championship by beating the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 6 by a 39-point margin. The Lakers committed 19 turnovers to the Celtics’ eight, and Kobe Bryant finished the game with just 22 points.
He couldn’t get it going and the Lakers got thumped in Game 6, sparking grand celebrations by the Celtics’ faithful.
Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, and Rajon Rondo combined for 73 points to destroy the Lakers. The Celtics’ offensive rating of 138.1 was among the highest in the NBA Finals. Every shot the Celtics put up pretty much went into the basket, giving them a sensational victory over their rivals.
- 1998 – Chicago Bulls 96, Utah Jazz 54 – 42 points
The Utah Jazz tried hard to win their first championship after their 1997 NBA Finals loss. They won Game 1, but the Chicago Bulls clawed back to win Game 2.
With everything on the line for Game 3, the Bulls brought their A-game and dominated the Jazz. Karl Malone and Co. committed 26 turnovers and had an eFG% of 30.7 from the floor. Malone stood tall with 22 points, but the rest of his teammates didn’t get past eight points.
On the other hand, Michael Jordan scored 24 points, shooting 50.0% from the floor and having an FT% of 90.9. The Bulls completed their second three-peat, and Jordan won his sixth NBA championship and as many Finals MVPs.
It marked the end of an era of dominance from the Bulls, and no team will come close to that, apart from the legendary Bill Russell-led Celtics team.
These teams blew out their opposition. With the 2025 NBA Finals coming up, fans hope there won’t be blowouts like this in the series.
