The Greatest Buzzer Beaters in NBA Playoff History

With so many games coming down to those precious final few seconds, it's no surprise that the NBA playoffs has seen its share of buzzer beaters.

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Complex Original

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By definition, the NBA Playoffs often present matchups involving both the best teams and the best players the league has to offer, and the result can often be spectacular. Games frequently come down to the final quarter and even the final possession, with one fortuitous bounce of the ball often making the difference between winning losing.

With so many games coming down to those precious final few seconds, it’s no surprise that the NBA playoffs has seen its share of buzzer beaters. For sake of this list, we’re defining a “buzzer beater” as a shot made with fewer than two seconds remaining on the clock, and ideally with no time left at all.

While this parameter does disqualify some iconic moments (most obviously this one), there are still many incredible shots that have all decided games, and in many cases entire series. Damian Lillard did his best to make it onto the list with his Game 6 buzzer beater that eliminated the Houston Rockets in the first round of this year's Western Conference playoffs, but the beatdown Portland suffered at the hands of San Antonio immediately after negated the impact the shot might have had. With that, here are The Greatest Buzzer Beaters in NBA Playoff History.

20. Vince Carter

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19. Kobe Bryant

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18. Reggie Miller

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17. Sam Jones

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16. Glen Davis

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15. Bob Harrison

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14. Kenny Smith

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13. Alonzo Mourning

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12. Michael Jordan

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11. Gar Heard

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10. Rik Smits

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9. LeBron James

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8. Michael Jordan

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7. Eddie Johnson

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6. Jerry West

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5. Ralph Sampson

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4. Robert Horry

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3. Derek Fisher

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2. Michael Jordan

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1. John Stockton

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