NBA History: 5 Biggest wins in the last 10 years

The NBA is one of the most exciting sports leagues in the world. It is a competitive league where some of the best players in the world play against each other. As fans, we love to see competitive games and matchups throughout the season. We want game-winners, back and forth games, and historic performances.

We want to see LeBron James vs. Kevin Durant. We want to see James Harden score 50 points. We want to see a close game between the Los Angeles Clippers and their counterpart the Lakers. This is an exciting time for fans, and we get the chance to see these moments of history. However, it does not always go this way.

At times, history is made, but for the wrong reasons. For example, a team can get blown out by a significant margin. Blowouts are a regular occurrence in the NBA, but some are more significant than others. In the past 10 years, there have been several blowouts that are noteworthy. There have been blowouts where the teams have won by astounding margins such as 50 points or more. Here are five of the biggest wins in the last 10 years.

#5 Chicago Bulls beat Milwaukee Bucks 120-66 (30 April 2015): 54-point win

In the 2015 playoffs, the Chicago Bulls pulled off an impressive (series closing) win. They beat the Milwaukee Bucks 120-66. The Bulls won this game and closed out the series 4-2. They went on to the second round, where they lost to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Before losing to the Cavaliers, the Bulls beat the Bucks by a significant margin. They beat them by 54 points.

In Game 6 of the series, the Bulls closed out the series in Milwaukee. In Game 4 and 5, the Bucks beat the Bulls. The Bucks beat them once at home and once in Chicago. This came as a surprise as the Bulls won the first three games. The series looked like it was on the verge of a sweep, but Bucks responded and won the next two games. The dynamic of the series changed and became more competitive. However, the Bulls prevailed and managed to win the series. And, they did it by making a statement.

For the Bulls, each of their starters scored in double figures. They were the only five players to do so. The starters were on a mission and accomplished what needed to be done.

Veteran forward Mike Dunleavy led the Bulls in scoring with 20 points. Dunleavy was the unexpected hero as he shot 5-of-7 from the field for 71 percent and 67 percent from deep. He, along with the other starters, helped Chicago secure the win.

Pau Gasol finished the game with 19 points, and the remaining starters followed suit. Jimmy Butler had 16 points and four steals, Derrick Rose had 15 points, and Joakim Noah had a double-double. Noah finished the game with 11 points and 10 rebounds.

For the Bucks, not a single player scored in double figures. The young team shot 25-of-76 from the field and 4-of-19 from the 3-point line. The Bucks struggled as Khris Middleton and Giannis Antetokounmpo (now their core players) scored six and five points respectively.

The Bulls' win was huge, but there have been larger blowouts throughout the years.

#4 Los Angeles Lakers beat Cleveland Cavaliers 112-57 (11 January 2011): 55-point win

Lakers blew out the Cavs despite Bryant scoring only 13 points in this game

The post-LeBron James Cavaliers had a rough season as they visited the Lakers at Staples Center.

On January 11, 2011, the Lakers beat the Cavs 112-57. The 55-point loss was a low point of the Cavs' already horrible season. The Lakers did not have to play their starters for lengthy minutes and gave them time to rest. For example, Kobe Bryant played 24 minutes in this game. Bryant, the star of the Lakers, averaged nearly 34 minutes per game that season. The blowout win gave Bryant a chance to rest as the Lakers secured the win.

For the Lakers, Andrew Bynum and Metta World Peace scored 15 points each. They led the team in scoring and were two of seven players to score in double figures. All five starters scored in double figures, and two bench players contributed as well. The Lakers had balanced scoring as they beat the Cavaliers.

The Lakers had three players that scored 13 points. Kobe Bryant scored 13, Paul Gasol had a double-double with 13 points and 14 rebounds, and former Cavalier Shannon Brown had 13.

The Lakers did not have a 20 plus point game from any of their players and still pulled off the win. The seven players in double figures helped them tremendously and helped them gain an advantage over the Cavs.

For the Cavs, they had two players score in double figures. The two players were Alonzo Gee and Ramon Sessions. Gee had 12 points, and Sessions had 10. Both players came off the bench and attempted to contribute, while none of the starters scored more than eight points. The Cavs also shot 30 percent from the field and a horrid seven percent from deep. The Cavaliers struggled, and the Lakers took advantage of it. This was a huge loss, but others happened within 10 years.

#3 Boston Celtics beat Chicago Bulls 133-77 (8 December 2018): 56-point win

Jaylen Brown scored 23 points off the bench

The Boston Celtics may have had an up and down season in 2018-19, but there were a few bright spots. One of those bright spots was the Celtics' win over the Chicago Bulls.

On December 8, 2018, the Celtics beat the Bulls 133-77. The season was still relatively new, and the Celtics looked like a team that could compete. They easily beat the Bulls as they approached a 15-10 record.

In this game, the Celtics won by 56 points. Their leading scorer was not one of their starters but rather a key player off their bench. Forward Jaylen Brown led the Celtics with 23 points as he flourished in his (new) role.

