Biggest NBA Playoff Blowouts Ever: Top 10 Largest Margin Wins
Published on April 30th, 2026 9:43 pm ESTWritten By: Dave Manuel
The NBA playoffs are supposed to be where the league's best teams meet and grind out close, hard-fought basketball. Most of the time, that's exactly what happens. But every once in a while, one team comes out flat and the other team comes out absolutely scorching, and you end up with a game that doesn't belong in the postseason at all. We're talking 50, 55, even 58-point margins of victory in games that supposedly mattered. Some of these blowouts came in series-clinching elimination games. Some came when an All-Star superstar quietly disappeared on the box score. And some came in front of crowds that filed out before the third quarter ended. Here are the 10 biggest blowouts in NBA playoff history, ranked by margin of victory.
NBA Postseason Record Books
The 10 Biggest Blowouts in Playoff History
When the lights are brightest and the games are supposed to mean the most, these are the postseason beatings that nobody in the losing locker room wants to remember.
58
Largest Margin
2
Tied for #1
3
Since 2024
0
In NBA Finals
Playoff blowouts hit different. Regular season beatdowns happen all the time and most of them are throwaways: tanking teams playing tanking teams, back-to-backs in March, road trips where one squad just shows up tired. The postseason is supposed to be the opposite. The teams that made it are the best 16, the rotations are tight, the coaches are dialed in, and every possession is supposed to matter. Which is why when a 50-point margin shows up on a playoff scoreboard, it usually means something completely fell apart, and we end up talking about it for years.
I went through every postseason game in NBA history to put this list together. The top 10 ranges from a 1956 Minneapolis Lakers demolition to a Cleveland Cavaliers beatdown of the Heat from just last year. Some of these are series clinchers. Some are statement wins from teams that went on to win it all. One features a future Hall of Famer scoring four points and never recovering from it. Let's get into it.
When all three of those conditions hit at once in a postseason game, you get the kind of result the losing team never wants to talk about again. And in the case of the 2009 Hornets, the 1956 Hawks, and the 2025 Heat, you get one of the most lopsided games in NBA history, played on a stage where it isn't supposed to be possible.The 58-point benchmark held by the 1956 Lakers stood for 53 years before the 2009 Nuggets matched it. The Cavs got within three points of breaking it last year. Will it ever fall? Hard to say. The combination of factors that produce one of these is rare. But the way pace and three-point volume have changed the modern game, I would not bet against seeing 60 some night.
Until then, these 10 games stand as the worst beatings the postseason has ever delivered.
I went through every postseason game in NBA history to put this list together. The top 10 ranges from a 1956 Minneapolis Lakers demolition to a Cleveland Cavaliers beatdown of the Heat from just last year. Some of these are series clinchers. Some are statement wins from teams that went on to win it all. One features a future Hall of Famer scoring four points and never recovering from it. Let's get into it.
What we're working with
Before the rankings, here's a quick snapshot of the full top 10. The most lopsided regular season blowout in NBA history was a 73-point Memphis Grizzlies win over Oklahoma City in 2021, but the playoff record is significantly lower. That makes sense - bad teams don't make the playoffs, so the floor is much higher. Still, a 58-point margin in a postseason game is barely conceivable.| Rank | Year | Round | Winner | Loser | Score | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1T | 2009 | WC R1, Game 4 | Denver Nuggets | New Orleans Hornets | 121-63 | 58 |
| 1T | 1956 | WD Semis, Game 1 | Minneapolis Lakers | St. Louis Hawks | 133-75 | 58 |
| 3 | 1973 | WC Finals, Game 3 | Los Angeles Lakers | Golden State Warriors | 126-70 | 56 |
| 4 | 2025 | EC R1, Game 4 | Cleveland Cavaliers | Miami Heat | 138-83 | 55 |
| 5 | 2015 | EC R1, Game 6 | Chicago Bulls | Milwaukee Bucks | 120-66 | 54 |
| 6 | 2025 | WC R1, Game 1 | Oklahoma City Thunder | Memphis Grizzlies | 131-80 | 51 |
| 7 | 1971 | WC Semis, Game 5 | Milwaukee Bucks | San Francisco Warriors | 136-86 | 50 |
| 8T | 1995 | EC R1, Game 1 | Orlando Magic | Boston Celtics | 124-77 | 47 |
| 8T | 1986 | WC R1, Game 1 | Los Angeles Lakers | San Antonio Spurs | 135-88 | 47 |
| 10 | 2024 | WC Semis, Game 6 | Minnesota Timberwolves | Denver Nuggets | 115-70 | 45 |
Margin of Victory: All-Time Top 10
Horizontal bars showing the point differential of each game in the all-time top 10
Top 10 list shown by point differential. The 13-point gap between #1 and #10 shows just how rare 50+ point margins are in postseason basketball.
