The Most Surprising Clutch NBA Playoff Performances of All Time

Everyone expects the star players to decide NBA playoff series'. And why not? That is what they get paid to do, and that’s why they’re stars. Stars occasionally falter, though, or at the very least have quite average performances. When it happens, lesser-known players seize upon this opportunity to put their own stamp on NBA history before retreating back into the comfort of relative obscurity.

While huge, championship-making playoff games may be more synonymous with Michael Jordan, we can’t forget guys like John Paxson, Vinnie Johnson, or Kenny Smith. They, too, had their moments of heroism that helped their teams win championships, even if these moments of glory were merely flashes of greatness in otherwise pedestrian careers. In honor of these short-lived victories, let’s celebrate the Most Surprising Clutch NBA Playoff Performances of All Time.

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Date: 5/8/2011
Round: 2011 Western Conference Semifinals, Game 4
Matchup: Lakers @ Mavericks
Stats: 11-for-14, 32 points, 1 rebound, 4 assists

With the Lakers already on the ropes, sixth-man extraordinaire and headband pioneer Jason Terry knocked them out and sent his Mavericks on to the Conference Finals with an outstanding performance in Game 4. Terry helped Dallas open up a 24-point halftime lead with a second quarter avalanche of three-pointers, then put the game away at the start of the third with treys on consecutive possessions. He ended up tying an NBA playoff record with nine made threes, going 11-for-14 overall from the field in just 25 minutes of action.

Date: 6/12/1984
Round: 1984 NBA Finals, Game 7
Matchup: Lakers @ Celtics
Stats: 5-for-10, 24 points, 8 rebounds, 8 assists

Maxwell was a very good player for the Celtics throughout the early 1980s, winning the Finals MVP award in 1981. But with the emergence of Larry Bird and Kevin McHale as the primary offensive weapons his role began to decline quickly. He was mostly an afterthought in the 1984 Finals, but in Game 7 he showed why he was once such a highly regarded player as he nearly recorded a triple-double in leading the Celtics to a championship victory. Maxwell was particularly efficient getting to the line, hitting on 14 of his 17 free-throw attempts and staking the Celtics to an early lead thanks to his 17 first half points.

Date: 5/23/1982
Round: 1982 Eastern Conference Finals, Game 7
Matchup: 76ers @ Celtics
Stats: 14-for-23, 34 points, 3 rebounds, 6 assists

Toney was always a solid player, but there was something about the Celtics that made him practically superhuman. In the 1982 Eastern Conference Finals, Toney earned the nickname "The Boston Strangler" for the way he murdered the Celtics' season as he followed up a 30-point Game 2 and 39-point Game 4 with a 34-point outburst in Game 7. Strolling into the Boston Garden without a drop of fear, Toney led the 76ers to victory by dropping 14 points in the first quarter and catching fire midway through the third. His 14-for-23 night ended the Celtics' season and avenged the 76ers' blowing a 3-1 series lead against Boston the previous year.

Date: 5/31/1999
Round: 1999 Western Conference Finals, Game 2
Matchup: Blazers @ Spurs
Stats: 8-for-10, 22 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists

Everything about Sean Elliott's "Memorial Day Miracle" defies belief. Not only was it a miracle that he was playing (he was suffering from a kidney disorder that required a transplant in the offseason), but the inbounds pass was nearly intercepted, Elliott nearly stepped out of bounds and Rasheed Wallace nearly blocked the shot. Everything fell perfectly for the Spurs, as Elliott buried the shot to cap a ridiculous rally from being down by as many as 18 points earlier in the game. The momentum from that shot would propel San Antonio into the Finals and to their first championship.

Date: 6/14/1990
Round: 1990 NBA Finals, Game 5
Matchup: Pistons @ Trailblazers
Stats: 6-for-11, 16 points, 2 rebounds

The man known as "The Microwave" was one of the premier bench players in league history, owning the role of sixth man and showing just how crucial that role can become. Having already scored 14 points in the fourth quarter and with his Pistons needing a win to clinch the title, Johnson found himself on the receiving end of an Isiah Thomas pass with barely two seconds to play. His crazy, off-balance jumper fell through the net with the clock showing 00.7 seconds, and moments later the Pistons celebrated their second consecutive title.

Date: 6/19/2005
Round: 2005 NBA Finals, Game 5
Matchup: Spurs @ Pistons
Stats: 7-for-12, 21 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists

It looked like Big Shot Rob had finally run out of steam by 2005, as the veteran had failed to score in the first half and didn't get his first hoop until the final play of the third quarter. However, once he got rolling, the 34-year-old could not miss. As the Spurs struggled to crack the Pistons' tough defense, Horry carried his team with 18 points in the fourth quarter and overtime. His final of five three-pointers came with 5.8 seconds to go in the extra period, giving him 21 points on the night and San Antonio a 3-2 series lead.

