The 25 Most Badass Playoff Performances in NBA History

Date: 5/5/1969
Round/Game: 1969 NBA Finals, Game 7
Matchup: Boston Celtics @ Los Angeles Lakers
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The 1969 NBA Finals was an all-time classic series, and the Lakers' Jerry West was unquestionably its greatest star, averaging 38 points per game in the series. He single-handily carried the Lakers in Game 7, logging a triple-double with 42 points, 13 rebounds and 12 assists. Despite his amazing output, the Lakers faltered down the stretched on their home floor and lost to the Celtics 108-106. While his team failed to claim any hardware, West did at least leave with the Finals MVP trophy. He remains the only player in NBA history to win the award when being on the losing team.

Date: 6/4/2000
Round/Game: 2000 Western Conference Finals, Game 7
Matchup: Portland Trailblazers
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All dynasties have to begin somewhere, and this play is where the Lakers truly began to dominate the league. The Lakers trailed 71-58 at the start of the fourth quarter before outscoring the Trailblazers 31-13 to secure a berth in their first NBA Finals since 1991. Their miracle comeback included nine points in the quarter from Shaquille O'Neal, and Kobe Bryant adding to his stat line of 25 points, 11 rebounds, seven assists and four blocks, with an alley-oop to the Diesel that came to represent that entire era of Lakers basketball. It was also probably the only time those guys hugged each other without the media breaking down every frame of footage.

Date: 5/5/1991
Round/Game: 1991 Eastern Conference First Round, Game 5
Matchup: Indiana Pacers @ Boston Celtics
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The Celtics weren't a championship team in 1991, and injuries had severely limited stars Larry Bird and Kevin McHale all season. After spending the night in the hospital due to extreme back pain, Bird followed that up by knocking himself unconscious on the Boston Garden floor in this deciding Game 5 against the Pacers. In a move that defied belief and went in the face of basic concussion safety, Bird returned to the game in the second half and delivered a throwback performance, draining impossible shots under pressure and getting to the rim with ease en route to 32 points. The Celtics would win the game and the series before being eliminated in six games by Detroit in the next round.

Date: 6/13/2006
Round/Game: 2006 NBA Finals, Game 3
Matchup: Dallas Mavericks @ Miami Heat
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Things were looking very bleak for the Miami Heat in Game 3 of the 2006 Finals. They had already dropped two games on the road in Dallas, and found themselves trailing by 13 points with six minutes to go. Rallying behind Dwyane Wade's 42 point, 13 rebound, two assist effort, the Heat surged back into the game and finally jumped ahead with just under 10 seconds to go. Wade got to the line 18 times during the game, helping his team claw back into the game without running time off the clock. Miami rode this stunning comeback win and took the next four games as well, upsetting the Mavericks and giving the franchise its first title.

Date: 6/6/1984
Round/Game: 1984 NBA Finals, Game 4
Matchup: Boston Celtics @ Los Angeles Lakers
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While flagrant fouls did technically exist in the '80s, they weren't treated with the same severity they are now. For the 1984 Boston Celtics, that was a good thing. It's probably safe to say Kevin McHale would have been ejected for this clothesline and likely suspended on top of that. Instead, not only did he stay in the game, but his fury sparked the Celtics to rally from a deficit to beat the Lakers in overtime and even the series at two games apiece.

Date: 6/6/2010
Round/Game: 2010 NBA Finals, Game 2
Matchup: Boston Celtics @ Los Angeles Lakers
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The Celtics and Lakers have met 12 times in the NBA Finals, with Boston taking the first eight before the Lakers won three of the next four. Their 2010 clash was another seven game battle, and in typical fashion, history was made in Game 2. Celtics' sharpshooter Ray Allen, who struggled in scoring just 12 points in Game 1, came out firing as the Staples Center crowd was still filing in, hitting two three-pointers in the first quarter. Another five in the second and one more in the third gave Allen an NBA Finals record eight threes as the Celtics earned a 103-94 road win to even the series at 1-1.

