The Oklahoma City Thunder’s 4-0 sweep of the Los Angeles Lakers didn’t come as a surprise, but its timing added significance since the series ended a day later than the Knicks-76ers Game 4. With that result, the Thunder achieved the 100th 4-0 sweep in NBA playoff history — a perfect milestone. This historic number prompted a deeper look into how often each team has swept or been swept in the postseason.
The Lakers top two lists simultaneously. They hold the record for the most sweeps as a team with 13, two more than the second-place Cavaliers and four more than rivals like the Celtics and Spurs. They also have been swept 10 times — a mark that speaks to their long history. This isn’t a dig, as teams like the Hornets have only made the playoffs three times in over two decades and been swept twice, making it nearly impossible to reach double-digit sweeps in a lifetime.
The Thunder now have back-to-back 4-0 series wins in this postseason, adding to their consecutive first-round sweeps from the past two seasons. Teams like the Cavaliers (second place) and the Warriors (just ahead of the Thunder) have built up their sweep totals during recent dominant eras. The Timberwolves stand out as the only franchise never to be swept. Meanwhile, the Kings, Clippers, Hornets, Hawks, and Grizzlies have never swept an opponent. The Grizzlies and Hawks are tied for the second-most sweeps against them after the Lakers, with the Grizzlies owing at least half of those to the Spurs, who have swept them three times.
Fans with knowledge of history might question the Bulls’ low sweep count. The Warriors and Cavaliers have combined for fewer championships than Chicago’s 1990s dynasty, yet they have more sweeps. The explanation lies in format and context. During the Bulls’ six-title run in eight years, they swept all seven first-round series — but those were best-of-five at the time and thus not counted here. Beyond the first round, the Bulls only had three sweeps in the Jordan era, partly because opponents were tough, and partly because of the need for ticket sales and competitive balance. Two notable sweeps came in the 1991 Eastern Conference Finals against the defending champion Pistons and the 1996 Eastern Conference Finals against the previous year’s East champion Magic — both driven by revenge. This shows Jordan’s Bulls prioritized titles, not records.
Veteran fans may also notice that all teams with sweeps or sweeps against them are current NBA franchises, but that doesn’t exclude defunct teams. In fact, 15 historic teams have folded, the last being the original Washington Bullets in 1955. The NBA’s first-ever sweep occurred in the 1959 Finals, when the Celtics swept the Lakers.
