What are the largest margins of defeat in NBA history?

On Thursday (Dec. 2, 2021), the Grizzlies absolutely dominated the Thunder at the FedEx Forum.

The final score of 152-79 broke multiple records. Not only is it Memphis' largest win in franchise history, but the 73-point margin of victory also breaks the all-time record.  

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The deficit started early as the Grizzlies outscored the Thunder by 15 (31-16) in the first quarter, then they piled it on by further outscoring them by 21 (41-20) in the second quarter. On average, Memphis outscored Oklahoma City by 18.3 points per quarter. 

Despite playing without their superstar point guard Ja Morant, the Grizzlies led by as much as 78 points. Jaren Jackson Jr. led all scorers with 27 points, but a total of nine players scored in double figures for Memphis. Even their bench alone outscored the entire Thunder team, 93-79.

What are the largest margins of victory in NBA history?

Prior to the Grizzlies breaking the record, the largest margin of victory was set in 1991, nearly 30 years ago when the Cavaliers Cavaliers beat the Miami Heat 148-80. 

Of the top 10 margins of victory in NBA history, seven have occurred after the introduction of the 3-point line (1979) and four of those seven occurred in the 1990s. 

Here's a look at the top 10 margins of victory in NBA history:

Before setting a new mark, the Grizzlies were on the other side of the most recent entry on the Top 10 when they lost to the Charlotte Hornets by 61 points in 2018.