Date: 5/26/2002
Round/Game: 2002 Western Conference Finals, Game 4
Matchup: Sacramento Kings @ Los Angeles Lakers
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With the Lakers trailing by two and down 2-1, things looked pretty bleak when both Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal missed consecutive last-second attempts to tie the game. Kings' center Vlade Divac made the right decision to slap the ball as far away from the hoop as possible; unfortunately, he sent it right into the hands of a guy whose nickname is "Big Shot Rob." Horry's three gave him 18 points on the night, evened the series at two, sent the Lakers on their way to a third consecutive title, and solidified his reputation as one of the most clutch shooters in NBA history.

Date: 5/5/1969
Round/Game: 1969 NBA Finals, Game 7
Matchup: Boston Celtics @ Los Angeles Lakers
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While the days of the player-coach are long gone, Bill Russell proved that it could be done effectively. Prior to Game 7 of the 1969 NBA Finals, the Celtics' icon pointed out to his team that the Lakers had already put balloons up in the rafters of The Forum in anticipation of their victory. This move infuriated the visiting Boston club and gave them a little extra juice going into the deciding game. Russell even pulled Lakers icon Jerry West aside before tip-off and told him that "those fucking balloons are staying up there." He was a man of his word. The Celtics led the entire way, and despite a late-game surge by the Lakers, held on to win the final title of the Russell Era.

Date: 6/9/1987
Round/Game: 1987 NBA Finals, Game 4
Matchup: Los Angels Lakers @ Boston Celtics
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After epic battles in the 1984 and 1985 NBA Finals, the Celtics met for the rubber match in 1987. With his team leading the series 2-1, but trailing by a point with seven seconds to go, Magic Johnson collected an inbounds pass and drove across the lane with Celtics Hall of Famers Kevin McHale and Robert Parish bearing down on him. He lofted what he would later term his "junior, junior, junior sky-hook" just over their outstretched hands, swishing it through the net with two seconds to go. A Larry Bird miss later, and the Lakers had a commanding 3-1 series lead and Magic was well on his way to yet another Finals MVP trophy.

Date: 4/14/1962
Round/Game: 1962 NBA Finals, Game 5
Matchup: Los Angeles Lakers @ Boston Celtics
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There may not be a more underrated player in the history of the NBA than Elgin Baylor. He was a revolutionary player in the way he could move on the basketball court, and his unique blend of athleticism made him a man way ahead of his time. He showed just how good he could be in Game 5 of the 1962 Finals against the juggernaut Celtics, as he set a record with 61 points scored against the vaunted defense of Russell and Heinsohn. The Lakers would win the game and take a 3-2 edge in the series, but couldn't hold on as Boston took the next two—including Game 7 in overtime, the last Finals Game 7 to go an extra period—to win their fourth straight championship.

Date: 6/7/2012
Round/Game: 2012 Eastern Conference Finals, Game 6
Matchup: Miami Heat @ Boston Celtics
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After a weak performance in Game 5, losing on their home court and getting bullied around by the veteran Celtics, LeBron James and the Miami Heat had reached a crossroads prior to Game 6 of the 2012 Eastern Conference Finals in Boston. Win, and they had a shot at redeeming themselves; lose, and the critics would be even more relentless than the year before. LeBron was not prepared to tarnish his legacy, unleashing one of the best individual games in playoff history. He absolutely ripped the Celtics' hearts out, going 19-for-26 from the floor en route to 45 points, 15 rebounds and five assists. The Heat's win propelled them all the way to an NBA title, and for LeBron, launched one of the most dominant stretches by a single player in league history.

Date: 4/20/1986
Round/Game: 1986 Eastern Conference First Round, Game 2
Matchup: Chicago Bulls @ Boston Celtics
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It's pretty impressive if a single game can prompt Larry Bird to compare a player to the Lord, but that's exactly what happened after this round one matchup between the Celtics and the Bulls. MJ dropped 63 points on the eventual champion Celtics, setting a record for points in a playoff game that still stands. Describing MJ's ridiculous night, Bird claimed "that was God disguised as Michael Jordan" out on the court, and he may well have been right. After dropping 49 in Game 1 and 63 in Game 2, Jordan scuffled in Game 3 with only 19 points, and the Celtics completed their three game sweep.