1T (tie). Denver Nuggets def. New Orleans Hornets, 121-63 (April 27, 2009)
1T
DEN 121, NOH 63
Western Conference R1, Game 4 · New Orleans Arena
+58
Margin
Modern Era The 2008-09 Hornets were a 49-win team with Chris Paul in his first MVP-caliber prime. None of that mattered. After New Orleans scored the game's opening points, Denver responded with a 27-6 sequence, and it was over before the first quarter ended.
Chris Paul, who had never scored fewer than 14 points in a playoff game before this one, finished with 4 points and 6 turnovers. He didn't even play the fourth quarter. New Orleans shot 31.5% from the floor and committed 27 turnovers, which Denver converted into 41 points. By the time the third quarter ended, the Nuggets led 89-50 and most of the home crowd had filed out.The series ended in five games. Denver went on to the Western Conference Finals, where Kobe and the Lakers finally stopped them. For the Hornets, this game was a low point in a transitional era - within a few years, ownership changed hands, Chris Paul was traded to the Clippers, and the franchise eventually rebranded as the Pelicans.
Chris Paul, who had never scored fewer than 14 points in a playoff game before this one, finished with 4 points and 6 turnovers. He didn't even play the fourth quarter. New Orleans shot 31.5% from the floor and committed 27 turnovers, which Denver converted into 41 points. By the time the third quarter ended, the Nuggets led 89-50 and most of the home crowd had filed out.
31.5%
Hornets FG%
27
NOH Turnovers
26
Melo Pts (3 Q)
Sports-King's Note
Denver's previous franchise playoff record for largest margin was 30 points (over San Antonio in 1985). They nearly doubled it in one night. That doesn't usually happen.1T (tie). Minneapolis Lakers def. St. Louis Hawks, 133-75 (March 19, 1956)
1T
MIN 133, STL 75
Western Division Semifinals, Game 1 · Minneapolis Auditorium
+58
Margin
Pre-Shot Clock Era This game stood alone as the largest playoff margin in NBA history for 53 years. The Minneapolis Lakers - the original Lakers, before the move to Los Angeles - were defending champions and one of the dominant franchises of the league's first decade. The Hawks had finished the regular season 33-39 but somehow snuck into the playoffs.
The 24-second shot clock had been introduced just one season earlier, and offensive numbers were beginning to climb. But 133 points was still an enormous output for the era. Slater Martin and Vern Mikkelsen led the Lakers attack, and the game was effectively decided by halftime.
Funny postscript: Minneapolis lost the next two games and was eliminated from the series. They had the biggest playoff blowout in NBA history at that point, and they still couldn't close out a Game 1 advantage against an under .500 team. Playoff basketball, even back then, was weird.
The 24-second shot clock had been introduced just one season earlier, and offensive numbers were beginning to climb. But 133 points was still an enormous output for the era. Slater Martin and Vern Mikkelsen led the Lakers attack, and the game was effectively decided by halftime.
