The 25 Most Clutch Performers in NBA Playoff History

The NBA playoffs bring out the best in many players, and in particular the game’s stars are often the ones who shine. From Bill Russell to Michael Jordan, some of the game’s greatest legends somehow found a way to elevate their games come playoff time, especially late in games when their teams needed them the most.

Playoff heroism isn’t just limited to the Hall of Famers, though; some players made names for themselves based almost entirely on their work in the playoffs. If it weren’t for their performances in close and late playoff situations, few would remember the otherwise-unremarkable careers of guys like Steve Kerr and Robert Horry. While there have been many great efforts throughout the league’s history, these are the 25 Most Clutch Performers in NBA Playoff History.

Team(s): Trailblazers, Celtics
Playoff stats: 49 G, 10.8 PPG, 9.1 RPG, 3.0 APG, 18.6 PER
Signature game: 1977 NBA Finals, Game 6
Highlights

Even though injuries ravaged him and ultimately ruined what could have been one of the greatest careers, Bill Walton was every bit the superstar he seemed destined to become in the 1977 NBA Finals. He took home the MVP award after averaging 18.5 points per game over the course of the series, battling with burly 76ers center Darryl Dawkins all series long. His Game 6 effort—where he logged 20 points and 23 rebounds—was the type of all-around dominant performance that people would come to expect from the big redhead every single year, but injuries prevented games like that from becoming the norm.

Team(s): 76ers, Suns, Rockets
Playoff Stats: 123 G, 23.0 PPG, 12.9 RPG, 3.9 APG, 24.2 PER
Signature Game: 1993 Western Conference Finals, Game 7
Highlights

While Charles Barkley may forever be known as the best player never to win an NBA title, it certainly wasn't because of anything he did. His performances in the 1993 Western Conference Finals (his MVP season) were two of the finest individual efforts of the modern era. In Game 5 against the Seattle Supersonics, he put up 43 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists as the Suns took a 3-2 lead, then did one better in Game 7 and he scored 44 points and grabbed a staggering 24 rebounds to get to the only NBA Finals of his illustrious career.

Team(s): Lakers
Playoff stats: 134 G, 27.0 PPG, 12.9 RPG, 4.0 APG, 21.8 PER
Signature game: 1962 NBA Finals, Game 5
Highlights

Elgin Baylor never won an NBA title, but that doesn't mean that this once-in-a-generation playoff performer couldn't put up huge numbers in big games. He set a still-standing record in Game 5 of the 1962 NBA Finals, pouring in a staggering 61 points and grabbing 22 rebounds in the Boston Garden to give his Lakers a 3-2 series lead over the Celtics. Baylor was tremendous all series, averaging 40.3 points as he did his best to win his first title. It was not enough, however, as the Celtics came back to take the series in seven games.

Team(s): Celtics
Playoff Stats: 136 G, 18.9 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 3.6 APG, 17.8 PER
Signature Game: 2008 Eastern Conference Semifinals, Game 7
Highlights

With his numerous standout playoff performances, Paul Pierce has cemented his reputation as the best big-game Celtic since Larry Bird. His duel with LeBron James in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals was eerily reminiscent of Larry Bird's showdown with Dominique Wilkins 20 years earlier, and just as before the Celtics rode their star's performance to a huge win. Pierce had been at the center of huge playoff rallies before, sparking the Celtics to one of the biggest comebacks in NBA playoff history as he poured in 19 points in the fourth quarter to help the Celtics overcome a 21-point fourth quarter deficit in Game 3 of the 2002 Eastern Conference Finals against the New Jersey Nets.

Team(s): Hawks
Playoff stats: 88 G, 25.5 PPG, 14.8 RPG, 2.7 APG, 22.6 PER
Signature game: 1958 NBA Finals, Game 6
Highlights

Almost always a bridesmaid as he ran into the juggernaut Celtics time and again throughout his career, Pettit played one of the all-time most clutch games in Game 6 of the 1958 Finals. Sick of Russell and Cousy's dominance, Pettit poured in 50 points in the deciding game as he single-handedly led the Hawks over the Celtics. He dominated the entire playoffs, too, posting averages of 24.2 points and 16.5 rebounds per game. While he never won another title after 1958, that tremendous performance alone is enough to earn Pettit permanent respect in the pantheon of NBA greats.

