The 25 Most Iconic NBA Playoff Moments of the '90s Told Through GIFs

Image via Complex Original

Game: 1995 Eastern Conference Finals, Game 4
Date: 5/29/1995

This buzzer beater comes from...Rik Smits? Yep. It stared raining threes near the closing seconds of the game; Brian Shaw drained one to give the Magic the lead, only to have Reggie Miller respond with one of his own to retake the lead. This wasn't going to be another Miller moment, though, as Penny Hardaway hit his own triple to retake the lead.

Imagine Hardaway's disappointment as he watched Smits make the game's final three-pointer with 1.3 seconds left. So much for that shining moment.

Game: 1997 Western Conference Finals, Game 4
Date: 5/25/1997

Statistics doesn't tell the full story a lot of time. Let's take Eddie Johnson's 2-for-5 shooting performance in this game for instance. It's not impressive by any stretch of the imagination, especially when put up against Charles Barkley and Hakeem Olajuwon's performances that night. But get this: One of those shots was the buzzer-beating three that gave the Rockets the 95-92 victory against the Jazz.

The Rockets would lose the series in the next two games, but how many 38 year olds can say they made a shot like that?

Game: 1997 NBA Finals, Game 4
Date: 6/8/1997

There's just so many "John Stockton-type moments within the final minutes of this memorable Game 4. First, he drains a three-ball to swing the momentum Utah's way late in the game. Soon after, he steals the ball from Jordan, gets fouled, and makes the two free throws to bring the game within one. However, Stockton's fullcourt pass to Malone afterward was not only iconic because it finally gave Utah the lead. It was the perfect representation of what made the Stockton/Malone duo one of the most feared 1-2 punches to touch the hardwood.

Game: 1993 Eastern Conference First Round, Game 4
Date: 5/5/1993

In one play, Alonzo Mourning became a star and officially ended Kevin McHale's career. After 'Zo eliminated Boston with this shot from the top of the key, McHale called it quits and Robert Parish left the Celtics a year later. This was supposed to be the start of something special for the Charlotte Hornets, but their two stars (Larry Johnson and Mourning) hated each other and the team was broken up a couple years later.

Game: 1994 Eastern Conference Semifinals, Game 6
Date: 5/20/1994

Let's be clear here: Patrick Ewing ain't no schnook. The man is five-time All-NBA, a Hall of Famer, and a Knicks icon. Even without the stats, you can clearly see he's a big dude. All that adds to the straight absurdity of how Pippen straight up tosses him in this infamous slam dunk. Pippen may've not taken the title that year, but he did take Ewing's soul. That counts for something, right?

Game: 1992 NBA Finals, Game 6
Date: 6/14/1992

The Bulls were down by 15 at the start of the fourth quarter (79-64) in Game 6 of the 1992 Finals against the Blazers. Sounds like the perfect time for His Airness, right? Well yeah, but Phil Jackson took another route: He started the final act with Scottie Pippen and four reserves.

It looked like a huge gamble, but the decision paid off for the Bulls. Pippen, Scott Williams, B.J. Armstrong, Stacey King, and Bob Hansen gradually started to chip away at Portland's lead. After the lead was down to three, Marv Albert astutely observed that "The Bulls are doing it without Michael Jordan on the floor."

MJ surely wasn't going to stay on the bench, though. He returned and made a clutch steal and slam dunk to give the Bulls the lead for good, clinching the Bulls' second consecutive championship.

Game: 1998 Eastern Conference Finals, Game 4
Date: 5/25/1998

Reggie Millier pushed Michael Jordan en route to this game winner. It wasn't even one of those nudges that you'd have to look on the instant replay to peep either. This shove and go was pretty blatant and even Miller admitted to it in his Hall of Fame speech.

The path Miller took to get open for this shot was controversial. But the shot itself? Pure sweetness. Miller simply did what he needed to do to get the win for his team, and that's what being clutch is all about.

Game: 1998 Eastern Conference First Round, Game 4
Date: 4/30/1998

It's never a good idea to step into a fight between two NBA forwards, especially if you're 5'9" and 165 pounds. That goes double if those two forwards are from the Knicks and Heat, who formed one of the '90's more intense rivalries. Jeff Van Gundy ended up learning the hard way though. The Knicks coach decided to interfere with a scuffle between Larry Johnson and Alonzo Mourning. According to Van Gundy, a Johnson punch grazed him and knocked him down, forcing him to cling to Mourning's leg for dear life. It would've been an Internet meme-worthy moment if such a thing existed back then.

Game: 1994 Western Conference First Round, Game 5
Date: 5/7/1994

Nowadays when you think about Dikembe Mutombo, you may think, "Oh shit. Did he really just smack that kid's cereal box like that?" In 1994, basketball fans were thinking, "Damn, they really just beat the Sonics." A No. 8 seed beating a No. 1 seed was unheard of, but the Nuggets accomplished it after dropping the series' first two games.

This was against a Sonics team that had the powers of Shawn Kemp and Gary Payton and won 63 game during the regular season. Seattle lost only four at home the entire year, which made it that much more surprising when the Nuggets beat the Sonics at home in Game 5.

