What Is The Lowest NBA Score In History?

The NBA has captured the hearts of basketball fans since 1946, supplying some breath-taking moments due to its high-scoring nature. But what is the lowest score in NBA history?

What is the Lowest Score in NBA History?

After taking a look at the lowest scoring NFL matches, we at SportsLens thought it was time to dive into the history of the NBA.

The NBA prides itself on the high-scoring results from each and every encounter, as each team averages over 100 points per game (2023-24).

However, this was not always the case, as in November 1950 the Minneapolis Lakers and Fort Wayne Pistons played out the lowest score in history – with the game finishing 18-19.

Minneapolis Lakers coach, John Kundla, was left furious with the result and delivered an infamously scathing quote about the teams.

Kundla said: “If this is basketball, I do not want to be a part of this game anymore. Play like that will kill professional basketball.”

This is the lowest score by quite a distance, with a total of 37 points, and the closest competitor came four-years prior as the Detroit Falcons and Washington Capitols played out an 83 point match (33-50).

In recent times, the amount of points has increased drastically, with the thought of any match reaching the level of 37 points not crossing the minds of NBA fans.

In the modern era (post 2000) the lowest scoring match occurred on the 16th November 2002, as the Denver Nuggets lost 53-74 to the Detroit pistons.

Which is ironic, as the highest scoring match in NBA history came in December 1983, as the Denver Nuggets and Detroit Pistons displayed a staggering 370 point match (184-186).

Lowest Scoring NBA Games

As previously mentioned, the lowest scoring match in NBA history was Minneapolis Lakers 18-19 Fort Wayne Pistons in November 1950 – but do any others come close?

See the seven lowest scoring games in history below!

As you can see, the low-scoring matches are something of the past, as each of these matches came in the mid 1900’s and involved a few familiar faces.

The Washington Capitols were involved in three of the five lowest scoring matches, which highlights their poor displays in the early stages of the NBA.

However, not since November 1950 has any NBA match seen a team score less than 20 points in a match – to the joy of basketball enthusiasts!