NBA playoff games are supposed to be competitive and close as teams are vying to improve their NBA championship odds, but at times, teams are just overmatched. This results in a blowout. But which teams had the biggest winning margin in the NBA playoffs?
The Denver Nuggets and Minneapolis Lakers hold the record for the biggest blowout in NBA playoff history with a 58-point win margin over the New Orleans Pelicans and St. Louis Hawks. Denver defeated the Pelicans in Game 4 of the 2009 playoffs on their home floor. Carmelo Anthony led the beating with his 26 points output to take a commanding 3-1 series lead.
In 2009, the Denver Nuggets and New Orleans Hornets managed to give us the worst NBA Playoff game ever. pic.twitter.com/OS2YtNtndZ
— SB Nation (@SBNation) July 6, 2019
On the other hand, the Minneapolis Lakers dispatched the St. Louis Hawks in Game 2 of their Western Conference semifinals showdown on April 21, 1973. All of the Lakers’ 10 players were able to score in double digits, with Slater Martin and Dick Schnittker leading the scorers with 19 points and 18 points.
Following the Nuggets and Lakers on the list are the Los Angeles Lakers with their 56-point rout of the Golden State Warriors on April 21, 1973. It was Game 3 of the 1972 NBA Western Conference finals, and six Los Angeles players reached double-figure scoring as Jim McMillian spearheaded the team’s offense with his 28 points. Meanwhile, only Rick Barry scored 10 points for the Warriors.
Completing the top five playoff blowouts are the Chicago Bulls, who defeated the Milwaukee Bucks by 54 points, and the Milwaukee Bucks, who beat the San Francisco Warriors by 50 points. First, the Bulls closed out their first-round assignment in the 2015 postseason with a 54-point statement Game 6 win over the Bucks. Five Bulls players broke into double-digit scoring, while none of the Bucks players reached the 10-point mark.
On April 4, 1971, Bucks cruised past the San Francisco Warriors, 136-86, to record a 50-point win margin and set the fifth-biggest blowout in NBA playoff history. Jon McGlockin and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar led the team in scoring with 28 points and 23 points. The win also got them to the next round of the playoffs.
Below is a table of the top 11 biggest NBA playoff blowouts. Note that these numbers are as of the 2021-22 season.
Top 11 Biggest NBA Playoff Blowouts
| Rank | Teams and Score | Win Margin | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| T-1 | Denver Nuggets (121) vs. New Orleans Pelicans (63) | 58 | April 27, 2009 |
| T-1 | Minneapolis Lakers (133) vs. St. Louis Hawks (75) | 58 | March 19, 1956 |
| 2 | Los Angeles Lakers (126) vs. Golden State Warriors (70) | 56 | April 21, 1973 |
| 3 | Chicago Bulls (120) vs. Milwaukee Bucks (66) | 54 | April 30, 2015 |
| 4 | Milwaukee Bucks (136) vs. San Francisco Warriors (86) | 50 | April 4, 1972 |
| T-5 | Orlando Magic (124) vs. Boston Celtics (77) | 47 | April 28, 1995 |
| T-5 | Los Angeles Lakers (135) vs. San Antonio Spurs (88) | 47 | April 17, 1986 |
| T-8 | Cleveland Cavaliers (130) vs. Boston Celtics (86) | 44 | May 19, 2017 |
| T-8 | Seattle SuperSonics (122) vs. Phoenix Suns (78) | 44 | April 27, 1997 |
| T-8 | Los Angeles Lakers (153) vs. Denver Nuggets (109) | 44 | May 22, 1985 |
| T-8 | St. Louis Hawks (145) vs. Detroit Pistons (101) | 44 | March 25, 1958 |
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