Biggest win for Lakers in playoffs: Where does Grizzlies’ 40-point demolition rank?
The Lakers defeated the Grizzlies by a 40-point margin to win the first-round series 4-1. Their commanding victory is one of the most decisive in the franchise's postseason history.
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LeBron James and Anthony Davis (Ashley Landis-Pool/Getty Images)
The Los Angeles Lakers finally advanced to the second round as they beat Memphis Grizzlies in six games. The Lakers had taken a 3-1 lead in the series, after which the Grizzlies responded with a win. Game 6 was in the favor of the Lakers right from the start. LeBron James and company had almost all players score buckets in this game.
The Lakers outscored the Grizzlies as they took the game 125-85. This was one of the highest-margin victories by the Lakers in a postseason game. There have been times when the team has performed exceptionally well, to the point where it is a blowout victory. So was the case today, as the Lakers won by 40 points. This game is ranked sixth in the largest margin of playoff victories for the Lakers. Though which games rank above today’s win? Here are the Top 5 largest-margin playoff victories by the Lakers.
Biggest playoff wins for Lakers
43 points – Lakers versus Dallas Mavericks, April 28th, 1984
The Los Angeles Lakers went up against the Dallas Mavericks in the 1984 Western Conference Semi-Finals. Going into this series, The Lakers dominated in Game 1, as they won 134-91. The team was on fire, with the bench scoring 60 points. Mike McGee led the team alongside Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul Jabbar, as he put up 25 points. This was a huge victory for the Lakers, as they went on to win the series 4-1. However, they would lose to the Celtics in the Finals in seven games.
44 points – Lakers versus Nuggets, May 22nd, 1985
Following a Finals loss, the Lakers went on a run again the next season, meeting the Denver Nuggets in the 1985 Western Conference Finals. After taking a 3-1 lead, the Lakers ended the series with a 44-point blowout win, 153-109, to advance to the Finals yet again. Magic Johnson generated the most points, scoring 17 and dishing out 19 assists. The Lakers would meet the Celtics in the Finals for the second time in a row and would go on to win the championship.
47 points – Lakers versus Spurs, April 17th, 1986
The defending champs, hoping to make another run, played the San Antonio Spurs in the first round of the 1986 playoffs. The Lakers would dominate over the Spurs in Game 1 of the series, taking the game by 47 points, 135-88. The team was led by Magic Johnson, who scored 13 points while assisting 18 buckets. The Lakers would win this series 3-0. Though their run didn’t last long as they lost to the Rockets in the Conference Finals, 1-4.
56 points – Lakers versus Warriors, April 21st, 1973
The 1972 champions were back again in the postseason, as they faced the Golden State Warriors in the 1973 Conference Finals. The Lakers were already up 2-0 in the series as they entered Game 3, where they didn’t let the Warriors breathe in any of the quarters. The Lakers beat the Warriors by 56 points, 126-70, the second-largest margin victory in the franchise’s playoff history. Wilt Chamberlain led the way with 12 points and 25 rebounds. The Lakers made it to the Finals, where they lost to the Knicks in five games.
58 points – Lakers versus Hawks, March 19th, 1956
The Minneapolis Lakers played St. Louis Hawks in the 1956 Divisional Sem-Finals. After edging out Game 1 of the series, the Hawks were in for a nightmare. The Lakers prevailed in Game 2, beating the Hawks 133-75 to tie the series at one apiece. All ten players of the Laker team scored in double digits. This was the biggest playoff win in the Lakers franchise history. Though surprisingly, they would lose the next game by one point, 116-115, the same score as Game 1. The Lakers had made history, though to no avail of a championship.
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Ritvik Malhotra
(1085 Articles Published)