The Memphis Grizzlies have broken the NBA record for margin of victory on Thursday night, beating the Oklahoma City Thunder 152-79.
The 73-point margin topped the previous mark, which was Cleveland’s 68-point win over Miami. The Cavaliers topped the Heat 148-80 on December 17, 1991.
Australia’s Josh Giddey (illness) missed a second straight game for the Thunder, also sitting out the day before’s loss to the Houston Rockets.
Memphis used 12 players and nine of them reached double figures in scoring, with Jaren Jackson Jr.’s 27 points leading the way for the Grizzlies – who were without their injured star guard Ja Morant.
It was 72-36 at halftime and the Grizzlies just kept adding to the lead, eventually going ahead by as many as 78.
The Grizzlies (11-10) set a franchise record for shooting, making 62.5 per cent of shots. De’Anthony Melton scored 19 points, Santi Aldama had 18 and John Konchar 17, and none of those three players even started.
Lu Dort led OKC with 15 points as they dropped to 6-15.
Raps break Bucks streak
It was also a disappointing night in Toronto for the defending champion Milwaukee Bucks who suffered a 97-93 defeat to the Raptors.Â
Fred VanVleet scored 29 points, Pascal Siakam had 20 and the hosts took advantage of Giannis Antetokounmpo’s absence to end the Bucks’ winning streak at eight.
Antetokounmpo was out because of soreness in his right calf, a day after he scored 40 points as Milwaukee beat the Charlotte Hornets.
Jrue Holiday scored 26 points, Khris Middleton had 22 and Bobby Portis Jr. 15 for the Bucks, who lost for the first time since November 14.
With that defeat the Bucks (14-9) dropped to third in the Eastern Conference standings, one game behind the Chicago Bulls who held on for a 119-115 victory over the New York Knicks.
DeMar DeRozan scored 34 points, Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic each added 27 for the Bulls (15-8) while Julius Randle had 30 points, 12 rebounds and six assists for the Knicks (11-11).
AAP
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