Team(s): Jazz
Playoff Stats: 182 G, 13.4 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 10.1 APG, 19.8 PER
Signature Game: 1997 Western Conference Finals, Game 6
Highlights

As much as the Mailman often failed to deliver in the playoffs, Stockton was a reliable presence late in games for the Jazz throughout his career. His penchant for big moments is not as well-known as you would think given his Hall of Fame credentials, but the unassuming point guard had several huge shots that either saved or at least prolonged Utah's season. His three-pointer at the buzzer over Charles Barkley in Game 6 of the 1997 Western Conference Finals sent the Jazz on to face the Bulls, and in 1998 Stockton hit one of the most-forgotten big shots in NBA history, a shot that gave the Jazz a lead that was summarily extinguished by Michael Jordan's jumper over Byron Russell (and a missed three by Stockton with 5.2 seconds left).

Team(s): Pistons
Playoff stats: 146 G, 17.3 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 5.7 APG, 19.1 PER
Signature game: 2004 NBA Finals Game 1
Highlights

Chauncey Billups has really earned his nickname of "Mr. Big Shot," burying numerous key jumpers during his career and providing his many teams with a stable presence in the backcourt late in games. His performance in the 2004 Finals, while not statistically gaudy, was enough to earn him the MVP award on the strength of his averages of 21 points and 5.2 assists per game. He set a Nuggets record for three-pointers in a playoff game with eight in the 2009 Western Conference Playoffs and tying a record with his seventh straight appearance in a conference finals.

Team(s): Bulls, Spurs
Playoff Stats: 128 G, 4.3 PPG, 0.9 RPG, 1.2 APG, 11.2 PER
Signature Game: 2004 Eastern Conference Semifinals Game 2
Highlights

The sharpshooting Kerr may not have put up huge numbers (he only averaged 15.6 minutes per playoff game), but he made the most of his opportunities to post a solid .370 shooting percentage from three to cement his reputation as a reliable threat from outside. No more was that apparent than in Game 6 of the 1997 NBA Finals, where Michael Jordan actually deferred to Kerr and allowed the former Arizona Wildcat to bury the championship-clinching shot. He again emerged a hero in the 2003 Western Conference Finals, this time for the Spurs, as he buried four key three-pointers in Game 6 to bury the Mavericks.

Team(s): Cavs, Heat
Playoff stats: 124 G, 28.2 PPG, 8.6 RPG, 6.8 APG, 27.1 PER
Signature game: 2012 Eastern Conference Finals, Game 6
Highlights

It seems preposterous that LeBron James was considered someone who couldn't come through in the clutch, and yet that perception dogged him for much of the early stages of his career. It's funny how winning a ring changes the way people view past performances. If you look at the breadth of LeBron's career, though, you'll see a guy who has repeatedly delivered in huge playoff games. His legendary performance in Game 5 of the 2007 Eastern Conference Finals—in which he scored 29 of the Cavaliers' final 30 points—and last season's Games 6 and 7 against the Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals proved once and for all he can be trusted on the big stage.

Team(s): Heat
Playoff Stats: 119 G, 22.0 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 4.8 APG, 23.7 PER
Signature Game: 2006 NBA Finals Game 3
Highlights

While he's been able to take a backseat to LeBron James since LeBron arrived, Wade has been one of the great playoff performers in recent memory. He carried the Heat in the 2006 Finals as they came back from a 2-0 deficit to overcome the Mavericks. They almost didn't even get there, as Wade suffered an injury against the Bulls in Game 5 of their first round series before returning to lift his team to a series win. He then unleashed an NBA Finals performance for the ages, scoring 42, 36, and 43 points in Games 3 through 5, respectively, as the Heat won four straight to beat the Mavs, easily earning "Flash" the Finals MVP award.

