The 25 Most Badass Playoff Performances in NBA History

From Willis Reed's amazing comeback to MJ's Flu Game.

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Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

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With the 2013 NBA playoffs in full swing, the volume of TV coverage allows us to relive all the classic playoff moments from previous seasons. These performances were so good that they are now known simply by short titles; there’s “The Shot,” “The Flu Game,” “The 48 Special,” and many others. The greatest players always seemed to elevate their games on the greatest stage, with guys like Michael Jordan, Larry Bird and Magic Johnson taking their legendary status to another level with incredible efforts in May and June. While there have been many great efforts by both individuals and teams, we have chosen these as the 25 Most Badass NBA Playoff Performances of All Time.

25. Jerry West Wins Finals MVP in Losing Effort

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24. Alley-Oop Caps Epic Comeback

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23. Bird Rallies Celtics After Concussion

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22. Wade's Amazing Effort Saves the Heat

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21. McHale's Clothesline Turns Series

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20. Ray Allen Sets Finals Record for Threes

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19. Big Shot Rob Strikes Again

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18. Those F*cking Balloons Are Staying Up There!

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17. The "Junior, Junior, Junior" Skyhook Sinks Celtics

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16. Baylor Sets Finals Scoring Record

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15. LeBron Makes the Leap

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14. MJ Drops 63 on the Celtics

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13. The 48 Special

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12. The Sprained Ankle Game

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11. Epic Shootout at the Garden

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10. Big Game James is Born

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9. Russell's 30/40 Gives the Celtics Four in a Row

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8. Willis' Amazing Comeback

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7. The Shrug Game

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6. The Shot

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5. Bird Stole the Ball

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4. The Flu Game

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3. Magic Plays Center, Delivers Title

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2. The Last Shot

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1. Miller's 8 Points in 8.9

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