Funny postscript: Minneapolis lost the next two games and was eliminated from the series. They had the biggest playoff blowout in NBA history at that point, and they still couldn't close out a Game 1 advantage against an under .500 team. Playoff basketball, even back then, was weird.
3. Los Angeles Lakers def. Golden State Warriors, 126-70 (April 21, 1973)
3
LAL 126, GSW 70
Western Conference Finals, Game 3 · Oakland Arena
+56
Margin
Wilt & West Era The 1972-73 Lakers were the defending champions, and they had Wilt Chamberlain, Jerry West, and Gail Goodrich. They came into Game 3 with a 2-0 series lead over the Warriors, who were led by Rick Barry, Nate Thurmond, and Cazzie Russell.
Game 3 in Oakland was anything but close. The Lakers steamrolled the Warriors by 56 points on their own floor, the kind of road playoff blowout that almost never happens. Wilt did Wilt things on the glass while the LA backcourt poured in points. The Oakland crowd checked out by halftime.
The Lakers wrapped up the series in five games to advance to the NBA Finals, where they ran into the Knicks and lost in five. Game 3 in Oakland would be the last truly dominant playoff performance from this version of the Lakers - Chamberlain retired after the season.
Game 3 in Oakland was anything but close. The Lakers steamrolled the Warriors by 56 points on their own floor, the kind of road playoff blowout that almost never happens. Wilt did Wilt things on the glass while the LA backcourt poured in points. The Oakland crowd checked out by halftime.
The Lakers wrapped up the series in five games to advance to the NBA Finals, where they ran into the Knicks and lost in five. Game 3 in Oakland would be the last truly dominant playoff performance from this version of the Lakers - Chamberlain retired after the season.
4. Cleveland Cavaliers def. Miami Heat, 138-83 (April 28, 2025)
4
CLE 138, MIA 83
Eastern Conference R1, Game 4 · Kaseya Center
+55
Margin
Modern Era Last year's Cavs entered the playoffs as the 64-win, top-seeded team in the East. The Heat had been a 10-seed that needed two play-in wins to make the field, and the talent gap looked exactly that wide once the games started. Cleveland led the series 3-0 heading into Game 4 in Miami, and the Heat had no answers.
Donovan Mitchell scored 22 points in just under 25 minutes. De'Andre Hunter added 19 off the bench. Ty Jerome had 18, Evan Mobley 17, Jarrett Allen put up 14 points, 12 rebounds, and 6 steals. The Cavs led 43-14 late in the first quarter, 72-33 at halftime (the third-largest halftime lead in NBA playoff history), and were up by as many as 60 in the fourth before the Heat managed to chip the final margin to 55.The 122-point combined series margin set a new NBA record for most lopsided playoff series ever, surpassing the Nuggets-Hornets mark from 2009. The Cavs would have been the first team to win a playoff game by 60 if they'd kept the foot on the gas in the final minute. They didn't quite. Either way, this was the most thorough beatdown of the modern playoff era.
Donovan Mitchell scored 22 points in just under 25 minutes. De'Andre Hunter added 19 off the bench. Ty Jerome had 18, Evan Mobley 17, Jarrett Allen put up 14 points, 12 rebounds, and 6 steals. The Cavs led 43-14 late in the first quarter, 72-33 at halftime (the third-largest halftime lead in NBA playoff history), and were up by as many as 60 in the fourth before the Heat managed to chip the final margin to 55.
+39
Halftime Lead
+60
Largest Lead
122
Series Margin (Record)
5. Chicago Bulls def. Milwaukee Bucks, 120-66 (April 30, 2015)
5
CHI 120, MIL 66
Eastern Conference R1, Game 6 · BMO Harris Bradley Center
+54
Margin
Modern Era The Bulls jumped out 3-0 in this series, then somehow let the young Bucks (a 22-year-old Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton, Brandon Knight) win two straight to drag it back to a Game 6. Tom Thibodeau's team responded with what was, until 2025, the most lopsided series-clinching game in NBA playoff history.