Team(s): Lakers
Playoff stats: 220 G, 25.6 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 4.7 APG, 22.4 PER
Signature game: 2000 NBA Finals, Game 4
Highlights

Decades from now, fans who got to see Kobe play will truly be able to appreciate just what kind of competitor he was. Moreover, he's hit so many amazing shots throughout the years that fans have almost become numb to how truly amazing he has been. Whether it was Game 2 against Phoenix in 2000, Game 2 against Detroit in the 2004 Finals, or Game 4 against Phoenix again in 2006, his fearlessness with the game on the line and ability to come through time and again have made him one of game's all-time greats. Five rings don't lie.

Team(s): Bucks, Lakers
Playoff stats: 237 G, 24.3 PPG, 10.5 RPG, 3.2 APG, 23.0 PER
Signature game: 1985 NBA Finals, Game 6
Highlights

Few players were able to dominate a basketball game quite like Kareem, an evolutionary big man whose silky-smooth moves in the paint were something almost never seen in the history of the league. His incredible skills were on full display in key playoff situations, winning his first Finals MVP in 1971 as he averaged 27.0 points per game for the series and his Bucks squad never won a game by fewer than eight points in the four game sweep. His six total rings are proof that if you needed to win a series, Kareem was a good choice to anchor the middle of your lineup.

Team(s): Lakers
Playoff stats: 143 G, 21.1 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 3.2 APG, 18.3 PER
Signature game: 1988 NBA Finals, Game 7
Highlights

The man known as "Big Game James" earned his nickname on the biggest stage, playing several huge postseason games in both college and the pros. His 23.7 points per game average against the Celtics in the 1985 Finals helped establish Worthy as a reliable scorer in key situations, and he made his biggest leap in 1988. With Kareem Abdul-Jabbar aging, the Lakers needed Worthy to step up when they returned to L.A. down three games to two. Deliver he did, as Worthy posted 28 points and nine rebounds in Game 6 and followed that up with 36 points, 16 rebounds, and 10 assists in the title-clinching Game 7 to win the Lakers the title and earn him the Finals MVP award.

Team(s): Celtics
Playoff stats: 172 G, 22.0 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 4.8 APG, 17.5 PER
Signature game: 1965 Eastern Conference Finals, Game 7
Highlights

Hondo is one of the great clutch performers in Celtics history, and his iconic steal in Game 7 of the 1965 Eastern Conference Finals is one of the legendary clutch plays in the history of the NBA. He had numerous other huge games as well, including Game 6 of the 1974 NBA Finals in which he tied the record for most points in an overtime period with nine. He also was at the center of the action in the famous triple-overtime game of the 1976 NBA Finals, hitting what looked like the game-winner in double overtime before the referees ruled there was a second left, which in turn allowed Phoenix to tie the game.

Team(s): Rockets
Playoff stats: 145 G, 25.9 PPG, 11.2 RPG, 3.2 APG, 25.7 PER
Signature game: 1995 Western Conference Finals, Game 1
Highlights

"The Dream" was just that in the playoffs, leading the Rockets to two championships and setting several playoff records along the way. As the young leader of the Rockets in 1987-88, he set a record for points in a four-game series with 150 even as his Houston team was eliminated, and nearly a decade later Olajuwon embarrassed reigning MVP David Robinson in the Western Conference Finals as the Dream averaged 35.3 points on .560 shooting. His monster performances in both the 1994 and 1995 NBA Finals earned him the MVP award both times, and cemented his reputation as one of the great big-game performers of his generation.

Team(s): Spurs
Playoff stats: 200 G, 22.1 PPG, 12.0 RPG, 3.3 APG, 25.1 PER
Signature game: 2003 NBA Finals, Game 1
Highlights

While it may seem unlikely, Duncan may be one of the most underrated great players of all time. Whenever his Spurs have needed him to deliver in the playoffs, he's been there. Whether it was his almost quadruple-double in the 2005 Finals or the shocking three-pointer against the Suns in 2008, he has made numerous huge plays in key situations for his team. There's a reason, after all, that he has been the constant in the Spurs' four championship runs from 1999 until today, and a huge reason why even at age 37 he's got them right back in the NBA Finals again this year.

