History

The most blocks by a team in an NBA game

Only five teams have eclipsed 20 blocks in a single NBA game, led by the 2000-01 Raptors with 23.

The most blocks by a team in an NBA game is 23, achieved by the Toronto Raptors on March 23, 2001, in a 112-86 win over the Hawks. Center/forward Keon Clark led Toronto with 12 rejections — tied with JaVale McGee (2011) and Hassan Whiteside (2015) for the most by one player in a single game since 2000 — followed by Vince Carter, with four swats, and five other Raptors who recorded at least one.

  • Keon Clark: 12 blocks
  • Vince Carter: 4 blocks
  • Alvin Williams 2 blocks
  • Jerome Williams: 2 blocks
  • Antonio Davis: 1 block
  • Charles Oakley: 1 block
  • Morris Peterson: 1 block

With 23 blocks, Toronto surpassed the Nets’ mark of 22 (set in 1991) for the NBA record and became just the fifth team in league history to eclipse 20 rejections in a single game since blocks were first fully recorded in 1973-74.

  • 23 blocks: Raptors (March 23, 2001) | Win vs. Atlanta (112-86)
  • 22 blocks: Nets (Dec. 12, 1991) | Win vs. Nuggets (121-81)
  • 21 blocks: Pistons (Oct. 18, 1980) | Loss vs. Hawks (125-123 / OT)
  • 21 blocks: Lakers (April 9, 1982) | Win vs. Nuggets (153-128)
  • 21 blocks: Cavaliers (Jan. 7, 1989) | Win vs. Knicks (104-96)

Eight other NBA teams have recorded 20 blocks in a regular-season game, but only one club has ever achieved the feat in the playoffs: the 1980-81 Philadelphia 76ers. 

Led by Julius Erving’s six blocks, Philly swatted 20 shots in Game 1 of the 1981 Eastern Conference semifinals to break the previous postseason record of 15 and is now accompanied by five other teams who have notched 16 or more blocks in a playoff game.

  • 20 blocks: 76ers (April 5, 1981) | East semifinals win vs. Bucks (125-122)
  • 19 blocks: Pistons (May 24, 2004) | East Finals win at Pacers (72-67)
  • 17 blocks: Thunder (April 20, 2010) | First-round loss at Lakers (95-92)
  • 16 blocks: SuperSonics (May 14, 1992) | West semifinals loss at Jazz (111-100)
  • 16 blocks: Suns (May 24, 1993) | West Finals win vs. SuperSonics (105-91)
  • 16 blocks: Nuggets (May 17, 1994) | West semifinals win at Jazz (109-101 / OT)

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