Brown came off the bench in his rookie season but worked his way into a starting role. He played 78 games in his rookie season and started 20. Then, in 2017-18, his role changed significantly as he played 70 games and started in all of them. He went back to the bench in the same month as their 56-point win. The change benefited both Brown and the Celtics with this game serving as an example.

Brown was one of seven players to score in double figures. The other players were Daniel Theis, Jayson Tatum, Terry Rozier, Semi Ojeleye, Kyrie Irving, and Marcus Morris.

Theis finished with a double-double as he scored 22 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. He also had four blocks. Theis played well in this game and exceeded his season averages of 5.7 points and 3.4 rebounds. During the season, Theis averaged roughly 14 minutes per game. He played 32 in this game and showed what he is capable of. And it helped the Celtics tremendously.

For the rest of the Celtics, Tatum scored 18 points, Rozier had 15 points, Ojeleye and Irving had 13 points each, and Morris had 12.

As a team, the Celtics shot 54 percent from the field and a staggering 51 percent from 3-point range. On the other hand, the Bulls shot 38 and 25 percent. The Celtics shot exceptionally well in this game, and the Bulls did not have an answer. So, the Celtics won by a significant margin.

#2 Denver Nuggets beat New Orleans Hornets 121-63 (27 April 2009): 58-point win

Carmelo Anthony helped the Nuggets win the series

As the Denver Nuggets fought to win the series, they pulled off a large win. On April 27, 2009, the Nuggets beat the New Orleans Hornets 121-63.

In the previous game, the seventh seed Hornets beat the second seed Nuggets 95-93. This game took place in the first round of the playoffs, and the Hornets avoided the sweep with their win. The close win helped the Hornets survive at least a few more games.

As the Nuggets went into Game 4 (on the road), they had a 2-1 lead. The Nuggets knew they had to respond, and they did just that. Denver responded to the loss by beating the Hornets by 58 points. Star forward Carmelo Anthony played a big part in their win.

In this game, Anthony led to Nuggets with 26 points. He was one of seven players to score in double figures. Veteran point guard Chauncey Billups finished with 17 points. At that time, Billups was the second option to Anthony and stepped up when the Nuggets needed him. In this game "Mr. Big Shot" played well and helped the Nuggets win.

The other players to score in double figures included Linas Kleiza, Nene Hilario, J.R Smith, Dahntay Jones, and Chris Andersen. Kleiza scored 14 points, Hilario scored 13 points, Jones and Smith scored 12 points each, and Andersen scored 11.

For the Hornets, David West led the team with 14 points. He was one of three players in double figures. James Posey and Peja Stojaković scored 12 and 10 points respectively. Chris Paul played in this game scored four points in 36 minutes. He also shot 29 percent from the field.

The Nuggets pulled off the big win and bounced back from their loss. Denver gained a 3-1 lead in the series and went on to win the series in Game 5. The Nuggets made the Western Conference Finals, where they lost to the Lakers.

Their Game 4 win over the Hornets was significant in their playoff run and is now the second biggest win in recent memory.

#1 Charlotte Hornets beat Memphis Grizzlies 140-79 (22 March 2018): 61-point win

Kemba Walker scored 46 points in this game

The biggest win in the last 10 years comes from the Charlotte Hornets. The win occurred in the 2017-18 season and the Hornets' star player shined. The Hornets pulled off the large win as their season started winding down. Charlotte may not have made the playoffs that year (with a record of 36-46), but their win gave them something to feel proud about.

On March 22, 2018, the Hornets hosted the Memphis Grizzlies. The Grizzlies struggled throughout the season as they were 19-53 going into this game. Memphis finished the season 22-60 and earned the No.4 pick of the 2018 draft. Before getting the fourth pick (and finishing 22-60), the Grizzlies suffered a huge loss.

In this game, the Hornets beat the Grizzlies 140-79. This means the Hornets beat the Grizzlies by a whopping 61 points. Memphis not only had a bad game, but the Hornets played that much better.

Kemba Walker, the star point guard of the Hornets, finished the game with 46 points. He shot 13-of-18 from the field for 72 percent and 10-of-14 from 3-point range for 71 percent. Walker was on fire and played a significant role in Charlotte's win. But Walker also had a bit of help.

Besides Walker, the Hornets had five other players in double figures. Marvin Williams had Dwayne Bacon had 15 points each as Williams started and Bacon came off the bench. Both players contributed to the team as Walker was in the zone. The other players to score in double figures were Frank Kaminsky, Jeremy Lamb, and Willy Hernangomez. Kaminsky had 14 points off the bench, Lamb had 12, and Hernangomez had a double-double with 10 points and 12 rebounds. So, the Hornets had balanced scoring.

The leading scorer for the Grizzlies was Wayne Selden. Selden scored 18 points and was one of three players to score in double figures. As a team, the Grizzlies shot 39 percent from the field and 22 percent from deep. The Hornets shot 55 percent and 48 percent in the same categories.

The Grizzlies struggled in this game, and the Hornets took advantage. They went on to win by a significant margin and went on to win their next two games. Now, they have the biggest win in the past 10 years.