The NBA playoffs are the most thrilling part of the season for basketball fans. The best teams match up to play ultra-competitive games starring the best players and the best teams in the best league in the world. If you're lucky the game goes right down to the wire and is decided by a play that becomes part of basketball history.
And if you're unlucky it's a blowout and you need to find something else to watch in the second half.
It happens. Sometimes games just aren't competitive. One team is one fire or the other just can't buy a bucket. Whatever causes the blowout, all you can do is watch… or change the channel. With that in mind, here are the ten biggest blowouts in NBA playoff history.
Date
Score
Margin of Defeat
4/27/2009
Denver Nuggets 121, New Orleans Hornets 63
58
3/19/1956
Minneapolis Lakers 133, St. Louis Hawks 75
58
4/21/1973
Los Angeles Lakers 126, Golden State Warriors 70
56
4/30/2015
Chicago Bulls 120, Milwaukee Bucks 66
56
4/20/2025
Oklahoma City Thunder 131, Memphis Grizzlies 80
52
4/4/1971
Milwaukee Bucks 136, San Francisco Warriors 86
50
4/28/1995
Orlando Magic 124, Boston Celtics 77
47
4/17/1986
Los Angeles Lakers 135, San Antonio 88
47
5/16/2024
Minnesota Timberwolves 115, Denver Nuggets 70
45
5/19/2017
Cleveland Cavaliers 130, Boston Celtics 86
44
Denver Nuggets 121, New Orleans Hornets 63
Western Conf. First Round – April 27, 2009
Led by Carmelo Anthony's 26 points, seven Nuggets scored in double-figures. David West led the Hornets in scoring as Christ Paul was held to four points, six assists and six turnovers in 36 minutes. George Karl's Nuggets would complete a gentleman's sweep with a 22-point win two nights later.
Minneapolis Lakers 133, St. Louis Hawks 75
Western Division Semifinals – March 19, 1956
Ten different Lakers scored in double-figures while the Hawks shot a combined 22-of-91 from the field. The Hawks would go on to win the deciding Game 3 by one point in what would be George Mikan's final game.
Los Angeles Lakers 126, Golden State Warriors 70
Western Conf. Finals – April 21, 1973
The Warriors shot just 23% from the field during this game and Rick Barry was the only player on Golden State to get into double-figures with 10 points. Meanwhile, Wilt Chamberlain, in the final postseason of his career, scored 12 points on 2-of-2 shooting and played a playoff-low 39 minutes because the game was so lopsided. He only sat out 11 total minutes the rest of that postseason combined.
Chicago Bulls 120, Milwaukee Bucks 66
Eastern Conf. First Round – April 30, 2015
Derrick Rose, Jimmy Butler, Mike Dunleavy, Joakim Noah and Pau Gasol started for the Bulls who took a 32-point lead into halftime and never looked back. The Bulls made 15 of 30 three-pointers, while the Bucks, coached by Jason Kidd, played 13 players who all finished with single-digit point totals. Giannis Antetokounmpo, in just his second season, started and played 15 minutes.
Oklahoma City Thunder 131, Memphis Grizzlies 80
Western Conf. First Round – April 21, 2025
The Thunder trounced the Grizzlies on Easter Sunday despite the fact that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander made just 4 of 13 shots and as a team OKC only made 17 of 48 three-pointers. Memphis had absolutely nothing to offer the 68-win OKC team.
Milwaukee Bucks 136, San Francisco Warriors 86
Western Conf. Semifinals – April 4, 1971
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and the Bucks won the first three games of this series, all by double-digits, before losing Game 4 in Oakland by two. The Warriors were not able to get back up for another game. The Bucks were up 20 after one quarter and 34 at halftime and 48 at the end of the third. Milwaukee would go on to win the title and finished the postseason with a 12-2 record.
Orlando Magic 124, Boston Celtics 77
Eastern Conf. First Round – April 28, 1995
Shaquille O'Neal and Horace Grant combined for 38 points, 25 rebounds and four blocked shots in the first game of a 3-1 Orlando series victory. Dee Brown led the Celtics with 20 points and made Boston's lone three-pointer. The Celtics came into the series with a 35-47 record and would not return to the postseason for another seven seasons. Meanwhile, the Magic would go on to play the Houston Rockets in the NBA Finals.
Los Angeles Lakers 135, San Antonio Spurs 88
Western Conf. First Round – April 17, 1986
The three-game Lakers' sweep of the Spurs in 1986 has to be one of the most lopsided series in NBA history. The Lakers won 62 games that season while the Spurs only won 35. In Game 1 seven different Lakers scored in double-figures and Magic Johnson had 18 assists. After blowing the Spurs out by 47 in the first game of the series they followed that with wins of 28 and 20 points in the next two games.
Minnesota Timberwolves 115, Denver Nuggets 70
Western Conf. Semifinals – May 16, 2024
The Timberwolves jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the series before losing three straight. Then they won Game 6 by 35. The Nuggets were ice cold from three making just 9-of-36 from long range. Anthony Edwards scored 27 and Rudy Gobert, Naz Reid and Karl-Anthony Towns combined for 38 rebounds. Minnesota went on to eliminate the defending champions in Game 7.
Cleveland Cavaliers 130, Boston Celtics 86
Eastern Conf. Finals – May 19, 2017
The Cavaliers made 19 of 39 three-pointers and were led by LeBron James's 30 points. Kevin Love added 21 points and 12 rebounds. Rookie Jaylen Brown led Boston in scoring with 19 off the bench. The Cavaliers would eliminate the Celtics six days later with a 32-point blowout win in Boston.
