75) 1985, NBA Finals (game six): Lakers 111, Celtics 100 – Lakers finally break the curse of Boston Garden and Kareem is MVP at age 38

Lakers over Celtics in an NBA Finals seemed like a distant reality until 1985. Boston had won the previous eight NBA Finals match-ups between the squads, including in 1984, in memorable fashion that we’ll get to later in this list. Things looked like more of the same when the Celtics won game one in 1985 in the “Memorial Day Massacre” by 34 points, but the Lakers won three of the next four to take a 3-2 series lead. Celtics fans were still confident their team could rally at home to win the final two games (this was the first series to adapt the 2-3-2 format for home games, which held until 2013 when the NBA returned to 2-2-1-1-1) and keep their mystical spell over Los Angeles, but the Lakers put this one away with an offensive flurry in the third quarter. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar led the way with 29 points, James Worthy added 28, and Magic Johnson had a triple-double with 14 points, 14 assists, and 10 rebounds. Kevin McHale was magnificent for Boston with 32 points but Larry Bird struggled, shooting just 12-of-29 from the floor. It was the first and still only time that the Celtics have ever been eliminated in the NBA Finals on their home court. Abdul-Jabbar was named MVP at age 38, a record that still stands.

74) 1999, Conference Finals (game two): Spurs 86, Trail Blazers 85 – Sean Elliott tops off a furious comeback with the “Memorial Day Miracle”

On paper, the 1999 Western Conference Finals were a relatively dull affair, with the Spurs sweeping the Trail Blazers while averaging just 86 points per game and winning the last two contests in blowouts. But game two was a thriller, a physical, defensive battle dominated by the Blazers in the first half and the Spurs down the stretch. Portland led by as much as 18 points early in the third quarter when Tim Duncan, who finished with a game high 23 points and 10 rebounds, sparked a slow and steady San Antonio comeback. It was still a six-point game with a minute left when Sean Elliott nailed a corner three-pointer to cut the Blazers’ lead to 84-81. Tim Duncan came up with a steal at the other end, setting up a pair of Mario Elie free throws that made it 84-83. Damon Stoudamire then made one of two free throws on the other end to set up the frantic finish. Elie just barely inbounded it to Elliott, who turned and hit an improbable three-pointer over Rasheed Wallace’s outstretched hand, giving the Spurs their first lead of the game with nine seconds left. Portland had a chance to answer, but Brian Grant’s final shot was off the mark and the Spurs were victorious. The shot was labeled the “Memorial Day Miracle,” not just for the improbability of the play itself, but for Elliott’s announcement after the season that he had been playing with a rare kidney disease which required a transplant.

73) 1998, Conference Finals (game four): Pacers 96, Bulls 94 – Reggie Miller with a classic buzzer beater to stun the Bulls

You won’t see a lot of examples on this where someone is getting the better of Michael Jordan’s Bulls, but if anyone was going to make it happen, it’s unsurprising that it was Reggie Miller. This series was one of just two in the Bulls’ six championship seasons that went the full seven games, as the Pacers, coached at the time by Larry Bird, gave them everything they could handle. The hero for the first 47 minutes and 57 seconds of this game was Rik Smits, who was basically unstoppable in the paint, finishing with 26 points. Though they played completely different positions, he was essentially dueling Jordan, who had a game high 28, albeit on 12-of-27 shooting, as the Pacers’ pressure defense stifled Chicago. The final seconds though, unsurprisingly, were “Miller Time.” The star Indiana guard had struggled all night, hounded by Jordan, Scottie Pippen, and Ron Harper, and finishing with just 15 points. But with the Pacers trailing 94-93 with 2.9 seconds left, he was the obvious option and came through in signature fashion, coming off a screen, (arguably illegally) pushing off Jordan, then catching the inbounds pass and firing up the game-winning three-pointer. Note that the Bulls had prior opportunities to put the game away in the final 30 seconds but made two huge mental mistakes: a silly moving screen foul by Dennis Rodman, then two missed free throws from Pippen.

72) 1987 All-Star Game (Seattle): West 154, East 149 (OT) – A star-studded exhibition classic, fraught with interpersonal drama

Stocked with talent, competitive from start to finish, filled with interpersonal drama, and played out in front of a raucous Kingdome crowd, the 1987 All-Star Game was the greatest exhibition game in NBA history. Though the rosters were a who’s who of the old guard (Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Julius Erving, Moses Malone, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) and up-and-coming superstars (Michael Jordan, Dominique Wilkins, Hakeem Olajuwon, and Charles Barkley, making his All-Star debut), there was an unsung hero in hometown favorite Tom Chambers. The Sonics forward earned MVP honors for scoring 34 points and keying a late West rally to force overtime, where they prevailed. This was also notable as the moment where the Pistons-Bulls rivalry truly heightened, as Isiah Thomas and Bill Laimbeer reportedly spearheaded an effort to “freeze out” the young Jordan from the East offense.

71) 1962, regular season: Warriors 169, Knicks 147 – a.k.a. the “100 Point Game”

100 points on 36-of-63 shooting and 28-of-32 on free throws, 25 rebounds, two assists. Wilt Chamberlain’s ultimate stat line is forever etched in NBA infamy and it occurred almost 100 miles away from Philadelphia, in Hershey, PA, in front of barely 4,000 fans in a game not even broadcast on television (and the star center supposedly hung over from a previous night spent partying). The affair itself was meaningless in the standings, as the Warriors had already clinched a playoff spot and the Knicks were in dead last, but it evolved into something special as soon as Chamberlain broke his own single game record by surpassing 79 points with just under eight minutes to play. With his teammates openly just feeding him the ball to pad his stats, Wilt reached the 100 point mark with 46 seconds left, leading to fans storming the court and causing a delay in the blowout Philadelphia victory.

70) 2011, Conference Quarterfinals (game four): Trail Blazers 84, Mavericks 82 – Brandon Roy’s swan song, a thrilling comeback victory

Part of a long line of star-crossed Blazers stars, Brandon Roy was a Rookie of the Year and three-time All-Star until his career fell apart due to degenerative knee issues. In what would turn out to be the third-to-last game of his career before he was forced to retire at age 26 (not counting a later, brief comeback with the Timberwolves), Roy gave Portland fans one last thrilling glimpse of his talent. With the Blazers trailing 2-1 in a first round series against the Mavericks and by 23 points in the third quarter of game four, he took command, scoring 18 points in the fourth quarter alone. This included a brilliant, game-tying, four-point play with just over a minute left and then the game-winner about 30 seconds later. Though the Blazers would eventually lose the series in six and Roy’s career was essentially over, this performance with forever live on amongst the Portland faithful. 