Team(s): Celtics
Playoff stats: 154 G, 18.9 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 2.3 APG, 17.5 PER
Signature game: 1962 Eastern Division Finals, Game 7
Highlights

While Cousy, Heinsohn, and Russell got all the press, Sam Jones was the key cog in the Celtics' dynasty of the 1950s and 1960s and is second only to Bill Russell in most championships won as a player with 10. He was a dynamic scorer every single night, and had a penchant for rising to the occasion in big games. He has one of the great all-time nicknames ("The Shooter"), and proved why in Game 7 of the 1962 Eastern Division Finals as he buried a jumper over Wilt Chamberlain late in the fourth quarter to send the Celtics to the Finals. His legend continued to grow in the fourth quarter of Game 4 of the 1969 NBA Finals, as the Celtics trailed and were facing the possibility of a 3-1 series deficit. Jones wouldn't allow that to happen, though, sinking the jumper in typical Jones fashion and propelling the Celtics to the title.

Team(s): Pacers
Playoff stats: 144 G, 20.6 PPG, 2.9 RPG, 2.5 APG, 19.5 PER
Signature game: 1995 Eastern Conference Semifinals, Game 1
Highlights

If it seems like all of Reggie Miller's big playoff moments came against the Knicks, that's partially true. His 25-point fourth quarter barrage in Game 5 of the 1994 Eastern Conference Finals was really topped only by his eight points in 8.9 seconds in the 1995 Eastern Conference Semifinals, with both moments occurring in front of a hostile Madison Square Garden crowd. Miller would also go on to hit huge shots against other teams, including a game-winner over Michael Jordan in the 1998 Eastern Conference Finals that evened the series at two. Miller's affinity for huge moments made it all the more surprising that he could never quite break through and win a championship.

Team(s): Pistons
Playoff stats: 111 G, 20.4 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 8.9 APG, 19.8 PER
Signature game: 1988 NBA Finals, Game 6
Highlights

Even if you took away every single playoff game, Thomas participated in except Game 6 of the 1988 Finals, he would still be on this list. Fighting off a severely sprained ankle, Thomas hobbled around the L.A. Forum floor and scored a Finals record 25 points in the third quarter. With his Pistons on the verge of a title, Thomas finished with 43 points, eight assists, and six steals, but a controversial foul call at the end gave the Lakers a win and the momentum necessary to capture the title in the deciding Game 7. Thomas had several other huge playoff games, including a dominant performance against Portland in the 1990 Finals for which he won MVP, but his 1988 effort will forever be his lasting NBA legacy.

Team(s): Lakers
Playoff stats: 190 G, 19.5 PPG, 7.7 RPG, 12.3 APG, 23.0 PER
Signature game: 1980 NBA Finals, Game 6
Highlights

With five rings and three Finals MVP awards, Magic Johnson was obviously doing something right come playoff time. His knack for delivering when the Lakers most needed him started early on in his career when he was asked to fill in at center for the injured Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on the road for Game 6 of the 1980 Finals. T

he then-20 year old responded with 42 points, 15 rebounds, and seven assists to win the title and MVP award. After some bumps along the way, he reasserted himself with the famed "junior, junior skyhook" in Game 5 of the 1987 Finals in Boston, effectively ending the Celtics dynasty and besting his rival Larry Bird for the second consecutive time on basketball's biggest stage.

Team(s): Celtics
Playoff stats: 164 G, 23.8 PPG, 10.3 RPG, 6.5 APG, 21.4 PER
Signature game: 1988 Eastern Conference Semifinals, Game 7
Highlights

Larry Bird's entire career was an exercise in clutch shooting, as the Celtics' forward made the game-winning shot look like the simplest of tasks. He was at his best in the playoffs, playing some of his most unforgettable games when the stakes were highest. His Finals averages were off the charts: 27 points and 14 boards in the 1984 Finals against the Lakers, and a near triple-double 24 points, 9.7 rebounds and 9.5 assists in 1986 against the Rockets.