Chicago led 34-16 after the first quarter and 65-33 at halftime. The Bucks shot 27% from the floor for the game. Mike Dunleavy led the Bulls with 20 points, Pau Gasol added 19, and Jimmy Butler chipped in 16. The game also featured Giannis getting ejected for a flagrant 2 on Dunleavy just before halftime - a rare loss-of-composure moment for someone who would go on to be a two-time MVP.The Bulls advanced to face LeBron and the Cavaliers in the second round, where the run ended in six games. But for one night in Milwaukee, Chicago put together a near-perfect game.
Chicago led 34-16 after the first quarter and 65-33 at halftime. The Bucks shot 27% from the floor for the game. Mike Dunleavy led the Bulls with 20 points, Pau Gasol added 19, and Jimmy Butler chipped in 16. The game also featured Giannis getting ejected for a flagrant 2 on Dunleavy just before halftime - a rare loss-of-composure moment for someone who would go on to be a two-time MVP.
8
Pachulia Pts (Bucks High)
+39
Lead End of Q3
42
Bulls Pts in Paint
6. Oklahoma City Thunder def. Memphis Grizzlies, 131-80 (April 20, 2025)
6
OKC 131, MEM 80
Western Conference R1, Game 1 · Paycom Center
+51
Margin
Modern Era Last year's Thunder team finished the regular season as the #1 seed in the West with a 68-14 record, one of the best regular season marks in modern history. Memphis limped in as the #8 seed and got everything they were asking for from the opening tip.
What made this game especially absurd: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the eventual league MVP, was 4-of-13 for just 15 points. He didn't need to be the leading scorer. Jalen Williams led OKC with 20, Chet Holmgren added 19 and 10 boards, and five Thunder players hit double figures. The Thunder shot 50.5% as a team and held Memphis to 34.4%. Ja Morant scored 17 on 6-of-17 shooting and the rest of the Grizzlies offered nothing.
This 51-point margin set a record for the largest margin of victory in any Game 1 of an NBA playoff series. The Thunder went on to win the series 4-0 and eventually captured the franchise's first championship since the move from Seattle in 2008. Game 1 was where they announced themselves.
What made this game especially absurd: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the eventual league MVP, was 4-of-13 for just 15 points. He didn't need to be the leading scorer. Jalen Williams led OKC with 20, Chet Holmgren added 19 and 10 boards, and five Thunder players hit double figures. The Thunder shot 50.5% as a team and held Memphis to 34.4%. Ja Morant scored 17 on 6-of-17 shooting and the rest of the Grizzlies offered nothing.
This 51-point margin set a record for the largest margin of victory in any Game 1 of an NBA playoff series. The Thunder went on to win the series 4-0 and eventually captured the franchise's first championship since the move from Seattle in 2008. Game 1 was where they announced themselves.
7. Milwaukee Bucks def. San Francisco Warriors, 136-86 (April 4, 1971)
7
MIL 136, SF 86
Western Conference Semifinals, Game 5 · UW Field House (Madison)
+50
Margin
Kareem & Oscar Era The 1970-71 Bucks were one of the most dominant teams in NBA history. Lew Alcindor (he changed his name to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar shortly after) was the MVP. Oscar Robertson was the floor general. They went 66-16 in the regular season and steamrolled through the playoffs to win the franchise's only championship until 2021.
This game is a footnote of NBA history for an unusual reason: it wasn't played at the Bucks' regular home arena. Scheduling conflicts at Milwaukee Arena meant the Bucks played their home games during this series at the UW Field House in Madison, Wisconsin. The closeout game saw Milwaukee lead by as many as 60 points behind a fast break that, per the local game story, "had the power of a cavalry charge."
Jon McGlocklin led the Bucks with 28 points. Things got chippy in the closing minutes, with two ejections and Warriors player-coach Al Attles literally throwing a basketball at a referee's head. As the local writer put it, that throw was "one of the Warriors' only good shots of the day."