69) 1980, NBA Finals (game four): 76ers 105, Lakers 102 – Julius Erving drives baseline and a classic highlight is born

You’ve more than likely seen the highlight of this game’s signature play. With 7:35 remaining in the game and the Sixers leading the Lakers 89-84, Julius Erving dribbled to the baseline, blew by Mark Landsberger, leaped into the air, then contorted improbably to avoid a Kareem Abdul-Jabbar block and drop in a beautiful reverse lay-up. It’s become known as the “scoop shot” and one of the signature highlight videos in NBA history, but the rest of this game was equally compelling. Erving finished the game with 23 points while Darryl Dawkins led all scorers with 26 and a rookie Magic Johnson had a near triple-double with 28 points, nine assists, and nine rebounds. It was a tight contest throughout, with the 76ers holding on for the 105-102 victory when Bobby Jones intercepted a Norm Nixon pass in the waning seconds.

68) 2006, Conference Quarterfinals (game four): Lakers 99, Suns 98 (OT) – Kobe Bryant sends a message to the entire league

Just barely returning to the playoffs in 2006 after a disastrous ’04-’05 season, Kobe Bryant and the Lakers made a surprising impact on the first round as a #7 seed. They were taking on a Suns team that was considered a title contender despite the loss of Amare Stoudemire after knee surgery and put up a strong fight. Game four was the apex of the series, with Bryant and Steve Nash going head-to-head all night. A Smush Parker steal from Nash set up Bryant’s runner with 0.7 seconds left in regulation that forced overtime. Then, Luke Walton was able to force and win a jump ball against Nash with six seconds left in overtime, followed immediately by Bryant hitting the game-winning jumper at the buzzer. It reinforced Bryant’s reputation as a clutch scorer in the wake of Shaquille O’Neal’s departure for Miami, and gave the Lakers an improbable 3-1 series lead. They couldn’t complete the upset however, with the Suns winning the next three games by an average margin of 18.6 points per game.

67) 2012, Conference Finals (game six): Heat 98, Celtics 79 – never question LeBron James’ performance in the clutch again

Heading into this game in Boston, it was fair to question whether LeBron James would ever win a championship. His Heat were still reeling from their 2011 NBA Finals upset loss to the Mavericks and had looked far from dominant in ’11-’12. Though his stats were solid on paper in the first five games of the 2012 Eastern Conference Finals, James seemed to be lacking a killer instinct and was getting regularly outplayed and trash talked in the clutch by his old nemesis, Boston’s Paul Pierce, as the Celtics took a 3-2 series lead. Then, in game six in Boston, James unleashed possibly the greatest performance of his career, decimating the Celtics with 45 points on 73% shooting, plus 15 rebounds and five assists. The Heat took a big lead early and then cruised to a 98-79 win. It was far from the most competitive or dramatic game on this list, but it’s worthy of inclusion based on the awe-inspiring James performance. Miami closed out the series at home in game seven, then defeated the Thunder in the NBA Finals.

66) 2015, Conference Quarterfinals (game seven): Clippers 111, Spurs 109 – Chris Paul fights through an injury and eliminates the defending champs

One of the most hyped and exciting first round series in NBA history came to a fitting, thrilling end in game seven. The defending champion Spurs opened an eight-point lead early as Chris Paul headed to the locker room with a pulled hamstring, but that would turn out to be the biggest margin for either team in a game that featured 31 lead changes and 16 ties. Paul eventually returned and dominated down the stretch despite an obvious limp, finishing with 27 points, including a runner with one second left that gave the Clippers a 111-109 win. Despite 27 points and 11 rebounds from Tim Duncan, the Spurs became just the fifth defending champion in the post-merger era to lose in the next year’s postseason first round.

65) 2020 Conference Semifinals (game six): Raptors 125, Celtics 122 (2 OT) – the Orlando “Bubble” peaks with a double overtime thriller

Though this series was ultimately arguably meaningless, as the winning Celtics then were eliminated in the succeeding round, it was undoubtedly a thriller, most notably in this incredible game that had social media buzzing. The Celtics held a 3-2 series lead coming into the game and were poised to advance to the Conference Finals, but the defending champs would not go out quietly. Toronto made not one, not two, but three late comebacks, one in the fourth quarter, one in the first overtime, and one in the second overtime. Veteran point guard Kyle Lowry put on one of the best performances of his career, scoring 33 points in 53 minutes of playing time, while young Celtics stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown combined for 60 points and 30 rebounds. It was a battle of attrition for both teams, who were noticeably weary almost 10 weeks after first arriving at Disney World property for the isolated “bubble.” Neither team scored in the final two minutes of regulation but the second overtime became a shooting flurry, with Lowry, Norman Powell, and OG Anunoby all making clutch shots in the final two minutes to lead the Raptors to the win. 

64) 1983, regular season: Pistons 186, Nuggets 184 (3 OT) – the ultimate NBA scoring bonanza

Not only did the 370 combined points in this game smash the previous record of 337, it also set the marks for most combined field goals, most combined assists, highest score by a winning team, and highest score by a losing team. Going three overtimes certainly helped the stat pile-up. Things almost ended in regulation, but Isiah Thomas, who finished with 47 points and 17 assists, forced the first overtime with a buzzer beating tip-in. John Long added 41 points and Kelly Tripucka 35 for the Pistons, who were playing in their 23rd game under new coach Chuck Daly and obviously a ways off from the defensive intensity that would define the upcoming “Bad Boys” era. Running coach Doug Moe’s up-tempo offense, the Nuggets secured the win in this one behind 51 points from Kiki Vandeweghe and 47 from Alex English. They would go on to average 123.7 points per game for the season, while also giving up a league worst 124.8 points per game. How’s this for a sign-of-the-times stat: in a game with a record 142 combined made field goals, both teams hit just one three-pointer each.

63) 1995, Conference Semifinals (game seven): Rockets 115, Suns 114 – the “Kiss of Death” caps off a 3-1 series comeback and yet another Charles Barkley heartbreak

While the 1993 NBA Finals defeat was obviously a tough pill for Charles Barkley to swallow, this was the game and series that drove him into mulling an early retirement. Instead, he pulled a can’t-beat-’em-join-’em move by signing with the Rockets team that defeated his Suns in this one, finishing off an improbable 3-1 series comeback and spurring a run to a second straight NBA title. Mario Elie was the unlikely hero here, nailing a three-pointer with seven seconds remaining that put the game away for Houston. It was nicknamed the “Kiss of Death” shot, thanks to Elie blowing a kiss towards the Suns bench as he bounded back up the court. Danny Ainge almost stole the game back for Phoenix, hitting two free throws that reduced the lead to 115-114, then stealing an inbounds pass and launching a three-quarter court shot that just missed the mark at the buzzer. In his final game as Barkley’s teammate, Kevin Johnson finished with 46 points and 10 assists, but it just wasn’t enough and the brief Suns title window slammed shut.

62) 2010, NBA Finals (game seven): Lakers 83, Celtics 79 – a game seven battle of wills in a renewed classic rivalry

This wasn’t a game so much as a war of attrition, with two veteran, worn out squads going back-and-forth. Despite a 6-of-24 shooting performance from Kobe Bryant, the Lakers overcame a 13-point deficit and prevailed thanks to clutch plays down the stretch from Pau Gasol, Metta World Peace, and Sasha Vujacic. Gasol’s 18 rebounds helped the Lakers to a crucial 53-40 advantage in the game (in which the teams shot a combined 36% from the floor), while World Peace hit a clutch three-pointer in the final minute and Vujacic nailed the clinching free throws. Los Angeles made just four three-pointers in 20 attempts, but forced their way to the free throw line 37 times. All five Celtics starters scored in double digits, but Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Rasheed Wallace struggled with foul trouble throughout the contest.