Date: 5/31/2007
Round/Game: 2007 Eastern Conference Finals, Game 5
Matchup: Cleveland Cavaliers @ Detroit Pistons
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Game 5 of the 2007 Eastern Conference Finals served as an early sign of something we now take for granted: that LeBron James was destined to become one of the greatest basketball players of all time. It wasn't just the 48 points (including the Cavaliers' last 25 points and 29 of their last 30) in 50 minutes of court time; it was the way he got them. He got to the basket with ease for a number of thunderous dunks. He hit several mid-range jumpers. He even canned two three pointers. It was the kind of complete, flawless effort that we have come to expect from James on a nightly basis, and paved the way for all his future success.

Date: 6/19/1988
Round/Game: 1988 NBA Finals, Game 6
Matchup: Detroit Pistons @ Los Angeles Lakers
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The Bad Boy Pistons were still in their infancy, but Isiah Thomas was starting to make everyone a believer when he went down with a badly sprained ankle in Game 6 of the 1988 NBA Finals. Hobbling all over the court but refusing to back down, Thomas responded with a virtuoso performance. The diminutive point guard scored a Finals record 25 points in the third quarter, nosing his team in front of the Lakers and getting them within 12 minutes of their first title. Despite Thomas' 43 points and eight assists on the night, the Pistons couldn't hold on late and ended up losing both the game and the series.

Date: 5/22/1988
Round/Game: 1988 Eastern Conference Semifinals, Game 7
Matchup: Atlanta Hawks @ Boston Celtics
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As Brent Musburger so eloquently put it during the game's original broadcast, "you are watching what greatness is all about." Larry Bird and Dominique Wilkins engaged in an absolutely epic one on one battle, with each player digging deep into their arsenal to try to vault his team into the Eastern Conference Finals. Wilkins finished with 47 points and Bird had 34, with 17 and 20 of their points coming in the fourth quarter, respectively. Bird's 9-for-10 shooting in the last frame pushed Boston out in front for good, sending them to Detroit where they would fall to the Pistons in six games.

Date: 6/21/1988
Round/Game: 1988 NBA Finals, Game 7
Matchup: Detroit Pistons @ Los Angeles Lakers
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Worthy had already been given the moniker "Big Game James" before the 1988 Finals had begun, but his incredible performance in Game 7 cemented his reputation as one of the prolific clutch players of his generation. Worthy torched the upstart Pistons in every aspect of the game, registering 36 points, 16 rebounds and 10 assists for the only triple-double of his entire career. For his incredible efforts in delivering the Lakers their second consecutive NBA championship, Worthy was named the Finals MVP.

Date: 4/18/1962
Round/Game: 1962 NBA Finals, Game 7
Matchup: Los Angeles Lakers @ Boston Celtics
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The 1962 Finals was about as evenly matched as a series could be, with both teams winning three games and sending the seventh and deciding game into overtime. Bill Russell was at the heart of it all, setting a record for total rebounds in a seven game series with 189 and a single-game record with an astounding 40 boards in Game 7 alone. He also registered 30 points, leading his team in scoring. The Celtics' three-point overtime victory not only earned them yet another banner, but also marked the last time a finals Game 7 would go to an extra period.

Date: 5/8/1970
Round/Game: 1970 NBA Finals, Game 7
Matchup: Los Angeles Lakers @ New York Knicks
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While Willis Reed has gotten all the press for making it onto the floor and inspiring the Knicks to victory in Game 7 of the 1970 NBA Finals, it was actually Walt Frazier who delivered the title. Reed, the NBA's MVP in 1969-70, scored the first two baskets of the game and immediately came out. "Clyde" took over at that point, finishing the game with 36 points (including 22 in the first half), seven rebounds and 19 assists. The combined efforts of these two legends gave the Knicks a 113-99 win and their first title in franchise history.

Date: 6/3/1992
Round/Game: 1992 NBA Finals, Game 1
Matchup: Portland Trailblazers @ Chicago Bulls
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Jordan's first half performance in Game 1 of the 1992 NBA Finals against the Portland Trailblazers may be one of the best 24 minutes of basketball ever played. MJ simply could not be stopped, especially from three-point range; he hit six three-pointers in the first half, turning to the broadcast table for his iconic shrug following the last one. His 35 points in the first half set an NBA Finals record that still stands. Despite his four second half points, the Bulls ran away with a 122-89 win, and would go on to capture their second consecutive championship.

