'Let’s hang onto it': Former Thunder analyst Grant Long relives previous worst loss in NBA history
Grant Long was proud to be in the NBA record book, even for a dubious distinction.
On Dec. 17, 1991, Long’s Miami Heat lost to the Cleveland Cavaliers 148-80. That 68-point margin stood as the largest in NBA history for almost 30 years.
“This’ll be the last thing that we’ll be known for,” Long thought. “Even though it’s a negative, let’s hang onto it.
“And here come the Oklahoma City Thunder.”
The Thunder snatched the Heat’s unfortunate record with a 152-79 loss at Memphis earlier this month. OKC’s 73-point loss was the biggest in NBA history by a five-point margin, almost incomprehensible given the thousands upon thousands of NBA games that have been played.
The Thunder will return to the scene of the crime — Memphis’ FedExForum — for a 7 p.m. Monday game against those same Grizzlies.
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Long worked as the Thunder’s TV analyst from 2008-14. He’s now a studio analyst for the Pistons, and he was in the studio on the night of Dec. 2 when the Thunder was getting thumped by the Grizzlies.
Ira Winderman, a veteran Heat beat writer for the South Florida Sun Sentinel, called Long to break the news. Long was a member of the Heat’s inaugural team in 1988, and Winderman has covered the Heat from the start.
“We lost for the first three or four years, so there wasn’t a whole lot of things to remember about that team except maybe that (loss),” Long said. “That was our glowing moment if you will.”
The Heat drafted Long with the 33rd pick in the 1988 NBA Draft. Long, a 6-foot-8 power forward out of Eastern Michigan, spent parts of seven seasons in South Beach.
The Heat won 15, 18 and 24 games in their first three seasons. Miami was competitive by the 1991-92 season, but not on that cold night in Cleveland.
“Nobody played well,” said Long, who had seven points and three rebounds in 18 minutes.
Memories can play tricks on us, but as Long remembers, Heat coach Kevin Loughery told the team before the game that the United States was about to engage in Operation Desert Storm. But the Gulf War lasted from January to February 1991 — 10 months before that Heat-Cavs game.
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“Right in the locker room (Loughery) told us that, and we went out there and laid an egg,” Long said. “Now that’s what I remember … I’m almost certain.
“I think we all just kinda didn’t know what was going on, what was going to happen, the uncertainty of it all. Basketball, quite frankly, took a back seat, and it showed in our play.”
Whatever was said, whatever was happening in the world, certainly could have affected the Heat that night.
The Heat shot 36% from the field and turned the ball over 23 times.
“It’s not something I’m extremely proud of,” Long said of the blowout, “but at the same time, it’s not something I shy away from, either.”
The Cavs, led by Brad Daugherty and Mark Price, shot 57%. Cleveland outscored Miami 42-13 in the fourth quarter.
The Heat was 11-11 going into that game, and it finished the 1991-92 season a respectable 38-44. Long was second on the team in scoring behind Glen Rice, and second in rebounding behind Rony Seikaly.
Just as Long fondly remembers the Heat’s loss, the Thunder might one day wear its 73-point defeat in Memphis as a strange badge of honor.
“It doesn’t matter as long as you’re part of sports history, and we were, and we still are,” Long said. “We just don’t hold the top spot anymore.”
Largest margins in NBA history
Dec. 2, 2021: Memphis 152, Oklahoma City 79 (73 points)
Dec. 17, 1991: Cleveland 148, Miami 80 (68 points)
Feb. 27, 1998: Indiana 124, Portland 59 (65 points)
Mar. 19, 1972: Los Angeles Lakers 162, Golden State 99 (63 points)
Nov. 2, 1991: Golden State 153, Sacramento 91 (62 points)
Dec. 25, 1960: Syracuse 162, New York Knicks 100 (62 points)
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Grant Long relives worst loss in NBA history, 1991 Heat-Cavaliers game