61) 1995, Conference Semifinals (game one): Pacers 107, Knicks 105 – Reggie Miller only needs 8.9 seconds to destroy the Knicks

Eight points in 8.9 seconds. That’s the headline for this one, in one of the great Reggie Miller performances, a last minute flourish that silenced the Madison Square Garden crowd and gave the Pacers an improbable win. Rik Smits was actually the high scorer for Indiana, finishing with 34 points (while also expertly defending Patrick Ewing), but the Dutch star fouled out with 1:07 remaining and the Knicks subsequently opened up a 105-99 lead. Miller Time unfolded with 16.4 seconds left, when the Knick Killer hit a contested three-pointer, stole the ensuing inbounds pass, hit another off-balance three to tie the game, intimidated John Starks into missing a pair of free throws, grabbed the rebound, and then gave the Pacers a 107-105 lead with two free throws of his own. It was a breathtaking sequence, all the more heightened by Miller’s constant trash talking to the Knicks players and fans.

60) 1978, NBA Finals (game four): Bullets 120, Sonics 116 (OT) – Bullets come back to keep championship hopes alive

The ’77-’78 season is often cited as a low point in NBA history, but the Finals that culminated it was an all-time classic, with two unlikely participants in Seattle and Washington battling it out to seven games. The high point was game four, played in front of a record crowd of 39,000+ at the Kingdome (the Sonics’ usual home, the Seattle Center Coliseum, later known as KeyArena, was booked for a mobile home expo). Led by their unsung bench players Mitch Kupchak and Charles Johnson, the Bullets stormed back from a 15-point deficit to take a late lead. Dennis Johnson, nursing bruised ribs suffered earlier in the game, made some clutch plays down the stretch, including blocking a potential game-winning shot from Bob Dandridge at the end of regulation. But Charles Johnson was ultimately the hero in overtime for Washington, hitting three straight clutch shots to clinch a 120-116 win and eventually the only championship in franchise history.

59) 1993, Conference Finals (game five): Bulls 97, Knicks 94 – Charles Smith can’t get a shot off

The Knicks had taken the first two games of this series but the Bulls battled back to tie the series 2-2, thanks to a 54-point explosion from Michael Jordan in game four. Jordan was resplendent again here, finishing with a triple-double: 29 points, 14 assists, 10 rebounds, while Patrick Ewing led all scorers with 33. Ewing also made a terrific defensive play late, blocking a Stacey King jumper to force a shot clock violation and set up the final play. With 27 seconds left, Ewing slipped while driving to the hoop but managed to pass to Charles Smith under the basket. Four consecutive Smith shot attempts were blocked, first by Horace Grant, then by Jordan, then Scottie Pippen, then Pippen again. It was a perfect microcosm of the ’90s Knicks-Bulls rivalry and an unfortunate defining moment for Smith’s career.

58) 1984, NBA Finals (game seven): Celtics 111, Lakers 102 – the Bird/Magic NBA rivalry kicks into high gear

Five years after they entered the league, Larry Bird and Magic Johnson met in a long-anticipated NBA Finals that culminated in a classic game seven. As had been the case throughout the ’60s, the Celtics got the best of the Lakers with a little bit of Boston Garden magic. It was 91 degrees on the parquet court for this one and Cedric Maxwell was the hero (and named series MVP), finishing the game with 24 points, eight rebounds, and eight assists, and forcing a Johnson turnover with one minute left that clinched the game, negating a late 14-point Los Angeles comeback. Johnson was reportedly so shaken by this loss and his poor performance (5-of-14 shooting, seven turnovers) that he spent the entire summer sequestered in his house stewing about it before coming back to lead L.A. to the ’84-’85 title.

57) 1994, NBA Finals (game six): Rockets 86, Knicks 84 – Hakeem blocks John Starks and “Clutch City” prevails

Game five of this series is the most infamous, as NBC split screen the coverage with O.J. Simpson’s freeway chase, but game six was the classic. The Knicks led the series 3-2 and were looking to clinch it in Houston and John Starks led the push with 27 points and eight assists. But when things mattered most at the end, it was Hakeem Olajuwon, as usual, clinching things for “Clutch City.” Starks attempted a buzzer beating three-pointer to win the game and Olajuwon got just enough of his fingertips on it to send it awry. Knicks fans and Starks himself claim to this day that Olajuwon committed a foul, but the game was over and “The Dream” finished it with 30 points and 10 rebounds.

56) 2019, Conference Semifinals (game seven): Raptors 92, 76ers 90 – Kawhi Leonard gets just the right bounce

The ball hit the rim four times, bouncing around for what seemed like an eternity, but in the end it fell through and Kawhi Leonard was once again a postseason hero. Just a few seconds earlier in the game, Leonard had missed a crucial free throw, allowing the 76ers to tie the game on a Jimmy Butler lay-up. It was an appropriate culmination to a tight game seven, which saw numerous ties and lead changes in the second half, and neither team ever led by more than eight points. It also set up the final play, where Leonard, already a postseason legend for his MVP performance in the 2014 NBA Finals, added to his lore with the only game seven, series clinching, buzzer beater in playoffs history. The Raptors soon after advanced past the Bucks and then upset the Warriors to bring home Toronto’s first title.

55) 1962, NBA Finals (game five): Lakers 126, Celtics 121 – Elgin Baylor goes for a record 61 and the Lakers stun Bill Russell

Though 1969 was the year the Lakers came closest to knocking off Bill Russell’s Celtics in the NBA Finals, 1962 was the year they really had an edge, thanks to this game. Elgin Baylor, still a couple years away from the major knee injury that would mar the remainder of his career, was at his explosive, unstoppable peak in this series. He averaged 40.6 points and 17.9 rebounds per game and was especially dominant in game five. Setting an NBA record that still stands to this day, Baylor poured in 61 points and added 22 rebounds as the Lakers stunned the Celtics in Boston to take a 3-2 series advantage. The Lakers couldn’t close out the series at home in the subsequent game six, setting up an epic game seven that we’ll get to later on this list.

54) 2004, Conference Semifinals (game five): Lakers 74, Spurs 73 – Derek Fisher’s buzzer beater upstages Tim Duncan’s game winner

“One lucky shot deserves another.” Rarely can a game be so succinctly summarized by a single quote, but Shaquille O’Neal’s infamous postgame response conjures this one perfectly. It brings to mind Tim Duncan, hitting an incredible, off-balance jumper to give the Spurs a 73-72 lead in game five of the contentious 2004 Conference Semifinals. Then there was Derek Fisher, somehow catching a Gary Payton inbounds pass and shooting a turnaround jumper in 0.4 to give the Lakers a walk-off victory and a 3-2 series lead. The Spurs reacted indignantly, with general manager R.C. Buford officially filing a protest that the shot was invalid (the NBA obviously overruled him) and Duncan calling it a “lucky shot” in his press interview, prompting O’Neal’s response. The Lakers went on to close out the series at home in game six, ending the defending champion Spurs’ season. It would turn out to be the final playoff match-up between Shaq’s Lakers and Duncan’s Spurs, with the Lakers ultimately winning three series out of five.