There were, of course, individual games like his duel with Dominique Wilkins in Game 7 of the 1988 Eastern Conference Semifinals that reminded us, as Brent Musburger so eloquently put it, "what greatness is all about."

Team(s): Rockets, Lakers, Spurs
Playoff stats: 244 G, 7.9 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 2.4 APG, 14.4 PER
Signature game: 1995 NBA Finals, Game 3
Highlights

Big Shot Rob may not have put up the most gaudy playoff stats, but when his team needed it most he was there to deliver huge shots in playoff games. Horry's introduction to the big stage occurred in Houston, where in the 1995 Finals he buried a three over Horace Grant that gave the Rockets a 3-0 lead and effectively a championship.

His three against Sacramento in Game 4 of the 2002 Western Conference Finals was also one of great shots of all-time, saving the Lakers' season and helping them on to a title. His swansong was a virtuoso performance in Game 5 of the 2005 Finals, where he scored 21 points in the fourth quarter and overtime (including the game-winning three with 5.9 seconds left) to give the Spurs a 3-2 series lead. And let's not forget when he sacrificed himself by hip-checking Steve Nash into the scorer's table in Game 4 of the 2007 Western Conference Semis that ultimately gave the Spurs the series.

Team(s): Lakers
Playoff Stats: 153 G, 29.1 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 6.3 APG, 23.1 PER
Signature Game: 1970 NBA Finals, Game 3
Highlights

If you're nicknamed "Mr. Clutch," you're probably a pretty good player in big games. Jerry West lived for the playoffs, and while he only won one title in nine tries, it certainly wasn't because of anything he did. West still holds the NBA playoff record for average points in a series with 46.3 per game against the Baltimore Bullets in 1965, carrying a Lakers team that was missing his co-star Elgin Baylor.

He hit a 60'-plus buzzer beater to send Game 3 of the 1970 Finals to overtime (a series the Lakers ultimately lost in seven) and was the MVP of the 1969 Finals despite the fact that his Lakers lost to the Celtics. In Game 7 of the '69 Finals, West put up 42 points, 13 rebounds, and 12 assists.

Team(s): Bulls
Playoff stats: 179 G, 33.4 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 5.7 APG, 28.6 PER
Signature game: 1997 NBA Finals, Game 5
Highlights

We can probably go through this entire list of performances and really only scratch the surface of MJ's playoff greatness. It started in 1988 with "The Shot." In 1992, there was "The Shrug." In 1997, we got "The Flu Game." Finally, in 1998, he left fans wanting more after "The Final Shot."

It speaks to how transcendent Jordan became in the playoffs that none of these titles need further explanation; anyone who watches basketball immediately knows everything about each one of these games, and what Jordan did to separate himself above any other playoff performer in basketball history. Sidebar: Jordan's teams never faced a Game 7 in six Finals appearances.

Team(s): Celtics
Playoff stats: 165 G, 16.2 PPG, 24.9 RPG, 4.7 APG, 19.4 PER
Signature game: 1962 NBA Finals, Game 7
Highlights

Bill Russell played in 10 Game 7s during his illustrious career that spanned 13 seasons and earned him 11 championship rings. Ten times, he emerged victorious. His imprint was all over each one of these games, too; his best effort was undoubtedly in the 1962 Finals, when he finished with 30 points and 44 rebounds in an overtime title-clinching win. But let's not sleep on some of the others, either.

In 1957, Red Auerbach credited Russell's footsteps with forcing Bob Pettit to miss a title-winning shot. In 1960, Russell absorbed two elbows to the head but still managed 22 points and 35 rebounds. In 1966, he scored 25 points and grabbed 32 rebounds to send Auerbach off in style with the Celtics' eighth straight title. The list goes on and on, and only further exemplifies why Russell is one of the most revered players in NBA history.