The NBA playoffs feature the best teams in the league competing for the most coveted trophy in the NBA. Since the bottom half of the league doesn’t qualify for the postseason, the playoff matchups are expected to produce fewer blowouts than the regular season. However, the mental warfare of a truly dominant victory encourages teams to pile on the points regardless of the scoreboard, and several massive playoff blowouts have been recorded as a result.
Recently, the Oklahoma City Thunder came off a blowout win over the Memphis Grizzlies. This was one of the most dominant showings on a basketball court of all time, and the fact that it kicked off the Thunder’s championship hunt made it all the more impactful. There have been several other big blowouts in NBA history, so let’s see where they rank in terms of the largest NBA playoff victories of all time.
58 Points: Denver Nuggets 121-63 New Orleans Hornets, April 27th, 2009, Round 1 Game 4
The Denver Nuggets had a 2-1 series lead in the first round of the 2008-2009 playoffs before crushing the New Orleans Hornets in game four. The Nuggets held the Pelicans to 15 points or fewer in three of the four quarters, putting on a true defensive masterclass. The Hornets scored just 17 baskets in the game with a mere 10 assists. Chris Paul led the team with 6 assists, and the Hornets shortly bowed out after this humiliating loss. For the Nuggets, they shot 50% from behind the arc and were led by 26 points from Carmelo Anthony. Denver went on to beat the Mavericks in the second round but lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference Finals.
58 Points: Minneapolis Lakers 133-75 St.Louis Hawks, March 19th, 1956, Round 1 Game 2
The Minneapolis Lakers tied up the series in emphatic fashion with their 133-75 victory in game two of the Western Division semifinals. The St.Louis Hawks won game one 116-115 and also won game three by the exact same scoreline. Ten players scored 10 or more points for the Minneapolis Lakers, with Slater Martin leading the way with just 19 points. A bad night from Bob Pettit on the Hawks was the only reason this one got out of hand, as the Hawks were the better team for most of this series.
56 Points: Los Angeles Lakers 126-70 Golden State Warriors, April 21st, 1973, Round 2 Game 3
The Los Angeles Lakers demolished the Golden State Warriors to stretch their lead to 3-0 before eventually winning the series 4-1. They lost to the New York Knicks in the NBA Finals after this game, but this will go down as one of the most dominant performances of all time. Jim McMillan scored a team high 28 points, while Wilt Chamberlain hauled in an incredible 25 rebounds. Golden State’s Rick Barry led the team with 10 points, and the Warriors were deflated throughout this game and the series as a whole.
54 Points: Chicago Bulls 120-66 Milwaukee Bucks, April 30th, 2015, Round 1 Game 6
The Chicago Bulls held a 3-2 lead heading into a crucial game 6 and left no doubt about who the better team was. They took a 32 point lead into halftime before adding on even more points in the second half, thanks to 20 points from Mike Dunleavy. Jimmy Butler and Pau Gasol had strong nights for the Bulls, and they held the Bucks to just 32.9% from the floor and 21.1% from behind the arc. The Bucks had more turnovers than assists and limped out of the playoffs in one of the worst home games in league history.
51 Points: Oklahoma City Thunder 131-80 Memphis Grizzlies, April 20th, 2025, Round 1 Game 1
The Oklahoma City Thunder sent a message to the league with their game one victory as they demolished the Grizzlies by 51 points. It was the largest playoff victory in 10 years, and the Thunder haven’t looked back as they have jumped out to a 3-0 series lead. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the MVP favorite, but it wasn’t his offense that led to this inflated scoreline. The Thunder had six players score 12 or more points, and held the Grizzlies to 6/34 from behind the three point line.
To make matters worse, the Thunder won game two before digging themselves a 29 point hole in game three. They stormed all the way back after holding Memphis to just 31 second half points, and now look poised to make a deep run to the NBA Finals. None of the previous teams to win by 51+ points in the playoffs have gone on to win the NBA championship, and the Thunder will look to break that streak this year.