53) 1992, NBA Finals (game one): Bulls 122, Trail Blazers 89 – the Jordan “shrug” game

The biggest blowout on our list, this game still stands up as the arguable apex of Michael Jordan’s career. The greatest of all time did have a weakness here and there, one of them being three-point shooting (32.7% for his career), but in game one of the 1992 NBA Finals, he shed even that minor flaw. Matching up head-to-head against Clyde Drexler, a man many were blasphemously touting as his potential equal at the time, Jordan put on an offensive clinic. He made six three-point field goals in the first half, then a Finals record (later broken by Ray Allen), and finished the game with 39 points and 11 assists while shutting down Drexler defensively, as the Bulls cruised to a 33-point win. After hitting his sixth three-pointer on the game, Jordan shrugged his shoulders towards TV announcers Marv Albert and Magic Johnson, as if to say “yeah, I can barely believe it’s this easy either.”

52) 1984, NBA Finals (game two): Celtics 124, Lakers 121 (OT) – late Lakers mistakes allow the Celtics to survive

Game two of the 1984 NBA Finals was a huge opportunity for the Lakers to take an improbable 2-0 series lead after pulling off a game one upset in Boston. It was a close one throughout with the final minute-plus standing out as an incredible sequence of events. A thunderous James Worthy dunk-and-one (the foul was called on Cedric Maxwell, whom Worthy nearly murdered via posterizing) tied the game with just over a minute left and was soon after followed by a pair of Magic Johnson free throws to give the Lakers a 113-111 edge. When Kevin McHale was fouled on the other end with 20 seconds on the clock, Lakers coach Pat Riley reportedly told his players to call timeout only if he made both free throws. Johnson called for time anyway after McHale missed them both, forcing the Lakers to make a dangerous backcourt inbounds against a pressure defense. A lazy Worthy pass was stolen by Gerald Henderson, who laid it in to tie the game as the Garden crowd lost their minds. The discombobulated Lakers couldn’t even get off a potential game winner on the ensuing possession, and a clinching basket from Scott Wedman helped the Celtics prevail in overtime, 124-121.

51) 2006, Conference Semifinals (game seven): Mavericks 119, Spurs 111 (OT) – Dirk finally gets the better of Tim Duncan

NBA playoff game sevens are always momentous occasions, but there was distinctly a lot at stake here, especially for a second round series. The Spurs were the defending champs and top seed and seeking to extend their league domination in the wake of the Shaq/Kobe divorce. Dallas was looking to finally overcome San Antonio after losing to them in the 2001 and 2003 playoffs, and not blow a 3-1 series lead. Dirk Nowitzki and Tim Duncan were both in their primes and both played brilliantly in this one. Duncan finished with 41 points, 15 rebounds, and six assists and led a 20-point Spurs comeback, taking the lead for the first time in the game with 32.9 seconds left. But Nowitzki, who compiled 37 points and 15 rebounds, answered with a driving lay-up and one to force overtime, where the Mavericks prevailed. It was an iconic moment for the German star who had long been labeled as too soft to rise to the biggest moments. San Antonio missed arguably their best chance at back-to-back titles and Dallas soon after reached the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history.

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50) 1984, Conference Quarterfinals (game five): Knicks 127, Pistons 123 (OT) – Bernard King out-duels Isiah Thomas

In an overlooked mano-a-mano duel of the ’80s, Bernard King and Isiah Thomas both proved their superstar worth in a deciding first round series playoff game. It was played in an overpacked and overheated (the air conditioning was broken) Joe Louis Arena, because the usual Pistons home, the Silverdome, had been rented out for a motocross competition. King was struggling with flu symptoms and a dislocated finger but still scored 44 points with ease, and staked New York to an eight point lead with two minutes remaining. Then the legend of “Zeke” was built, as Thomas scored an incredible 16 points single-handedly in the final 93 seconds of regulation to lead a furious Pistons comeback. He even had a chance to win it but lost control of the ball while driving the lane in the final seconds. The Knicks dominated overtime, especially after Bill Laimbeer fouled out, and won the game 127-123, but it still stands in Pistons lore as an all-time classic.

49) 2000, Conference Finals (game seven): Lakers 89, Trail Blazers 84 – the Kobe/Shaq dynasty starts with an improbable comeback

The Kobe/Shaq Lakers dynasty seemed like a birthright and eventually bore out four NBA Finals appearances and three titles, but it almost got cut off at the knees before it even started. They opened a 3-1 series lead on the Trail Blazers in the 2000 Conference Finals but lost games five and six as Portland’s depth and ball movement dominated. Both teams were exhausted by game seven and it became an old fashioned mud fight. Fueled by an offensive explosion from Steve Smith and Rasheed Wallace, the Blazers went on a 21-4 run late in the third quarter to open up a 71-55 lead. The Lakers immediately turned back the tide in the fourth quarter, with Bryant and O’Neal pacing their own 25-4 run to reclaim the lead and never look back. It was punctuated by an alley-oop connection from Kobe to Shaq with 41 seconds remaining that exhilarated the Los Angeles crowd and sent O’Neal running down the court screaming in joy. At one point during the rally, the Blazers missed 12 consecutive field goals and had a scoring drought that lasted over seven-and-a-half minutes of game time.

48) 1990, NBA Finals (game five): Pistons 92, Trail Blazers 90 – “The Microwave” heats up and hits the series winner

When the Pistons clinched their second consecutive championship in game five of the 1990 NBA Finals, the hero wasn’t their face of the franchise, Isiah Thomas, or their Finals MVP, Joe Dumars. Instead, it was their longtime bench specialist on the downswing of his career, Vinnie Johnson, with his ultimate “Microwave” moment. Though the series ended in five games, it was closer than it seemed, with three of the Pistons wins coming down to the final seconds. Portland certainly had them on the ropes in game five, using a balanced scoring attack (all five starters finished with double digit points) to take a 90-83 lead with two minutes left. Johnson then swung the game completely by hitting a driving jumper and drawing a foul (Clyde Drexler’s sixth). “The Microwave” continued to heat up from there, hitting a subsequent jumper to cut the lead to 90-88, then winning a jump ball to set up Thomas’ game-tying basket, and topping it off with the series winner, a contested jumper that swished through with 0.7 seconds on the clock, earning him the secondary nickname “Agent 00.7.”