This game is a footnote of NBA history for an unusual reason: it wasn't played at the Bucks' regular home arena. Scheduling conflicts at Milwaukee Arena meant the Bucks played their home games during this series at the UW Field House in Madison, Wisconsin. The closeout game saw Milwaukee lead by as many as 60 points behind a fast break that, per the local game story, "had the power of a cavalry charge."
Jon McGlocklin led the Bucks with 28 points. Things got chippy in the closing minutes, with two ejections and Warriors player-coach Al Attles literally throwing a basketball at a referee's head. As the local writer put it, that throw was "one of the Warriors' only good shots of the day."
8T (tie). Orlando Magic def. Boston Celtics, 124-77 (April 28, 1995)
8T
ORL 124, BOS 77
Eastern Conference R1, Game 1 · Orlando Arena
+47
Margin
Shaq & Penny Era A young Shaquille O'Neal and Anfernee Hardaway in their full powers, and a Celtics team that was nowhere near its 1980s glory. Boston came in as the 8 seed at 35-47 and was on the wrong end of a Game 1 wipeout at the Orlando Arena. The Magic shot 49% from the floor, including 9-of-17 from three, and forced 18 turnovers.
Shaq led with 23 points and 11 rebounds. Dominique Wilkins (yes, the Celtics had Wilkins by 1995) scored 14. Dee Brown led Boston with 20. The 47-point loss was the worst in Celtics franchise history at that point, which says something about a franchise that had been around since 1946.
This was the first playoff win in Magic franchise history. Orlando went on to win the series 3-1, eventually reaching the NBA Finals before getting swept by the Houston Rockets. Worth noting: Game 4 of this series, played at Boston Garden, was the very last game ever held at the old Garden before it was demolished. Just not this Game 1 blowout.
Shaq led with 23 points and 11 rebounds. Dominique Wilkins (yes, the Celtics had Wilkins by 1995) scored 14. Dee Brown led Boston with 20. The 47-point loss was the worst in Celtics franchise history at that point, which says something about a franchise that had been around since 1946.
This was the first playoff win in Magic franchise history. Orlando went on to win the series 3-1, eventually reaching the NBA Finals before getting swept by the Houston Rockets. Worth noting: Game 4 of this series, played at Boston Garden, was the very last game ever held at the old Garden before it was demolished. Just not this Game 1 blowout.
8T (tie). Los Angeles Lakers def. San Antonio Spurs, 135-88 (April 17, 1986)
8T
LAL 135, SAS 88
Western Conference R1, Game 1 · The Forum
+47
Margin
Showtime Era Showtime in full bloom. Magic Johnson, Kareem, James Worthy, Byron Scott, Michael Cooper. The Spurs were a 35-47 team that had snuck into the playoffs. The mismatch was so obvious that the only question was how badly the Lakers wanted to prove a point.
Apparently, very badly. Magic ran the show, Worthy attacked the rim, and the Lakers shot 56% on their way to a 47-point series-opening win. They went on to lose the Western Conference Finals to Houston (Sampson and Olajuwon) but rebuilt for the dynasty run that produced two more championships.
Apparently, very badly. Magic ran the show, Worthy attacked the rim, and the Lakers shot 56% on their way to a 47-point series-opening win. They went on to lose the Western Conference Finals to Houston (Sampson and Olajuwon) but rebuilt for the dynasty run that produced two more championships.
10. Minnesota Timberwolves def. Denver Nuggets, 115-70 (May 16, 2024)
10
MIN 115, DEN 70
Western Conference Semifinals, Game 6 · Target Center
+45
Margin
Modern Era Defending champs, facing elimination on the road, get demolished by 45 in their opponent's house. The 2023-24 Nuggets were the reigning NBA champs and had Nikola Jokic running at MVP level. The Wolves had dropped three straight games to fall behind 3-2 in this series, and the consensus heading into Game 6 was that Minnesota was about to be eliminated.