Date: 5/13/2004
Round: 2004 Western Conference Semifinals, Game 5
Matchup: Lakers @ Spurs
Stats: 3-for-7, 8 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists

It seems highly unlikely that someone could receive a pass and get a shot off in 0.4 seconds. That it could be done accurately and with defensive pressure would be flat out impossible. And yet, that is exactly what the Lakers' Derek Fisher managed to pull off in the 2004 Western Conference Semifinals.

After it appeared like the Spurs would win and take a 3-2 series lead thanks to a ridiculous Tim Duncan fadeaway from the top of the key, Fisher managed to catch, turn, and hit nothing but net. He then immediately bolted for the locker room and the Lakers were on their way to their fourth trip to the NBA Finals in five years.

Date: 5/29/1995
Round: 1995 Eastern Conference Finals, Game 4
Matchup: Magic @ Pacers
Stats: 6-for-16, 21 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists

"The Dunking Dutchman" was a fixture in the Pacers' frontcourt for many years, anchoring the defense and providing strong scoring in the low post. This closely-contested Eastern Conference Finals begat wild finishes, and that's exactly what happened. After Orlando's Brian Shaw, Indiana's Reggie Miller, and Orlando's Penny Hardaway exchanged a barrage of threes, the Pacers were left trailing by one with 1.3 seconds to go. Smits came free at the elbow, upfaked to beat defender Tree Rollins, and drained his jumper to give his team a dramatic win to even the series.

Date: 6/7/1995
Round: 1995 NBA Finals, Game 1
Matchup: Rockets @ Magic
Stats: 8-for-13, 23 points, 3 rebounds, 9 assists

The Houston Rockets were very much "Hakeem Olajuwon, Clyde Drexler, and everybody else" in 1995, but in Game 1 of the Finals it was a different player who would step up and lead his team to victory. Kenny Smith was no slouch, but in this game he caught fire in a way that got his name into the history books.

Creating his own shot off the dribble and embarrassing whoever tried to guard him, Smith buried a then-Finals record seven three-pointers as the Rockets won by two in overtime. Smith was the reason the game even went to overtime, as he followed up Nick Anderson's famed 0-for-4 at the free-throw line with a game-tying three.

Date: 5/10/1987
Round: 1987 Western Conference Semifinals, Game 4
Matchup: Lakers @ Warriors
Stats: 18-for-26, 51 points, 3 rebounds, 10 assists, 4 steals

While he ultimately failed to stop the Lakers from knocking off his Warriors, Sleepy Floyd at least forestalled the inevitable with a record-setting performance in Game 4 of their Western Conference Semifinal series. After averaging just under 15 points per game over their first three matchups, Floyd erupted for 51 points (including 12 straight field goals in the fourth quarter) as he single-handedly prevented a sweep at the hands of their in-state rivals. He holds a number of playoff records that still stand, including points in a quarter (29) and a half (39).

Date: 5/20/1995
Round: 1995 Western Conference Semifinals, Game 7
Matchup: Spurs @ Suns
Stats: 2-for-5, 8 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist

The Rockets looked finished after dropping three of their first four games to the Suns, but clawed back to force a Game 7 in Phoenix. With the game tied, 20.4 seconds to go and possession belonging to Houston, the Suns elected to double team whoever it was who had the ball. After Kenny Smith found (who else?) Robert Horry at the top of the key, Horry found a wide open Elie in the corner. Elie's dagger three-pointer and subsequent "Kiss of Death" to the Phoenix bench silenced the crowd and cemented the Suns' epic collapse.

Date: 4/27/2013
Round: 2013 Eastern Conference First Round, Game 4
Matchup: Nets @ Bulls
Stats: 14-for-23, 34 points, 4 assists

NateRob has been an enigma throughout his career, an electrifying athlete whose hot-headedness, poor shot selection, and small stature have often relegated him to bench and mop-up roles. With Derrick Rose out and Joakim Noah hurting, the Bulls needed a confident scorer in their Game 3 matchup with the Nets.

Trailing by 14 and seemingly needing a miracle to get back in it given that there was just 3:45 remaining, Robinson caught absolute fire as he chucked up shots from all over the court. His 29 points in the fourth quarter and overtime periods tied LeBron's "48 Special" for most points scored after the third quarter in a playoff game in the last 15 seasons.

Date: 6/8/2008
Round: 2008 NBA Finals, Game 2
Matchup: Lakers @ Celtics
Stats: 6-for-7, 21 points, 2 rebounds

Even Lakers' coach Phil Jackson had no idea who Powe was after the game (he pronounced his last name "pow"), but that didn't change the fact that the Celtics' reserve forward played a key role in giving his team a 2-0 series lead. Playing just 15 minutes on the night, Powe made the most of it as he scored six points in a 15-2 Celtics third quarter run that gave the home team a 22-point lead. His multiple dunks electrified the crowd and gave the Celtics the boost in scoring off the bench, which ultimately helped propel them to their first title in over 20 years.