47) 1994, Conference Quarterfinals (game five): Nuggets 98, SuperSonics 94 (OT) – a #8 seed upsets a #1 seed for the first time

It’s most memorable for being the deciding win in the first #8 seed over #1 seed series upset in NBA playoffs history, and for the postgame image of Dikembe Mutombo clutching the ball on the floor and crying in celebration, but this game itself was a classic. There was a huge comeback, a regulation buzzer beater, a game-saving block in overtime, and an unlikely hero in Robert Pack. The backup guard played more minutes than usual, filling in for the struggling Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf, and made the most of it, scoring a career playoff high 23 points, 19 of them in the second half and overtime, and clinched the game with two clutch free throws. Mutombo added 15 rebounds and eight blocks, none bigger than a rejection of Shawn Kemp late in overtime that set up Pack’s winning free throws. Seattle managed to force the extra period thanks to a game-tying buzzer beater from Kendall Gill, on a put back of a missed Gary Payton shot. The Sonics were eliminated despite finishing with the best regular season record in the league in ’93-’94.

46) 1988, Conference Semifinals (game seven): Celtics 118, Hawks 116 – Dominique Wilkins is game but Larry Bird is the “Legend”

Probably the most famous one-on-one duel in NBA playoffs history, with Dominique Wilkins almost single-handedly carrying the Hawks to a stunning upset of the Celtics, who were saved by the aging gunslinger, Larry Bird. Atlanta actually had a chance to close out this series at home in game six but couldn’t get the job done, setting up this epic deciding contest. With about 10 minutes left to go in game seven and the score tied, the two superstars took over, turning the game into a virtual H-O-R-S-E competition. Wilkins had 16 points down the stretch, part of his game high of 47, but Bird poured in 20 in the final 10 minutes to give the Celtics a 118-116 win. Boston survived the bout to advance but it would turn out to be a last hurrah of the era, as they were knocked out by the Pistons in the Conference Finals. Unfortunately for the Hawks, this would be their peak with Wilkins, who would never advance even past the first round again in his career.

45) 1995, Conference Finals (game four): Pacers 94, Magic 93 – four lead changes in the final 14 seconds makes for a breathtaking finish

The greatest and craziest game in a postseason full of memorable ones, Orlando and Indiana thrilled fans on Memorial Day of 1995 with an escalating series of late heroics. It started with just under two minutes left, when Rik Smits forced the sixth foul on Horace Grant and Shaquille O’Neal on consecutive possessions, leaving both on the bench for the remainder of the contest. This set up a wild finish with four consecutive lead changing baskets in the final 14 seconds: 1) a Brian Shaw spot-up three-pointer that gave Orlando a 90-89 lead; 2) Reggie Miller, who finished with a team high 23 points, hitting a patented off-a-screen three-pointer to regain the lead for the Pacers, 92-90 with 5.2 seconds left; 3) the Magic advancing the ball with a timeout and Penny Hardaway, who scored a game high 26, hitting a contested three-pointer with 1.3 seconds on the clock to put Orlando back up, 93-92; 4) Smits, an unsung hero again, catching, pump faking, and shooting the game winner, a jumper from the free throw line at the buzzer.

44) 2000, NBA Finals (game four): Lakers 120, Pacers 118 (OT) – Shaq fouls out and Kobe begins to write his name in the history books

Things were tenser than expected late in game four of the 2000 NBA Finals for the Lakers. The heavily favored crew held a 2-1 series lead, but their young phenom, Kobe Bryant, was playing on a sore ankle which had forced him to miss game three, and their reigning MVP, Shaquille O’Neal, fouled out halfway through overtime after compiling 36 points and 21 rebounds. That’s when the young Bryant blossomed into true superstar status, taking over down the stretch with multiple clutch plays: a pull-up jumper off a killer crossover that nearly faked Reggie Miller out of his shoes, a block of an Austin Croshere lay-up, and the final dagger: a put-back on a Brian Shaw miss that put the game away and silenced the Indiana crowd. Still just 21 years old at the time, Bryant finished with 28 points, while Miller had 35 for the Pacers in a losing effort.

43) 1981, Conference Finals (game seven): Celtics 91, 76ers 90 – the Celtics finish off a 3-1 series comeback with a late spurt

Befitting what many have called the greatest playoff series in NBA history, this is one of two games on our list from the 1981 Eastern Conference Finals. After falling behind 3-1 in the series, the Celtics won three straight games, each of them coming down to the final seconds, culminating in this thrilling game seven comeback. The Sixers jumped out to an early advantage in the Garden, with Julius Erving leading the way as usual with 23 points. They led 89-82 with under six minutes to play when the Celtics methodically chipped away down the stretch. Larry Bird made numerous clutch plays in the final minutes, most of them either defensive or on assists, and made the go-ahead basket with 1:03 remaining that capped a 9-0 Celtics run. Only one point was scored in the final minute but it was a frantic finish, with several great defensive plays, one crucial missed free throw (by a likely concussed Mo Cheeks), and the Celtics advancing to the NBA Finals. In the end, Boston won the final three games of this series by a combined five points.

42) 1989, Conference Quarterfinals (game five): Bulls 101, Cavaliers 100 – Michael Jordan hits “The Shot”

This one could have made the list based alone on finishing with arguably the most famous shot in NBA history, but the game itself was an end-to-end classic. That final basket from Michael Jordan is so iconic it’s now known simply as “The Shot,” and it finished off a barn burner that was back-and-forth all night, including four lead changes in just the final minute. Poor Craig Ehlo was a would-be hero for Cleveland, finishing with a team high 24 points off the bench, including a clutch, potential game-winner with three seconds remaining. But he found himself on the wrong end of history soon after, faked out near the free throw line by Jordan, who rose up and hit his momentous jumper to win it. It was actually the Cavaliers who were the higher seed and favorites in this series and game but it was the Bulls who would advance and go on to dominate the Eastern Conference for nearly a decade.

41) 2008, NBA Finals (game four): Celtics 97, Lakers 91 – a huge comeback sparks the Celtics to a championship

With a throwback match-up and huge stars on each side, the 2008 NBA Finals were a heavily hyped affair. It ended with a blowout Celtics win in game six, but the series truly was won in game four, when Boston pulled off the biggest comeback in Finals history. Thanks to a flurry of scoring from Lamar Odom and Pau Gasol, the Lakers led by as much as 24 points in the second quarter, and held a 70-50 advantage midway through the third quarter. That’s when Ray Allen and Paul Pierce led a furious Celtics turnaround, embarking on a 21-3 run to end the third trailing by only two points. The fourth quarter was back-and-forth, with Boston taking their first lead of the game with just over four minutes left, then putting the game away in the waning seconds thanks to Ray Allen infamously juking Sasha Vujacic and driving to the basket for a game-clinching lay-up. Though Pierce eventually won Finals MVP, Allen was the hero here, playing all 48 minutes and finishing with 19 points and nine rebounds.

