LeBron James’s incredible performance Sunday night in Indiana—40 points, 18 rebounds, and 9 assists while playing out-of-position to make up for the loss the injured Chris Bosh—was one of the best playoff performances in recent history. Had it taken place in the finals or against a more feared opponent it would probably be rated at or near the top of the list of best playoff performances in NBA history.
As it is, it’s a very impressive performance, but a closer look over the past 30-some years reveals several performances that can top it. With all due respect to a number of Shaquille O'Neal performances that came up just short, here are the NBA’s best playoff performances since 1980:
10. Akeem Olajuwon; 1986 NBA Finals, Game 5—“The Dream” proved to be one of the greatest clutch players in NBA history and is most noted for his domination of fellow centers Patrick Ewing, David Robinson, and Shaquille O‘Neal in the 1994 and ’95 playoffs. It was in ‘86 though when the Olajuwon-led Rockets shocked the Lakers to play the Celtics in the finals that gave the world a preview of what “The Dream” could do. In Game 5, with Houston down three games to one, Olajuwon was at his best. Needing a win to extend the series Akeem (later known as “Hakeem”) put on an incredible performance scoring 32 points, grabbing 14 rebounds, and blocking 8 shots against Boston’s vaunted-frontline to lead the Rockets to a 111–96 win.
9. Tim Duncan; 2003 NBA Finals, Game 6—The 2003 NBA Finals, between defensive-minded foes San Antonio and New Jersey, was not a made-for-TV matchup. But those who saw it, witnessed Tim Duncan at his finest. With the Spurs leading the series three games to two but trailing in Game 6 by as many as 10 in the fourth quarter, Duncan’s three blocked shots down the stretch ignited their comeback that resulted in their second title in five years. Duncan nearly threw down a quadruple-double finishing with 21 points, 20 rebounds, 10 assists, and 8 blocked shots against the likes of Dikembe Mutumbo, Jason Collins, and Kenyon Martin.
8. Larry Bird; 1987 Eastern Conference Finals, Game 5—Three-time NBA Champion Larry Bird had a number of incredible performances and game-winning shots in the postseason. It was one incredible defensive play that single-handedly reversed this series and held off the soon-to-be-great Pistons for one more year. Here was the scene: The series was tied at two games apiece, the Celtics were down a point with seven seconds left when Bird drove to the hoop only to be rejected at the rim and the ball, which went out of bounds, was awarded to Detroit. Detroit guard Isiah Thomas quickly took the ball out of bounds, hoping to catch the Celtics in a state of shock. Instead Bird came out of nowhere to steal Thomas’s inbounds pass and passed to a driving Dennis Johnson for a game-winning layup with one second remaining to win the game. Bird finished with 36 points, 12 rebounds, 9 assists, and one incredible steal.
7. James Worthy; 1988 NBA Finals, Game 7—“Big Game James”' Worthy punctuated one of the greatest finals ever with one of the greatest Game 7 performances ever by burning Detroit for 36 points, 16 rebounds, and 10 assists in the Lakers 108–105 series-clinching win. Often overshadowed by Hall-of-Fame teammates Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Worthy’s hot hand throughout the playoffs that season was a boon to the Lakers, which no longer ran its offense through the 41-year-old Abdul Jabbar. Worthy, who led all playoff scorers that year in total points, was named Finals MVP.
6. Michael Jordan; 1986 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals, Game 2—Jordan burst on the scene with an impressive rookie campaign in ‘85 but it was his performance against the heavily favored Celtics in ’86 that catapulted him into the category of all-time greats. Boston was 40–1 in the regular season at home that year and would go on to win the title, but not before a scare from Jordan. The 23-year-old hit 22 of 41 shots from all over the Celtic’s home floor, torching Boston defenders with fade away jumpers, mesmerizing dunks, and knee-buckling crossovers. All in all, he scored a still-playoff record 63 points, while garnering praise from the Celtics afterward, in the 135–131 double-overtime classic that Boston ultimately won.
5. Reggie Miller...
5. Reggie Miller; 1994 Eastern Conference Finals, Game 5—The 1994 playoffs were the first to be Michael Jordan-less in years and the Knicks, that'd come so close the year before were looking to capitalize. They had no idea what they were going up against though when Reggie Miller and the Pacers came to town. With the series tied at two games apiece and the Knicks up 12 entering the fourth quarter of Game 5, confident fan Spike Lee, sitting courtside at MSG, got into an exchange with Miller that ignited the Pacers sharpshooter. Miller went crazy, hitting 3-pointer after 3-pointer and gesturing to Lee after each one. When the dust settled, Miller had gone off for 25 points in the quarter, 39 for the game, and the Pacers had a shocking 93–86 win.
4. LeBron James; 2007 Eastern Conference Finals Game 5—LeBron James in 2007 was a 23-year-old fourth-year veteran that had carried the team into the playoffs, as he normally did in Cleveland, and continued the job once he got there. Never was that more evident than in Game 5 against Detroit in the 2007 Eastern Conference Finals. With the series tied at two games apiece and his Cavs trailing by seven with just over three minutes left James took over, scoring nine points in the last 3:01 of regulation to force overtime. He was just getting started though. In the two overtime periods, James scored all 18 of Cleveland’s points—including the game-winning layup with two seconds left to win it. In all, James scored the last 25 Cavalier points and 29 of their last 30, finishing with 48.
3. Isiah Thomas; 1988 NBA Finals, Game 6—Before his unsuccessful stint as GM of the Knicks, Thomas was one of the NBA’s best ever point guards. His performance against the Lakers here in Game 6 cemented that status. With the Pistons up three games to two but trailing LA in the third quarter, Thomas took over, scoring 14 straight points before painfully rolling his ankle. Even with a bum ankle, Thomas stayed on the court, continuing to burn the Lakers. “Zeke” scored 11 of the team’s final 15 points of the quarter and finished with 43 for the game, though the Pistons ultimately lost the thriller 103–102.
2. Michael Jordan; 1997 NBA Finals, Game 5—With all due respect to Jordan’s performance in Game 6 the following year, this was the six-time Finals MVP-Jordan’s finest finals moment. Forever known as the “flu game” a flu-ridden Jordan, who was so exhausted by the fourth quarter he had to be helped to the bench by teammates, somehow mustered enough energy to score 38 points in the 90–88 win. Included in his point total was a back-breaking 3-pointer that broke up an 85-all tie in the final minute, propelling the Bulls to the pivotal victory.
1. Magic Johnson; 1980 NBA Finals, Game 6—With center and League MVP Kareem Abdul-Jabbar out with an ankle sprain, 20-year-old point guard Magic Johnson started at center in the decisive tilt against the Sixers. The 6-foot-8-inch Johnson filled in brilliantly, scoring 42 points, grabbing 15 rebounds, and dishing out 7 assists in the series-clinching 123–107 win and earning Finals MVP. The otherworldly performance was just the beginning for Magic who won four more titles with the Lakers.
The Epoch Times publishes in 35 countries and in 19 languages. Subscribe to our e-newsletter.
