April 3, 2026 isn\u2019t likely to be a date well-remembered in NBA history, but it did produce an extraordinary (if unfortunate) statistic: In the 7,891 days in which regular season NBA games have been played since the 1976-1977 season began (i.e., since the NBA-ABA merger), yesterday the only day in which five games were won by 32+ points. Unsurprisingly, all five games pitted playoff-bound teams who are fighting for seeding against lottery-bound teams who are desperate to lose. Here are a handful of other details:<\/p>\n
In any case, to commemorate this event I\u2019ve provided the graded box scores for all five blowouts. If nothing else, examining these tables provides some illuminating insights into the myriad ways in which a 30-plus point blowout can occur. Hope you enjoy.<\/p>\n
What are Team Graded Box Scores?<\/p>\n
Very briefly, these box scores grade winner-loser differentials for basic box score statistics, with the grade being based on the winning team\u2019s differential relative to other NBA winners during a defined reference period. Think of it like a report card for understanding how a given winner performed relative to other winners. The reference period used runs from the start of the 2012-2013 season to the latest date of play, including only games in the same season category (i.e., regular season and playoff games are not compared to each other).<\/p>\n