40) 2016, regular season: Warriors 121, Thunder 118 (OT) – Stephen Curry shines in the greatest regular season game in NBA history

Huge defensive stops, clutch free throws, broken single season records, a team on pace for 70 wins, and a game-winning three-pointer from possibly 40 feet away. The greatest regular season game in NBA history had a little bit of everything. That final basket was perfectly emblematic of this game, this Warriors team, and Stephen Curry in his prime. With the game tied at 118-118 in overtime, the Golden State star pulled up from just a few steps beyond the half court line, effortlessly draining the impossible shot with just 0.6 seconds left. It was his 12th three-point field goal of the game, tying the NBA record, and earlier in the contest he had broken the single season record for three-pointers. Curry finished with 46 points, while Klay Thompson added 32 and Andre Iguodala was also a hero, hitting two free throws at the end of regulation to force overtime. Kevin Durant finished with 37 points and 12 rebounds for the Thunder before fouling out. With the win, Golden State improved to 53-5 on the season and would eventually top 72 wins, setting the NBA record.

39) 1997, NBA Finals (game six): Bulls 90, Jazz 86 – Steve Kerr is the unlikely hero as the Bulls clinch a fifth championship

It seems strange in retrospect but every now and then Michael Jordan was willing to defer to a teammate and in the clinching game six of the 1997 NBA Finals, that unlikely hero was Steve Kerr. A longtime backup combo guard who never averaged more than nine points a game, Kerry didn’t start once for Chicago but was often on the floor in crunch time for his good decision making and his long range accuracy. Such was the case late in game six, when he nailed a three-pointer that capped a 10-0 Bulls run to erase a nine-point Jazz lead and set off a tense final few minutes. A couple baskets and missed shots later, the score was tied 86-86 with 28 seconds remaining when the Bulls drew up a final shot for Jordan (who had 39 points and 11 rebounds just two days after the “Flu Game”), who glanced over at Kerr and told him to be ready, just in case. Sure enough, it was a game-winning assist this time from Jordan, who found Kerr open for a winning jumper. Scottie Pippen then deflected the ensuing inbounds pass, allowing Toni Kukoc to punctuate the win and championship with a runaway dunk.

38) 2009, Conference Quarterfinals (game six): Bulls 128, Celtics 127 (3 OT) – improbable heroics abound as a thrilling series reaches its apex

Probably the greatest Conference Quarterfinals series of all time, this one featured seven games, four of which went to overtime. The young, scrappy Bulls, led by a rookie Derrick Rose, managed to stave off elimination in game six against the defending champion Celtics (who were missing Kevin Garnett due to a knee injury) by rallying from eight points down in the final three minutes of regulation. Rose finished with a near triple-double, with 28 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists, but the real hero of the night for Chicago was journeyman swingman John Salmons, who was filling in for an injured Luol Deng. Salmons paced the Bulls with 35 points over nearly 60 minutes of playing time, including a clutch layup that forced the second overtime. Joakim Noah provided the highlight of the night, stealing the ball from Paul Pierce late in the third overtime and completing a fast break dunk-and-one that put the game away.

37) 1997, Conference Finals (game six): Jazz 103, Rockets 100 – John Stockton with the buzzer beater as the Jazz finally reach the NBA Finals

Just a few nights after Houston’s Eddie Johnson hit a buzzer beater in game four to tie the series at 2-2, the legend John Stockton had his own game winner to send Utah to their first ever NBA Finals. It finished off a thrilling game and series that featured five future first ballot Hall of Fame players in Stockton, Karl Malone, Hakeem Olajuwon, Clyde Drexler, and Charles Barkley. Drexler led all scorers with 33 points, including numerous huge baskets down the stretch, but Stockton owned the fourth quarter. He scored 15 points in the final frame, including the last nine for Utah, all the final 1:30. It started with back-to-back driving lay-ups to cap off a 14-4 Jazz run that eliminated a 10-point Rockets lead and tied the game at 98-98 with a minute left. Following a pair of Barkley free throws, Stockton had a short jumper to tie things up again, then, following a Drexler miss, he caught an inbounds pass and immediately pulled up for a buzzer-beating three-pointer. Stockton and Malone advanced to their first NBA Finals appearance, while Barkley was denied once again.

36) 1977, NBA Finals (game six): Trail Blazers 109, 76ers 107 – Blazers clinch the championship in a thrilling matinee

The first and only title in Blazers history was clinched in dramatic fashion, in front of a rambunctious home crowd that stormed the court once the final buzzer sounded. In one of the best performances of his brief but brilliant career, Bill Walton compiled 20 points, 23 rebounds, seven assists, and eight blocks. Julius Erving countered with 40 points, eight assists, and six rebounds for the 76ers in the losing effort. Portland opened up a commanding 15-point lead at halftime and then held on for dear life down the stretch, as Erving and George McGinnis mounted the Philadelphia comeback. McGinnis had a chance to tie the game at the buzzer but his jumper came up just short and the celebration was on in Portland. Interesting side note: this game tipped off at noon local time, so that CBS could cut immediately after to a golf tournament.

35) 1962, NBA Finals (game three): Lakers 117, Celtics 115 – Jerry West with the dramatic steal and buzzer beater

It was an NBA Finals series so monumental and thrilling that it shows up three times on this list. After Elgin Baylor and Jerry West led the Lakers to a stunning game two victory at the Boston Garden, the series shifted to Los Angeles tied at 1-1. The two stars were incredible again in this game, with Baylor finishing with 39 points and 23 rebounds, while West added 36 points. But it was a defensive play from West that turned the tide here. With the game tied at 115-115, Boston’s Sam Jones was attempting to inbound the ball to Bob Cousy to set up a potential game winner, but West stole the pass and raced to the opposite court for a lay-up just as the buzzer sounded.

34) 2018, NBA Finals (game one): Warriors 124, Cavaliers 114 (OT) – J.R. Smith forgets the score and LeBron James’ Herculean performance is wasted

It was the game that launched a thousand memes. Facing an absolutely stacked Warriors team almost single-handedly, LeBron James put on a clinic in this game, with 51 points, eight rebounds, and eight assists, and led a fourth quarter comeback to give the Cavaliers a late lead. Two controversial plays then happened in the final minute that likely haunted James that entire summer. First, with 37 seconds left, he drew a charge on Kevin Durant that would given Cleveland the ball back with a 104-102 lead, but the officials reviewed and overturned the call, granting two free throws to Durant. Then, George Hill missed the second of two free throws with 4.7 seconds left and J.R. Smith grabbed the rebound and seemingly dribbled out the clock, not realizing that the game was tied, not a Cavs lead. An exasperated James could only scream in frustration and the inevitable followed, as the Warriors dominated in overtime en route to a series sweep.

33) 1986, Conference Quarterfinals (game two): Celtics 135, Bulls 131 (2 OT) – Michael Jordan almost single-handedly defeats one of the all-time greatest teams

As memorialized recently in “The Last Dance,” this game was a perfect early microcosm of Michael Jordan’s greatness and his stubborn determination. He had broken his foot early in the ’85-’86 season and missed 64 games. Bulls management wanted their young star to rest and come back strong in ’86-’87 but he refused, returning for the home stretch of the regular season to carry Chicago into the playoffs, where they faced one of the greatest teams of all time in the Conference Quarterfinals. Jordan pushed the Celtics in 1986 like no other player could, scoring a still playoff record 63 points in this game, forcing double overtime at the Boston Garden before finally succumbing. Though the Celtics went on to finish off the series two days later in a sweep, it was one of the most exhilarating performances in NBA history, inspiring Larry Bird to label the Bulls star as “God disguised as Michael Jordan.” This was also notable as the final appearance in the storied career of George Gervin, whom the Bulls had acquired earlier in the season to add some scoring during Jordan’s extended absence.