It's known that Denver's then-head coach Dan Issel told his players they had nothing to lose as they headed by to Denver for a game three. They did, however, had everything to gain. Like a place in history, for example.

Game: 1995 Western Conference Semifinals, Game 7
Date: 5/20/1995

The whole thing seemed almost too heartbreaking to Suns fans to not be planned. The Rockets had just stormed back from a 3-1 series deficit to bring the series to a pivotal Game 7. Mario Elie catches the ball in the left corner, shoots, scores the three, and delivers the Kiss of Death.

The gesture felt all too fitting after he just ruined the Suns' hopes in their own court. It says, "We let ya'll go up 3-1 in just to crush your hopes by my sweet-ass jumper. Goodnight!" Coldblooded.

Game: 1999 Western Conference Finals, Game 2
Date: 5/31/1999

Sean Elliott tiptoed to keep himself in bounds and shot a high-arching three with a block-hungry Rasheed Wallace closing in on him. You don't need to be a statistician to know the odds of making such a shot are pretty low, but such rules don't matter when it comes to miracles. That three-pointer went in, the Spurs won the game, and Elliott inserted himself into NBA lore.

It's also important to know the "Miracle" is more than just the shot itself. The Spurs were trailing by as much as 18 in the third, which is rare to come back from in the playoffs. Elliott was also privately battling a kidney disease (focal segmental glomerulosclerosis) while he was playing. Despite the odds, Elliott's shot saved what turned out to be a 4-0 series sweep of Portland. The Spurs would go on to beat the Knicks in the Finals to capture the franchise's first championship and thus began a dynasty.

Game: 1993 Eastern Conference Finals, Game 2
Date: 5/25/1993

When Mike D rapped, "I got heart like John Starks," this is the type of moment he must've been referring to. How many NBA players can say they posterized Michael Jordan? Hey, he was in the picture!

It's not just about the person involved or the sense of poetic justice the Knicks received for getting booted from the playoffs by the Bulls for two straight years. It's the type of tenacity John Starks displays in this dunk. It's the perfect mixture of athleticism and violence. If only this was the Starks moment Knicks fan remembered...

Game: 1999 Eastern Conference First Round, Game 5
Date: 5/16/1999

The No. 8 seeded Knicks enter Game 5 of the 1999 Eastern Conference First Round a win away from upsetting the No. 1 seeded Miami Heat. Down by one with less than four seconds to play, Allan Houston receives an inbounds pass and hits a running jumper to shock the world. It's only the second time in NBA history that a No. 8 seed has upset a No. 1. Reason No. 4,080 that the NBA playoff's first round should be a best-of-five series.

Game: 1997 NBA Finals, Game 6
Date: 6/13/1997

Gush Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen and Phil Jackson all you want, but a true Bulls fan should pour one out for the homie Steve Kerr next time they're shot gunning Goose Island in Grant Park. With five seconds remaining in a tied Game 6 of the 1997 NBA Finals, the Jazz defense collapses on Michael Jordan. It's all according to plan. During an earlier timeout, Jordan tells Kerr to look for the ball if he draws the double team (and according to insider accounts adds "...don't fucking miss."). Well, Kerr didn't fucking miss and iced a fifth NBA Championship to the United Center's ever-expanding trophy case.

Game: 1990 NBA Finals, Game 5
Date: 6/14/1990

Chuck Daly, Joe Dumars and Isiah Thomas were the NBA's "Big Three" in the early '90's, but their secret weapon was  Vinnie Johnson. Known as "The Microwave" for his ability to get hot quickly, Johnson has the ball with time expiring in Game 5 of the 1990 NBA Finals. Johnson floats the ball over Portland's Jerome Kersey from 15-feet out and, with .7 seconds remaining, rips through the net. Detroit wins 92-90.

Game: 1996 NBA Finals, Game 6
Date: 6/16/1996

Most of the more memorable Jordan moments has him either displaying his trademark on-the-court relentlessness, reaching untouchable statistical feats, or engaged in various images of basketball perfection. Those moments made His Airness iconic; this memorable one proved his humanity.

MJ 's first championship since his retirement was also his first since his father was murdered. When he won the 1996 championship on Father's Day, he collapsed on the court and later in the locker room carpet in tears. Chicago had just won its fourth championship of the '90s, but for those beautiful few seconds, it was more than about the trophy.

Game: 1991 NBA Finals, Game 2
Date: 5/5/1991

In the final minutes of a blowout win against the Lakers, Michael Jordan drives the lane and looks primed for another signature right hand dunk. Apparently bored with paint point convention, MJ turns an easy slam into an impossible layup. While dodging a defender in midair, No. 23 switches the ball to his left hand, kisses it off the glass and through the net. The moment represents a changing of the guard in the NBA, where the "Showtime" Lakers of the '80s give way to the '90s Bulls dynasty.

