5 Largest Blowouts in NBA Finals History

The NBA Finals is the culmination of a long year-round journey where a champion is crowned. Every year, the best teams in the West and the East meet on the league’s biggest stage to ultimately determine the best team of the season.

One has to think that NBA Finals games are typically competitive, considering the finalists are two of the best teams in the league. However, anything can happen in basketball and games can end up as lopsided affairs. That’s exactly how the 2024 NBA Finals began.

To start off this year’s series, the Boston Celtics started off hot, outscoring the Dallas Mavericks by 17 points in the first quarter, which was the largest lead after one quarter in Finals history.

Boston led by as much as 29 points in the first half, but the Mavericks made a furious run to make it a game in the third quarter. However, the Celtics were able to stave off their rally and win the game 107-89.

On Friday, down 3-0 and on the verge of getting swept in the Finals, Dallas kept their title hopes alive with a 122-84 blowout win at home, earning a spot on this list.

So what are the largest blowouts in NBA Finals history? Here are the five most lopsided contests in NBA Finals history.

1 1998 NBA Finals: Game 3 — 42 points

Michael Jordan’s Bulls held the Jazz to only 54 points

The Chicago Bulls and Utah Jazz faced off in the NBA Finals in both 1997 and 1998, with the Bulls taking the championship home in both years. In Game 3, the Bulls took a 2-1 series lead with a 96-54 victory. It was a game where neither team scored over 100 points, which saw the biggest win in the history of the championship series.

Led by Michael Jordan, the Bulls cruised to a massive victory, thanks to their defense. The Jazz played 12 players during the game and every single player had a plus-minus of -10 or lower. They shot very poorly from the field as well. Their 54 points scored as a team is the lowest number of points scored by a team in NBA playoff history.

The game was off to a close, low-scoring start with a slight 17-14 lead for the Bulls after the first quarter. From that point on, the Bulls went on a 79-40 run, leading to the largest victory. The Bulls forced plenty of turnovers as every starter came up with at least a steal and a block, except for Toni Kukoc who had four steals and no blocks.

It was a masterful display of defense and sharing the ball by the Bulls, who added 25 assists, which was a high mark for teams in the slower-paced era.

2 2008 NBA Finals: Game 6 — 39 points

Celtics won their only championship this century with a huge blowout victory

The 2008 NBA Finals was another installment in the historic rivalry between the Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers. It was the 11th meeting between the two teams at that time, which was more meetings between those two franchises than the third franchise had total Finals appearances. It shows how dominant both the Lakers and Celtics have been throughout the history of the league.

In 2008, the Celtics were able to win their first title since 1986, ending their longest championship drought in franchise history. They won in very convincing fashion, marking the largest blowout in a closeout game in NBA Finals history. Boston won by 39 points with a final score of 131-92 in a contest where the Celtics starters obliterated the Lakers’ starting lineup.

It was a close 24-20 contest after the first quarter, but the Celtics dominated in the second, as they took a 23-point lead into halftime. The Celtics scored 107 points in the final three quarters to claim the Larry O’Brien trophy for the 17th time in franchise history.

The NBA Finals victory for the Celtics marked the first championship for several future Hall of Famers in Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen.

3 2024 NBA Finals: Game 4 — 38 points

On the brink of a sweep, the Mavericks blew out the Celtics to stay alive

Just when it seemed like the Mavericks were down for the count, they threw a haymaker to jolt themselves back into life in the 2024 NBA Finals. Down 3-0 to the Celtics, Luka Dončić and Co. saved their season with a 122-84 blowout win on their home court.

Dallas came hot out of the gates, and built up a huge lead going into halftime. The Mavericks kept up their onslaught in the third quarter, going up by as much as 48 and forcing Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla to pull his starters before the beginning of the final frame.

Dončić led the way for the Mavs with 29 points, while Kyrie Irving pitched in 21 points. The Celtics’ offense was non-existent on the night, with Jayson Tatum leading the team in scoring with 15 points.

4 2013 NBA Finals: Game 3 — 36 points

The Spurs dominated the Heat in every aspect after halftime

This NBA Finals series had an electric finish to it with an incredible three-pointer from Ray Allen in Game 6 to keep the Miami Heat alive in the series. However, a few games weren’t even close, including Game 3, which was the third-largest blowout in NBA Finals history.

Although the final score of 113-77 might reflect an absolute stomping by the San Antonio Spurs, this game had a close first half. The Heat tied up the game with less than a minute left in the second quarter before two late threes by the Spurs to go into halftime with a six-point lead. It wasn’t until the second half that this game became a blow out.

In the second half, the Spurs outscored the Heat 63-33. It was a half that saw Danny Green hit three after three, making six of his seven three-point attempts in the second half. Every single Spurs starter had a plus-minus of plus-13 or higher in the second half alone, and every single player that played in the second half had a positive plus-minus.

It was utter destruction from the very experienced Spurs team, who had a budding superstar in Kawhi Leonard. Game 3 was a classic San Antonio game where their defense was phenomenal. They shared the ball throughout the night, racking up 29 assists and hit their three-pointers at a ridiculous rate, allowing them to run away with the game.

Though they lost the 2013 Finals, the Spurs would get their revenge the following year when they beat the same Heat team in five games.

5 1978 NBA Finals: Game 6 – 35 points

Elvin Hayes’ dominant performance powered the Bullets past the SuperSonics

The 1978 NBA Finals was a matchup between the Seattle SuperSonics and Washington Bullets, both of whom have since rebranded their names and logos. The Bullets were down 3-2 in the series heading into Game 6 at home. Similar to other contests on this list, it was a very close game after the first quarter with the SuperSonics ahead 21-19.

From that point on, the Bullets took complete control, winning each quarter by 10 or more points. The Bullets dominated the glass, having three players with 12 or more rebounds. The starting lineups both struggled, with both units combining for less than 36 percent shooting. It was the Bullets’ bench that carried them to their blowout victory.

Elvin Hayes had a superstar performance, dropping 21 points, 15 rebounds, two steals and five blocks. Although he didn’t shoot well from the field, his all-around performance and dominance on the defensive side of the ball was a key difference in the game.

The Bullets ultimately won Game 7, winning their first and only championship in franchise history.

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