The Biggest Loss in NBA History
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On November 17, 1991, the Boston Celtics lost to the Portland Trail Blazers by a record-setting margin of 42 points. The game was the Celtics’ worst loss in franchise history.
The Boston Celtics
In the 2013 Eastern Conference Finals, the Miami Heat came back from a 3-2 deficit to defeat the Boston Celtics in Game 7. The final score was 101-88, making it the biggest loss in NBA history for the Celtics.
It was a heart-breaking loss for the Celtics, who had led the series by as many as 16 points in Game 5. The Heat went on to win the NBA Championship that year, while the Celtics had to pick up the pieces and start all over again.
The Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are one of the most successful teams in NBA history but they have also suffered some devastating losses. Here are some of the biggest losses in Lakers history:
-In 1995, the Lakers lost to the Orlando Magic in the NBA Finals This was a crushing defeat, as the Lakers were heavy favorites to win the title.
-In 2000, the Lakers were upset by the Indiana Pacers in the NBA Finals This was a huge disappointment for Lakers fans, as the team had been expected to win easily.
-In 2006, the Lakers were beaten by the Dallas Mavericks in the Western Conference Finals. This was a huge shock, as the Lakers were widely considered to be the better team.
-In 2012, the Lakers were swept by the San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference Finals. This was an embarrassing loss, as the Spurs dominated from start to finish.
The Chicago Bulls
On April 16, 1973, the Chicago Bulls lost to the Milwaukee Bucks 116-96 in what remains the most lopsided defeat in NBA history The Bucks led by as many as 58 points in the game, and at one point the Bulls were down 97-39. It was an embarrassing moment for a franchise that would go on to become one of the league’s most successful teams.
The San Antonio Spurs
In the 1995-96 season, the San Antonio Spurs lost an NBA-record 73 games. The team had just come off a disappointing loss in the Conference Finals the previous year, and they were unable to recover. Tim Duncan who would go on to become one of the greatest players of all time, was a rookie on that team.
The Oklahoma City Thunder
On November 22, 1988, the Oklahoma City Thunder lost to the San Antonio Spurs by a score of 148-81. The 67-point margin of defeat is the largest in NBA history
The Thunder were led by point guard Sidney Moncrief, who scored 18 points and had 10 assists. center Presti Johnson was the only other player in double figures, with 13 points. The team shot just 33 percent from the field and committed 27 turnovers.
The Spurs were led by center David Robinson who had 27 points and 17 rebounds. forward Mike Mitchell scored 24 points and had 12 rebounds, and guard Johnny Moore added 23 points and 10 assists. The team shot 56 percent from the field and out-rebounded the Thunder 54-37.
The loss was the fifth straight for the Thunder, who would finish the season with a record of 20-62. The Spurs would go on to win 57 games and reach the Western Conference Finals where they would lose to the Los Angeles Lakers in seven games.
The Miami Heat
In the 2013 NBA Finals the Miami Heat suffered one of the most devastating losses in NBA history This was due in large part to their star player Lebron James suffering from cramps in the fourth quarter of Game 5. As a result, the Heat lost the series 4-2 to the San Antonio Spurs
The Golden State Warriors
The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in Oakland, California. The Warriors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league’s Western Conference Pacific Division The Warriors have reached eight NBA Finals winning four NBA championships in 1947, 1956, 1975, and 2015.
The Houston Rockets
On April 29, 1995, the Houston Rockets faced the Orlando Magic in the 1995 NBA Finals The Rockets had home-court advantage and were the heavy favorites to win the series. However, the Magic shocked the world and won the series in four games. This was one of the biggest upsets in NBA history
The New York Knicks
The New York Knicks are a professional Basketball team based in New York City The Knicks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference The team plays its home games at Madison Square Garden an arena they share with the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League (NHL). They are one of two NBA teams located in New York City the other is the Brooklyn Nets Alongside the Boston Celtics the Knicks are one of two original NBA Teams still located in its original city.
The Knicks were successful during their early years and were constant playoff contenders under the leadership of Head Coach Joe Lapchick. Beginning in 1950, however, the Knicks began to struggle. They missed the playoffs for the next 14 seasons and suffered numerous losing campaigns during that time period. Indeed, from 1965 to 1986, they only managed to win 30% of their games. In 1987, however, they drafted Patrick Ewing with their first overall pick in the NBA draft Ewing would go on to become a prolific player and lead them back to respectability. He helped lead them to eight straight playoff appearances from 1988 to 1996; however, they only managed to make it past the first round once during that time period, which came in 1993 when they made it all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals before losing to Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls 4-3.
The Philadelphia 76ers
On November 27, 1968, the Philadelphia 76ers set an NBA record for the most points scored in a game. The Sixers beat the New York Knicks 169-147. The previous record had been held by the Syracuse Nationals who scored 168 points against the Anderson Packers on December 5, 1961.
The Sixers’ 169 points were the most ever scored by one team in an NBA game and they remain the only team to score more than 160 points in a game. The Knicks’ 147 points were the most ever scored by a losing team in an NBA game
The two teams combined for 316 points, which is also an NBA record.