32) 1986, Conference Finals (game five): Rockets 114, Lakers 112 – Ralph Sampson triggers a major upset after Hakeem Olajuwon is ejected

Upsetting the defending champion Lakers in the 1986 Conference Finals was impressive enough by the Rockets, but how about finishing it off with a hand metaphorically tied behind their backs? With five minutes left in this decisive game, Hakeem Olajuwon was ejected for fighting Lakers forward Mitch Kupchak. That’s where Ralph Sampson took over, making several clutch shots down the stretch, including the game winner, a turnaround buzzer beater off an inbounds pass that gave the Rockets a 114-112 win and a spot in the NBA Finals. Despite missing the final stretch, Olajuwon led all scorers with 30 points. Prior to Sampson’s clinching shot, Robert Reid had set things up with a three-pointer to tie it with 15 seconds left.

31) 1993, NBA Finals (game six): Bulls 99, Suns 98 – John Paxson hits the series winner as the Bulls three-peat

As opposed to popular belief, Michael Jordan didn’t always hit the game winners for the Bulls. In fact, sometimes he was barely involved in the final play at all. The most notable example was game six of the 1993 NBA Finals. With Chicago trailing 98-96, Jordan passed the ball to Scottie Pippen with nine seconds left and didn’t touch it again. Pippen drove to the basket and dished it to Horace Grant, who then found a wide open John Paxson in the corner for the game winning three-pointer. Paxson had just five points in the game up to that point and ultimately averaged just 5.8 per game for the series, but he provided the final heroics as the Bulls won their third consecutive championship. It also overshadowed a brilliant performance from Charles Barkley, who finished with 21 points and 17 rebounds. 

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30) 1955, NBA Finals (game seven): Nationals 92, Pistons 91 – George King makes the winning free throws and steal in a controversial finish

1955 was one of the most exciting NBA Finals of all time, which each game coming down to the final minute, including this game seven. It was also one of the most controversial, with several Pistons players making crucial mistakes down the stretch, most notably Frankie Brian erroneously fouling George King in the waning moments to set up the winning free throws, followed by Andy Phillip throwing away a turnover at the end (to King) to clinch it. Those two late blunders by Fort Wayne’s All-Star level players were considered illicit by the team’s superstar, George Yardley, who suspected they had purposefully thrown the game due to organized crime connections, reportedly brokered by former teammate turned mobster Jack Molinas. Regardless of the competitive nature, the Nationals won using a balanced scoring attack, with eight players in double figures.

29) 2002, Conference Finals (game four): Lakers 100, Kings 99 – Robert Horry’s “lucky” shot sinks the Kings
28) 2005, NBA Finals (game five): Spurs 96, Pistons 95 (OT) – Horry does it again, taking over for the Spurs in the fourth quarter and overtime

Without a doubt, the non Hall of Fame player at the fulcrum of the most memorable playoff moments and games is Robert Horry. He’s the only player to ever win multiple championships with three different teams, starting with the Rockets in the ’90s and then moving on to the Lakers and Spurs in the ’00s. He was never a top scorer or rebounder, but he was always on the floor in crunch time and arguably saved a championship season on multiple occasions. One such moment was in the 2002 Conference Finals, when the Lakers trailed the Kings two-games-to-one and by two points in the waning moments of game four. Kobe Bryant missed a shot, followed by Shaquille O’Neal coming up short on a put-back, and the subsequent rebound was tipped to Horry, who nailed a three-pointer at the buzzer. Vlade Divac (who scored a team high 23 points for Sacramento) called it a “lucky shot” to which Horry responded “that’s not luck, I’ve been doing that my whole career.” He proved as much again three years later in the NBA Finals. With the Spurs and Pistons tied 2-2 in the series, game five was a crucial affair and close the whole way. Horry scored his 21 points all in the fourth quarter and overtime, including the game winning three-pointer. 

27) 1974, NBA Finals (game six): Bucks 102, Celtics 101 (2 OT) – A sky hook winner from Kareem finishes a double overtime with 11 lead changes

He played 58 minutes and scored a game high 36 points, including a basket that forced overtime, a basket that forced double overtime, and a basket that gave the Celtics a one-point lead with seven seconds left in that second extra period. But it just wasn’t enough from John Havlicek, who could do nothing but watch helplessly as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar won the game with his patented sky hook, the final two of his 34 points in the game that gave the Bucks a stunning 102-101 win in the Boston Garden. It was also the last of 11 lead changes in the second overtime, which featured numerous clutch plays from Jo Jo White and Oscar Robertson in addition to Abdul-Jabbar and Havlicek (Dave Cowens, meanwhile, struggled, shooting 5-of-16 from the field before fouling out). The series shifted back to Milwaukee for game seven where the Bucks flatlined offensively and Havlicek earned Finals MVP as the Celtics prevailed.

26) 2006, NBA Finals (game three): Heat 98, Mavericks 96 – Dwyane Wade leads a fourth quarter comeback that completely changes the series

After the Mavericks won the first two games of the 2006 NBA Finals in blowouts, their championship parade plans leaked. That became literal bulletin board material for the veteran Heat, who rallied late in game three at home to turn this series around. Behind 30 points from Dirk Nowitzki, the Mavs held an 89-76 lead midway through the fourth quarter of this game when Dwyane Wade, playing with five fouls at that point, took over. He scored 12 points down the stretch, attacking the basket at will and utilizing his mid-range game. But it was legendary point guard Gary Payton, still chasing his first title at age 36, who hit the game winner, a jumper with nine seconds left that gave Miami a 97-95 lead. Dallas missed five of their final six shots in the game, turned it over five times in the final six minutes, and Nowitzki had a rare free throw miss with three seconds left that could have tied things up. Wade and the Heat were essentially unstoppable from there, winning four games in a row to earn the franchise’s first championship.

25) 1981, Conference Finals (game five): Celtics 111, 76ers 109 – Celtics save season at home with dramatic moments late

After falling behind 3-1 in the 1981 Conference Finals, the Celtics rallied to win each of the final three games in the final seconds. It all started here with game five, where the Sixers seemed prime to deliver the kill shot at the Boston Garden when they opened up a 10-point lead behind big performances from Darryl Dawkins and reigning MVP Julius Erving. Larry Bird, who finished the game with 32 points and 11 rebounds, led a second half comeback for the Celtics, including an 8-0 run to end the game. In one of the signature plays of his career, Bird forced a turnover with the score tied 109-109 in the final seconds. He missed a jumper but the ensuing rebound was grabbed by M.L. Carr, who was fouled and hit both free throws to take the lead. Celtics fans stormed the court but had to be corralled back into their seats, as one second still remained on the clock. They got to run out onto the court again soon after, as Robert Parish stole the 76ers inbound pass to seal it.