Date: 5/7/1989
Round/Game: 1989 Eastern Conference First Round, Game 5
Matchup: Chicago Bulls @ Cleveland Cavaliers
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When tracing the origins of the Bulls' dynasty, this moment is really where it all began. Jordan actually hit two huge shots in this deciding Game 5; the first occurred with six seconds left, as MJ buried a jumper to put his team up one. Cleveland's Craig Ehlo, about to be on the wrong side of history, actually put his team ahead with about three seconds to go when he converted a driving layup on the other end. The lesson he and the rest of the NBA learned was that you can't give His Airness that much time. Jordan' s shot and emphatic celebration became an indelible image of his greatness, and continues to be a go-to highlight when looking back on his career.

Date: 5/26/1987
Round/Game: 1987 Eastern Conference Finals, Game 5
Matchup: Detroit Pistons @ Boston Celtics
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In a moment that has become inextricably linked with the call of former Celtics play-by-play radio announcer Johnny Most, Larry Bird's incredible read and subsequent steal of Isiah Thomas' inbounding pass has become one of the iconic moments in NBA history. The finish to the play rarely gets its due, as Dennis Johnson manages to lay the ball in despite heavy pressure at the rim from Joe Dumars. For Bird, it was a fitting end to an outstanding game for him; he scored 36 points to go along with 12 rebounds and nine assists with a block, and this one all-important theft. Two games later, the Celtics were on their way to their fourth consecutive NBA Finals appearance.

Date: 6/11/1997
Round/Game: 1997 NBA Finals, Game 5
Matchup: Chicago Bulls @ Utah Jazz
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While rumors persist that it wasn't just a straight up case of the flu (there may have been a slight hangover involved as well), MJ's incredible performance in this game can't be ignored. For someone who was debilitating ill, regardless of the sickness's origins, Jordan sure looked OK. He poured in 38 points to go with seven rebounds, five assists, three steals and a block, leading the Bulls back from a double-digit deficit in the first half to steal a road win in this pivotal Game 5. Back to full health for Game 6, Jordan would lead the Bulls to their fifth championship.

Date: 5/16/1980
Round/Game: 1980 NBA Finals, Game 6
Matchup: Los Angeles Lakers @ Philadelphia 76ers
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It hardly seems possible that a point guard could step into the circle to take the opening tip, then camp out on the post all game and dominate while playing center. However, that's exactly what Magic Johnson did on the road in Game 6 of the 1980 NBA Finals. With star Kareem Abdul-Jabbar out with a severely sprained ankle, Magic subbed in and scored 42 points, pulled down 15 rebounds and dished out seven assists. The Lakers won the title as a result of this amazing effort, and for his incredible work Magic took home his first of three NBA Finals MVP awards.

Date: 6/14/1998
Round/Game: 1998 NBA Finals, Game 6
Matchup: Chicago Bulls @ Utah Jazz
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This game needs little introduction. In his final performance in a Bulls uniform, Michael Jordan gave himself the most appropriate sendoff imaginable: a dramatic, late game shot to deliver his team yet another NBA title. With Scottie Pippen rendered ineffective because of a back injury, Jordan took over as he scored 45 points and grabbed four steals. That fourth steal was the one that set up his shot, as he ripped the ball from Karl Malone's hands and raced down the court, before swatting away Bryon Russell and elevating at the free throw line for his iconic bucket.

Date: 5/7/1995
Round/Game: 1995 Eastern Conference Semifinals, Game 1
Matchup: Indiana Pacers @ New York Knicks
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Reggie Miller and the Knicks never really cared for one another. Miller's insane 25 point fourth quarter (and war of words with Spike Lee) in the 1994 Eastern Conference Finals did not seem like it could be topped. But with the Pacers down by six with 18.7 seconds to go in Game 1 of the 1995 Eastern Conference Semifinals, Miller kicked it up another level. His crazy sequence of three pointer-steal-three pointer-free throws (with a couple fortuitous Knicks misses thrown in) stole a road win for the Pacers before the Knicks or their fans could even realize what had happened, catapulting the rivalry to even greater heights.