73 Points! The Biggest Blowout In NBA History And The Most Lopsided Defeats Of The Modern Era

The NBA, a league synonymous with competitive, high-stakes basketball, is also home to some of the most shocking and lopsided defeats in sports history. As of today, December 13, 2025, the all-time record for the largest margin of victory—a staggering 73 points—stands as a modern testament to a perfect storm of team excellence meeting opponent collapse. This record-shattering game redefined what a true blowout could look like in the professional basketball landscape.

The quest for the "biggest blowout in NBA" is a search for statistical dominance, a moment when one team simply could not miss and the other could not buy a bucket. While the record was set relatively recently, the list of the most dominant wins stretches back decades, each one a fascinating case study in basketball history and a painful memory for the losing franchise.

The Undisputed King: The 73-Point Massacre

The current, and likely unbreakable, NBA record for the largest margin of victory belongs to the Memphis Grizzlies. This historic game was not a playoff elimination but a regular-season contest that unexpectedly turned into a statistical anomaly.

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Game Profile: Memphis Grizzlies vs. Oklahoma City Thunder

• Winning Team: Memphis Grizzlies
• Losing Team: Oklahoma City Thunder
• Date: December 2, 2021
• Final Score: Grizzlies 152, Thunder 79
• Margin of Victory: 73 Points (NBA All-Time Record)
• Context: The game was played at the Grizzlies' home court, FedExForum, in Memphis, Tennessee.

The severity of the defeat was evident early on. The Grizzlies doubled up the Thunder by halftime, heading into the break with a commanding 72-36 lead. The dominance was total and relentless, with Memphis showcasing remarkable depth as they set a new franchise record for points scored in a game. The team’s starters barely played in the second half, yet the bench unit continued to widen the gap, pushing the point differential further into historic territory.

In a rare statistical feat, the Grizzlies had nine different players score in double figures, a clear sign that the entire roster contributed to the massive win. Jaren Jackson Jr. led the team with 27 points, while rookie Santi Aldama added 18 points and 10 rebounds. This stunning 152-79 victory obliterated the previous regular season record of 68 points, which had stood for 30 years.

The Previous Record Holders: A Look Back at Historic Blowouts

Before the Grizzlies' 73-point win, the record for the largest margin of victory in NBA history was a tie between two equally brutal, but less recent, games. Understanding these prior records provides crucial context for just how monumental the 2021 game truly was.

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1. Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Miami Heat (68 Points)

For three decades, the Cavaliers held the undisputed record. On December 17, 1991, the Cavaliers defeated the Miami Heat 148-80. This game is a classic example of a veteran, playoff-contending team (the Cavs) absolutely dismantling a young, struggling expansion franchise (the Heat). The 68-point margin was a benchmark of dominance that many believed would never be surpassed.

2. Indiana Pacers vs. Portland Trail Blazers (65 Points)

The third-largest lopsided NBA defeat occurred on December 6, 1998, when the Indiana Pacers crushed the Portland Trail Blazers 124-59. The 65-point victory margin is notable not just for its size, but because it happened in a low-scoring era, showcasing a defensive masterpiece by the Pacers as much as an offensive explosion.

The fact that the Grizzlies managed to surpass the 68-point mark by an additional five points highlights an increasing trend of high-scoring games in the modern NBA, where a cold shooting night can quickly snowball into a generational loss.

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The Biggest Blowouts of the Modern NBA Era (2023-2024 Season)

To ensure topical authority, it is important to look beyond the all-time record and examine the most recent, significant blowouts. The 2023-2024 NBA season delivered several massive wins, proving that even in a league designed for parity, complete domination is still possible. These recent examples showcase the current landscape of extreme point differential games.

The 2023-2024 Season's Most Dominant Wins

• 62 Points: Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Portland Trail Blazers
  The Thunder, ironically the victims of the all-time record, turned the tables with the biggest win of the 2023-2024 season. On January 11, 2024, OKC delivered a 139-77 beatdown to the Trail Blazers. This 62-point victory is a remarkable demonstration of the league's high-variance nature.
• 57 Points: Boston Celtics vs. Golden State Warriors
  On March 3, 2024, the powerhouse Boston Celtics demolished the Golden State Warriors 140-88. This 52-point win was a statement game, demonstrating the Celtics' championship pedigree and the Warriors' struggles during that period.
• 51 Points: Sacramento Kings vs. Brooklyn Nets
  The Kings delivered a massive 153-102 win over the Nets on December 20, 2023. This 51-point margin was a testament to the Kings' high-octane offense.

These recent games underscore a critical trend: the modern NBA game, with its emphasis on three-point shooting and pace, is uniquely structured to produce extreme statistical outcomes. When one team is hitting their threes and the other is not, a 20-point lead can become a 40-point lead in a matter of minutes, leading to these historic and humiliating losses. The search for the biggest blowout in NBA history is not just about a single game, but about the forces—statistical variance, team depth, and the three-point revolution—that make such staggering margins possible.

The Psychology of the Blowout: Why Do They Happen?

A lopsided defeat of 50, 60, or even 73 points is never simply due to one team having a bad night. Multiple factors converge to create these rare statistical events:

• The Three-Point Variance: The modern NBA is heavily reliant on the three-point shot. If the winning team shoots 50% from beyond the arc and the losing team shoots 20%, the point differential explodes exponentially.
• Rest vs. Schedule: Often, the losing team is on the second night of a back-to-back, dealing with travel fatigue, or missing key players due to injury management. The Thunder, in their record-setting loss, were without their star player, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
• The Bench Factor: In a close game, the starters play heavy minutes. In a blowout, the benches play the entire fourth quarter (and often the third). When a deep, talented bench plays against an opponent’s third-stringers, the margin continues to widen dramatically. The Grizzlies’ record was padded significantly by their reserves.
• Lack of Motivation: Once the deficit reaches 40 or 50 points, the losing team often loses all competitive fire, leading to rushed shots, turnovers, and a complete breakdown of defensive effort, further accelerating the NBA blowout.

The 73-point record set by the Memphis Grizzlies is more than just a number; it is a permanent marker in the annals of NBA history, a game where everything went right for one side and disastrously wrong for the other. It serves as a reminder that even among the world's greatest basketball players, the gap between excellence and collapse can be wider than anyone imagines.