Fewest Points Scored by a Team in an NBA Game

Low-scoring games were much more common during the NBA's early years, when teams could hold the ball indefinitely. The introduction of the 24-second shot clock for the 1954-55 season fundamentally changed the pace of professional basketball.

For that reason, NBA low-scoring records are best divided into two eras. The all-time record is the Minneapolis Lakers' 18-point game against Fort Wayne in 1950, while Chicago's 49-point performance against Miami in 1999 is the benchmark for the shot-clock era.

The Minneapolis Lakers' 18 points against the Fort Wayne Pistons remain the fewest scored by a team in NBA history. Fort Wayne won the game 19-18 on November 22, 1950.

The score was possible because the NBA did not yet use a shot clock. Fort Wayne deliberately held the ball for long stretches rather than allowing George Mikan and the powerful Lakers repeated possessions.

Mikan scored 15 of Minneapolis' 18 points. The entire game produced only 37 combined points, making it the lowest-scoring game in NBA history.

Chicago Bulls - 49 points: Chicago's 49-point performance against Miami on April 10, 1999 remains the lowest single-team total of the NBA's shot-clock era. The Heat defeated the Bulls 82-49.

Denver Nuggets - 53 points: Denver came within four points of Chicago's shot-clock-era record when the Nuggets scored only 53 at Detroit on November 16, 2002.

Utah Jazz - 54 points: Utah's 54-point performance against Chicago came on the NBA's biggest stage. The Bulls won Game 3 of the 1998 NBA Finals 96-54, a 42-point margin.

Miami Heat: Miami appears three times among the lowest totals on the original list: 54 points against Toronto in 2008 and 56-point games against Utah in 2001 and Charlotte in 2000. Miami was also the opponent when Chicago set the shot-clock-era record with 49 points.

Orlando Magic: Orlando appears three times as well, scoring 56 against Boston in 2012, 57 against Cleveland in 1996 and 59 against Chicago in 2012.

Utah Jazz: Utah has several historically low-scoring games on the list, including 54 points in the 1998 Finals, 56 at Seattle in 1999, 60 against Indiana in 2005 and 62 against New York in 2005.

Milwaukee Hawks - 1955: The Hawks' 57-point game against Boston on February 27, 1955 came during the first NBA season to use the 24-second shot clock. The game was played in Providence, Rhode Island.

The NBA introduced the 24-second shot clock for the 1954-55 season. Before that change, a team with the lead could hold the ball for extended periods, sometimes turning games into deliberate stalling contests.

The 1950 Fort Wayne-Minneapolis game is the most extreme example. Once the shot clock forced teams to attempt a field goal within 24 seconds, a repeat of a 19-18 game became effectively impossible.

For historical comparisons, the 18-point Minneapolis performance should therefore be treated separately from Chicago's 49-point shot-clock-era record.

The main table preserves the NBAHoopsOnline list of the lowest single-team scoring performances since the 24-second shot clock was introduced for the 1954-55 season.

The pre-shot-clock record is listed separately because the rules and pace of play were fundamentally different before teams were required to attempt a shot within 24 seconds.

Historical franchise names are used where appropriate. The Milwaukee Hawks later became the St. Louis Hawks and eventually the Atlanta Hawks, while the Fort Wayne Pistons later relocated to Detroit.