Game: 1994 NBA Finals, Game 6
Date: 6/19/1994

Between Hakeem Olajuwon, Michael Jordan, and Reggie Miller, the Knicks suffered more heartbreak in the '90s than Steve Urkel (why couldn't you just give him a chance, Laura?). The Knicks lead the 1994 NBA Finals 3-2. Down by two points with seconds left in Game 6, John Starks fires a three-pointer. If it goes in, the Knicks are NBA champions, If he misses, the Rockets force a Game 7. Olajuwon swats the ball out of the air, drawing the Houston bench to the floor in celebration. The Knicks lose Game 7, and the heartbreak continues until, well, it hasn't stopped.

Game: 1993 NBA Finals, Game 6
Date: 6/20/1993

With the final seconds ticking off of the clock in Game 6 of the 1993 NBA Finals, all eyes are on Michael Jordan. Naturally. MJ brings the ball up and passes to an open Scottie Pippen in the lane. Pip drives the lane, kicks it to Horace Grant on the wing, and Grant snaps a pass to a wide-open John Paxson for three. He doesn't miss. As star-powered as the '93 Bulls were, the "Three-Peat" is clinched by the biggest afterthought on the floor. Thanks for playing, Phoenix.

Game: 1994 Eastern Conference Finals, Game 5
Date: 6/1/1994

With Michael Jordan a temporary ground out machine in the White Sox' organization, Reggie Miller assumes the role of "Knick Killer." In Game 5 of the 1994 Eastern Conference Finals, the Pacers shooter begins baiting Spike Lee and sinking shot after shot. Miller famously wraps his enormous hands around his throat and gestures a "choke" at Spike Lee. We're not sure what Spike Lee did to choke. Dude was just sitting courtside, eating nachos. But Miller's fabricated enemy fueled a scoring attack to the tune of 39 points, 25 in the fourth quarter.

Game: 1995 Eastern Conference Semifinals, Game 1
Date: 5/7/1995

The Pacers trail the Knicks 105-99 with less than 19 seconds to play in Game 1 of the 1995 Eastern Conference Finals. Reggie Miller cuts the deficit in half with a three-pointer. 16.7 seconds remain. Miller—after giving Greg Anthony a hearty shove in the back—steals the inbounds pass, steps behind the three-point line and drills another triple. Game tied. Knicks guard John Starks is fouled with 13.2 seconds to play and promptly bricks both free throws. Miller grabs a failed Patrick Ewing putback and, rather inexplicably, is fouled by Starks. Miller caps off a determined fourth quarter effort by taunting the Madison Square Garden crowd before sinking both freebies. The Pacers win 107-105. The Knicks collapse is almost as spectacular as Miller's 8 points in 8.9 seconds. Ultimately, Indiana takes the series in seven games.

Game: 1992 NBA Finals, Game 2
Date: 6/5/1992

Believe it or not, there was a time when people compared Michael Jordan to Clyde Drexler. Worse yet, Clyde the Glide often received the favorable end of the judgment. MJ enters the 1992 NBA Finals with "a weak long range shot" as his most prevailing criticism. Jordan responds to the haters, as he often does, by ripping their hearts out and swallowing the beating muscles with a Gatorade chaser. In the first half of Game 1, Jordan drills six treys and scores 35 points (both NBA Finals records). His nonchalant shrug is in jest, as if to act surprised by his own incredible ability to score.

Game: 1997 Western Conference Finals, Game 6
Date: 5/29/1997

John Stockton is known for his brazenly exposed thighs and ability to dish, but don't sleep on his jump shot. With seconds remaining in Game 6 of the 1997 Western Conference Finals, the Jazz guard sinks a buzzer-beating three over Charles Barkley. Stockton celebrates his series-clinching shot (as elated white people are known to do) with a wild overhand fist pump and bear hugs on the house. Unfortunately, the Jazz dream season of '97 turns into a nightmare when they meet the Bulls in the Finals.

Game: 1997 NBA Finals, Game 5
Date: 6/11/1997

Whether it's because he's legitimately sick, poisoned, or has a ridiculous hangover, Michael Jordan is told by team physicians that he should sit out Game 5 of the '97 Finals. Not surprisingly, the GOAT defies doctor's orders. MJ scores 38 points, including a go-ahead three-pointer with 25 seconds remaining to give Chicago a 3-2 series lead over Utah. As the final seconds tick down, Scottie Pippen carries a clearly drained Jordan off of the court. Even when he looks like death, Jordan plays like he is immortal.

Game: 1998 NBA Finals, Game 6
Date: 6/14/1998

With time running out and the Bulls down by one in Game 6 of the 1998 NBA Finals, Michael Jordan steals the ball from a careless Karl Malone in the post and sets up Chicago's offense. Everyone in the stadium knows that MJ is taking the last shot; there is no set play or screen. Jordan crosses Bryon Russell (possibly with a little help from his left hand), gets his look and shreds the net with less than six seconds in the game. The last image of Michael Jordan as a Bull is, rather fittingly, a clutch shot to win his sixth championship. The party begins in Chicago and MJ crosses John Stockton and Karl Malone off of his dream killer hit list.