All records are made to be broken, some shouldn’t be, because of image. Thursday night, the debates between the Memphis Grizzlies and the Oklahoma City Thunder turned very short, and resulted in the biggest victory (or defeat it depends), in the history of the NBA: 73 points difference ( 152-79). A shattering entry into the Top 5 (or rather 6 because of a tie) of the biggest gaps in history, all of the other benchmarks of which dated from the last millennium.
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Memphis Grizzlies – Oklahoma City Thunder (2021) : 152-79
Mark Daigneault, coach of the Oklahoma City Thunder, wants his team not to be reduced to a mock basketball, it may be complicated. Because it’s not as if OKC was at its first attempt: last season, the Midwestern franchise conceded a 57-point loss, already showing the lack of will to be competitive every night. the tanking process
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, or reconstruction (as desired) has its limits and sometimes gives birth to insipid matches. Here is now the Thunder holder of an inglorious record. In contrast, the Memphis Grizzlies will have had the merit of never easing off, sharing the playing time and the fun on the floor, a record of points for the franchise to boot. “It’s great to mark the history books, especially at home exulted De’Anthony Melton. And we got there at fifteen. Everyone contributed (including the French Killian Tillie, 6 points in 15 minutes), everyone played hard.
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In the state of mind and the realization, there were two worlds apart.
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strategy of not winning too many matches in order to finish well placed in the Draft, the lowest ranked teams being the first served. Cleveland Cavaliers – Miami Heat (1991) : 148-80
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“I don’t know what we played, but it wasn’t basketball. “
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In a burst of lucidity, Glen Rice, who then lives his second NBA season with the Miami Heat, castigates the exit of his family on the floor of the Cleveland Cavaliers. The 68 points conceded in Ohio then constitute the new record of the League, which had not moved for nearly 20 years (1972).
On the Cavs side, the substitute John Battle (18 points) leads the debates out of a prolific bench (76 points) while some well-known players appeared in the team: Steve Kerr (5 points) or Larry Nance (9 points) ) and Mark Price (18 points, 11 assists).
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Indiana Pacers – Portland Trail Blazers (1998) : 124-59 February 27, 1998, is premiere night in Indianapolis: for the first time in NBA history, a team will register more than double points than its opponent. Among the Pacers, the Portland Trail Blazers, who at the end of the season will participate in their sixteenth consecutive finals, are unable to express themselves. 59 points scored only, including 38 by the trio formed by Rasheed Wallace (14 points), Walt Williams (13) and Isaiah Rider (11). Opposite, success is collective (8 players with 10 points or more) for the team led by Mark Jackson (18 points), Reggie Miller (11 points) or Rik Smits (12 points, 12 rebounds). “
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I didn’t think we could keep an NBA team under 60 points
Miller will then appreciate.
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Los Angeles Lakers – Golden State Warriors (1972) : 162-99
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At the heart of a season that they will end up as NBA champion, for the sixth time in their history and after eighteen years of waiting, the Los Angeles Lakers will sign two immense performances. The first, a series of 33 consecutive victories, a record still valid in the NBA and recently recalled while the Phoenix Suns have been shining for a few weeks (18 consecutive victories, series in progress).
The second was this very large success obtained against the Golden State Warriors, at home (162-99) with, however, a heartbreak in the end: Jim Cleamons, despite three shots attempted, had failed to ensure that all the Angels score. Wilt Chamberlain, then leader of the franchise with Jerry West, had been rather discreet (10 points, 10 rebounds, 6 assists). The leader had signed a double-double (17 points, 13 assists) while Gail Goodrich, another essential of the workforce, had split 30 points.
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Golden State Warriors – Sacramento Kings (1991) : 153-91
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In a quarter-time (48-18), the Golden State Warriors extinguished their Californian rivals, and thus turned a game at the start of the regular season into a farce. Moreover, this non-game of the Kings remains their biggest defeat ever conceded to date. At halftime, the gap bordered on the ridiculous (88-41) but what was then a record in terms of gap at halfway was broken last year: the Dallas Mavericks had humiliated the Los Angeles Clippers in 24 minutes: 77-27.
For the record, the day before the meeting between Warriors and Kings, Mitch Richmond (23.9 points average that season) – member of the Run TMC with Tim Hardaway and Chris Mullin – had been transferred from Golden State to .. Sacramento (in exchange for Bill Owens), and had not been lined up for the game.
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Syracuse Nationals – New York Knicks (1960) : 162-100
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