What actually happened: Denver scored the first basket, and Minnesota responded with a 29-5 run to close the first quarter. They never looked back. Anthony Edwards had 27 points and was a plus-43 for the game (the fifth-best plus-minus mark in any playoff game since 1996-97). Jaden McDaniels added 21 on 8-of-10 shooting. Jokic finished with 22 points and missed all four of his three-point attempts.This was the largest playoff loss for a defending champion in NBA history. Minnesota then won Game 7 in Denver, completing the largest Game 7 comeback in NBA playoff history (down 20 in the third quarter), to reach the Western Conference Finals. A wild series with a wild Game 6.
What actually happened: Denver scored the first basket, and Minnesota responded with a 29-5 run to close the first quarter. They never looked back. Anthony Edwards had 27 points and was a plus-43 for the game (the fifth-best plus-minus mark in any playoff game since 1996-97). Jaden McDaniels added 21 on 8-of-10 shooting. Jokic finished with 22 points and missed all four of his three-point attempts.
30.2%
Nuggets FG%
+43
Edwards Plus/Minus
7-36
Denver from 3
Patterns worth noticing
A few things jumped out as I worked through this list. None of these will surprise anyone who watches a lot of basketball, but they're useful framing.The 2020s are producing more of these
Three of the top 10 have come since 2024, and four of the top 10 since 2015. Compare that to the 1990s and 2000s, which produced just two between them combined. The pace, the three-point shooting volume, and the way bench units have become more capable mean leads can balloon faster than they used to. We will likely see another one of these in the next few years.The NBA Finals have never produced a 40-point blowout
Zero. Not one. The biggest Finals margin is 42 points (Bulls over Jazz, Game 3 of 1998 Finals, 96-54). Once you reach the Finals, both teams are by definition the best in their conference, and the level of play tightens up. Even in the lopsided Finals (think 2017 Warriors over Cavs), the games stayed competitive in score even when the result was never in doubt.Series clinchers and series openers dominate the list
Of the top 10, three were Game 1s (Magic 1995, Lakers 1986, Thunder 2025) and two were series clinchers (Cavs 2025, Bulls 2015). The opening game of a series often catches the lower seed underprepared, and the closeout game often catches them physically and mentally spent. That's where blowouts live.Defending champions are surprisingly vulnerable
The 2024 Nuggets, who came into the playoffs as defending NBA champions, lost Game 6 of their second-round series to the Wolves by 45 points - the largest playoff loss for a reigning champ in NBA history. Repeating in the NBA is hard. Repeating after eating a 45-point beating in front of the world is borderline impossible, and Denver only barely made it to a Game 7 (which they also lost).Round Distribution of Top 10 Playoff Blowouts
Where in the postseason these games happened
No NBA Finals game has ever produced a 40-point margin. The Finals are the closest games for a reason.
Top 10 Playoff Blowouts by Decade
When the most lopsided postseason games actually happened
The 1960s are the only postwar decade with zero entries on the top 10 list. The 2020s have already produced three.
The Big Picture
What does it actually take to blow a playoff team out by 50?
Looking at the 10 games on this list, the recipe is pretty consistent. You need a major talent gap that the seeding partially obscures (8-seeds vs juggernaut 1-seeds, banged-up defending champs vs hungry challengers, play-in qualifiers vs 64-win monsters). You need the favorite to come out white-hot from three or shooting north of 55% from the floor. And you need the underdog to fall apart mentally - shooting 30% or worse, turning the ball over 20+ times, getting outscored 30+ in a single quarter.When all three of those conditions hit at once in a postseason game, you get the kind of result the losing team never wants to talk about again. And in the case of the 2009 Hornets, the 1956 Hawks, and the 2025 Heat, you get one of the most lopsided games in NBA history, played on a stage where it isn't supposed to be possible.
Until then, these 10 games stand as the worst beatings the postseason has ever delivered.