Date: 6/17/2010
Round: 2010 NBA Finals, Game 7
Matchup: Celtics @ Lakers
Stats: 7-for-18, 20 points, 5 rebounds, 5 steals

Artest had been terrible during the 2010 Finals, bombing up questionable shots and shooting a lackluster .352 from the field entering Game 7. With Kobe Bryant his usual self, the Celtics focused their defensive efforts on him rather than worrying about Artest. With a minute to go and the Lakers clinging to a three point lead, Artest was left with room to shoot and did not hesitate in pulling the trigger. The groans of Lakers fans across quickly turned to cheers as the shot fell through the net, effectively clinching the title against their hated foes from Boston who had downed them in the Finals just two years earlier.

Date: 6/9/2011
Round: 2011 NBA Finals, Game 5
Matchup: Heat @ Mavericks
Stats: 6-for-11, 17 points, 2 rebounds, 5 assists

Undrafted out of Northeastern University, JJ Barea looked like someone destined for a lifetime toiling away in Europe or China. After signing with Dallas' D-League affiliate, however, Barea quickly showed that he belonged on an NBA roster, and in the 2011 Finals introduced himself to the world as a premier bench scorer. His huge effort off the bench helped spark the Mavericks to a pivotal Game 5 win, as Barea buried four of his five three-point attempts to help knock off the favored Heat.

Date: 6/4/1976
Round: 1976 NBA Finals, Game 5
Matchup: Suns @ Celtics
Stats: 17 points

Since this game was now almost 40 years ago, it rarely is included in the conversation about greatest playoff games of all time. However, this pivotal Game 5 in the Boston Garden proved to be one of the most evenly-fought games in Finals history, needing an unprecedented three overtimes to settle it. After a wild sequence in the second overtime that saw what looked like a Celtics victory overturned and a Chris Webber-esque timeout call by Suns' guard Paul Westphal, Phoenix's Gar Heard hit a turnaround jumper as time expired to tie the game and send it into a triple overtime. Unfortunately for Heard, his 17 points would not be enough as the Celtics would hold on to win by two and take the series the following game.

Date: 5/7/2010
Round: 2010 Western Conference Semifinals, Game 3
Matchup: Suns @ Spurs
Stats: 10-for-13, 26 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists

A relative unknown on Phoenix's bench, Goran Dragic had accounted for all of 11 points in total leading up to the fourth quarter of Game 3 against the Spurs. After a remarkable 23-point outburst in which he hit on nine of his 11 shots and all four three-pointers, Dragic was no longer an anonymous benchwarmer. Trailing by a point heading into the fourth, the Suns rode their backup point guard's outburst to a 14-point victory as they took a 3-0 series lead against their rivals from San Antonio.

Date: 6/13/1997
Round: 1997 NBA Finals, Game 6
Matchup: Jazz @ Bulls
Stats: 3-for-5, 9 points, 1 rebound

While he wasn't a completely unknown to NBA fans, Steve Kerr was definitely not somebody people were expecting to be the difference in a championship game. However, with Michael Jordan being double-teamed and Kerr left open by John Stockton at the top of the key, MJ fed his open teammate and Kerr buried the Finals-clinching shot with five seconds to go. Kerr's propensity for clutch shooting would follow him the rest of his career, and the guard would go on to win rings not just with the three-peating Bulls but also twice with the San Antonio Spurs.

Date: 5/14/2004
Round: 2004 Eastern Conference Semifinals, Game 5
Matchup: Nets @ Pistons
Stats: 6-for-7, 17 points, 4-for-4 threes, 3 rebounds

If there was truly a moment where the legend of the meme-inspiring phenom known as Scal began, this was it. With multiple players in foul trouble, the rarely-used Scalabrine came off the bench and promptly buried four three-pointers in triple overtime as he gave the Nets a shocking road win over the Pistons. In the four meetings prior to his Game 5 heroics, the burly forward had managed to tally just six points total. In the next two games, he would not score again in 15 minutes of action over the next two games, attempting just two total shots.

Date: 6/20/1993
Round: 1993 NBA Finals, Game 6
Matchup: Bulls @ Suns
Stats: 3-for-4, 8 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist

Paxson did not enjoy a particularly distinguished career, averaging 7.2 points per game over 11 seasons. However, he is best remembered for one iconic shot in particular: his game-winning three pointer that delivered the Bulls the first of their two three-peats and crushed the hearts of Suns fans everywhere. With the Suns enjoying a two point lead and their defense collapsing to the rim to avoid an easy game-tying hoop, Horace Grant found Paxson all alone on the perimeter, and the guard didn't hesitate as he delivered Chicago its third championship in as many years.