The NBA Playoffs are generally surprising and filled with great finishes and clutch shots, but some games ended up being routs. Which playoff win by a superior margin amazed fans this much? Below are the top 5 largest margins for NBA playoff wins, with records of games that included some truly excellent performances on the floor.
1. Lakers vs Hawks National Basketball Association 1956
Minnesota with the second-biggest win in an NBA playoff elimination game in league history: 115-70 over Denver in Game 6 (+45).
The MINNEAPOLIS Lakers have the record: +58 (133-75 over the St. Louis Hawks on March 19, 1956).
— Sam Amick (@sam_amick) May 17, 2024
The Lakers made the most dominant win in NBA playoff history with 58 58-point gap and overpowered the Hawks 133-75. This game defined what a blowout should be in the playoffs, not that the Lakers were a more talented team, but they played as a team.
2. Denver Nuggets vs. New Orleans Hornets (2009)
The Nuggets had their number as well and quietly dominated, winning the game by 58 points, 121-63. The game was played with the defensive mindset of Chauncey Billups and the scoring ability of Carmelo Anthony, which got the Nuggets a crucial win.
3. Chicago Bulls against the Utah Jazz in 1998.
The Bulls had the biggest win of the season during Game 3 of the Finals by defeating the Jazz with a score of 96-54. Certainly, good and bad luck with this game allows remembering this match mainly for historical reasons and Michael Jordan’s stay in Chicago where he won the last championship.
4. Los Angeles Lakers vs. Boston Celtics (2008)
The Celtics managed to put in an impressive performance in their sixth game of the finals as they were triumphing 131-92 in the field. This win secured victory in their 17th title and demonstrated how they defended against their biggest rivals and scored big points at that too.
5. Dallas Mavericks vs. Boston Celtics (2024)
In the most recent match, the Mavericks had a 38-point lead over the Celtics in game 4 of the finals and they won 122-84. Luka Dončić was the torchbearer by performing a 29-point explosion and showed that Dallas has what it takes to stomp on even the best teams when backed into the corner.
Such amazing victories can be analyzed in terms of the strengths of the teams involved or the fact that anything goes in the playoffs. Out of these blowouts which one do you think had deeper repercussions for the teams that were involved?
Overall, these five games demonstrate how this site’s concept of dominant performance can mobilize narratives of playoff and NBA history.
