(Republished from March 19, 2014)
The 1972 Los Angeles Lakers are considered by many to be one of the greatest NBA teams ever. Led by the dominant trio of Jerry West, Gail Goodrich, and Wilt Chamberlain, the team would reel off a record 33-game win streak.
There was also another bit of history that season from this impressive team.
On March 19, 1972, the team took on a Golden State Warriors team led by Jim Mullins and future Hall of Famer Nate Thurmond. A team that would win 51 games and make the playoffs.
Unfortunately for them, the Lakers made it a point to show everyone that they were nowhere near their level. The Lakers would defeat the Warriors 162-99. The 63-point win was the largest margin of victory in league history at the time.
The amazing performance saw all but one Lakers player score, with eight players scoring in double-figures. Gail Goodrich led the way with 30 points while Jim McMillan had 22.
This Lakers team was undoubtedly a special one, but to win by that many points is difficult to fathom. Last week, the Lakers were embarrassed with blowout losses to the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs. Those were by a combined 63 points.
Making things more strange was that the Warriors were a good team that season. This wasn’t the Lakers demolishing a bottom-feeder team. This was two playoff teams going at it.
The record would stand for nearly 20 years, finally being surpassed by the Cleveland Cavaliers 68 point victory over the Miami Heat in 1991.
The Lakers would cap off their season with a championship, they’re first ever in the city of Los Angeles. But this week, we remember one specific game where the Lakers showed their dominance. A 63 point victory that remains one of the largest ever.