24) 1970, NBA Finals (game three): Knicks 111, Lakers 108 (OT) – Jerry West’s half-court buzzer beater forces overtime but doesn’t precipitate a victory

Though this series is mostly remembered for Willis Reed limping onto the court for game seven (yes, we’ll get to that later), game three was also an all-timer, featuring maybe the ultimate pyrrhic victory buzzer beater. That shot came from Jerry West, who finished the game with 34 points and finished the series with his seventh NBA Finals appearance without a title (he would finally win his first two years later). After a Dave DeBusschere jumper gave the Knicks a 102-100 lead with three seconds left, the Lakers were forced to inbound from the back court as they were out of timeouts. Wilt Chamberlain got it in to West, who dribbled to near half court and heaved a desperation shot from 60 feet that somehow went through. Unfortunately for the Lakers, this was a decade before the three-point line was instituted, and the shot only forced overtime, where the Knicks prevailed, 111-108. West had played all 48 minutes of regulation and was exhausted in the extra period, where he missed all five of his field goal attempts. A week or so before his career defining moment in game seven, Reed was dominant in this one, finishing with 38 points and 17 rebounds.

23) 1984, NBA Finals (game four): Celtics 129, Lakers 125 (OT) – Kevin McHale clotheslines Kurt Rambis, Magic makes late mistakes, and the Celtics take control

The first Celtics-Lakers NBA Finals with Magic Johnson and Larry Bird got heated, especially in the memorable game four. Los Angeles had opened up a 2-1 series lead with a blowout game three win and the Celtics knew they needed a boost to turn things around. They turned physical, with Dennis Johnson shifting onto Magic Johnson defensively, Robert Parish pressuring Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (who fouled out late), and Kevin McHale clotheslining Kurt Rambis. The Lakers still held a 113-108 lead with 45 seconds left but fell apart completely, with bad turnovers, silly fouls, and missed free throws from Johnson. The Celtics forced overtime, where a Bird jumper with 16 seconds left gave them the lead for good, as James Worthy missed the ensuing free throws. Boston had taken back home court advantage with the win, and eventually put the series away in seven.

22) 2007, Conference Finals (game five): Cavaliers 109, Pistons 107 (2 OT) – LeBron’s “48 special” leads the Cavaliers to the upset

Still only 22 years old, LeBron James truly established himself as an unstoppable force in this game, displaying the offensive and defensive talent that eventually earned him four league MVP and four Finals MVP trophies. The Pistons were playing in their fifth consecutive Conference Finals and the heavy favorites here, but James exploded in game five, completely changing the power dynamic of the Eastern Conference for years to come. With Detroit leading 88-81 late in the third quarter, James took over, scoring his team’s final 36 points in regulation and two overtimes, including the game-winning lay-up with two seconds left in second overtime (Chauncey Billups missed an ensuing buzzer beater attempt to tie it). The Cavaliers then dominated game six to advance to the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history and in James’ career.

21) 1980, NBA Finals (game six): Lakers 123, 76ers 107 – Magic takes over at center for the injured Kareem and writes his mythology

Though the Lakers took a 3-2 series lead in the 1980 NBA Finals with a game five victory, there was major reason for concern as their reigning MVP, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, suffered a sprained ankle. Team management was supposedly so secure that the Lakers would lose game six without their star center that they opted not to pack the celebratory champagne for the trip to Philadelphia, leaving it on ice for a potential game seven win back home in L.A. But Magic Johnson, still just a precocious rookie at the time, convinced coach Paul Westhead to insert him as the starting center. At 6’9″, he was undersized against Philadelphia’s Darryl Dawkins but wreaked havoc on the Sixers front line, finishing with 42 points, 15 rebounds, and seven assists. Jamaal Wilkes also added 37 points and 10 rebounds in the winning effort, as the Lakers outscored the Sixers 20-6 down the stretch of the game.

20) 2001, NBA Finals (game one): 76ers 107, Lakers 101 (OT) – Allen Iverson steps over Tyronn Lue and stuns the Lakers

The Lakers stomped their way through the 2001 postseason, eliminating four teams that all won 50+ games while losing just once along the way. But oh, how exciting was that one loss? It came in game one of the NBA Finals, where the Lakers were heavily favored over the 76ers. Shaquille O’Neal led the way for Los Angeles with 44 points and 20 rebounds but Kobe Bryant struggled, scoring just 13 points on 7-of-22 shooing. Perhaps it was mostly due to the effort he was exerting on the defensive end, trying to contain reigning league MVP Allen Iverson, who finished the game with 48 points. Lakers coach Phil Jackson shifted Tyronn Lue onto Iverson and it actually worked for a while, with the Sixers star scoring just three points in the fourth quarter on one-of-five shooting. Iverson could only be contained for so long though and busted out in overtime, scoring seven points, including his iconic game clincher with 50 seconds left, after which he defiantly stepped over Lue, who had fallen to the court trying to defend his crossover.

19) 1993, NBA Finals (game three): Suns 129, Bulls 121 (3 OT) – Charles Barkley leads the way in a triple overtime thriller

The NBA Finals has gone to triple overtime only twice. The first was in 1976, in the “Greatest Game Ever Played” and the second was this match-up, which was arguably just as dramatic. The Suns had dropped the first two games of the series at home and looked cooked, especially with Charles Barkley nursing an elbow injury and Kevin Johnson struggling. They would eventually drop the series in six but they did keep things interesting with a huge victory in game three in Chicago. Though he received a fluid drain in his elbow right before tip-off, Barkley was masterful, finishing with 24 points and 19 rebounds, while Johnson added 25 points and nine assists and some able defense on Michael Jordan, holding him to 19-of-43 shooting. Both the first and second overtimes ended with missed wide-open buzzer beaters (from Danny Ainge and Scottie Pippen, respectively) as both teams were exhausted and struggled from the floor but the Suns offense took command in the third extra period, pulling away for a 129-121 win.

18) 2016, Conference Finals (game six): Warriors 108, Thunder 101 – Klay Thompson’s 19 fourth quarter points saves 73-win Warriors

The Warriors infamously blew the 2016 NBA Finals after winning a record 73 games during the regular season, but they almost didn’t even make it that far. Led by Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, in their final games as teammates, the Thunder took a 3-1 series lead over Golden State in the 2016 Conference Finals, and held an eight-point advantage heading into the fourth quarter of game six at home. While this was typically the time for Stephen Curry to take over, instead it was his fellow “Splash Brother,” Klay Thompson, who turned the tides for the Warriors. Thompson scored 19 points in the fourth quarter, while shooting 5-of-6 from three-point range, to lead a 15-point turnaround in a 108-101 Warriors win. Meanwhile, Durant and Westbrook fell apart completely, combining for three missed field goals and six turnovers in the final three minutes. Thompson finished the game with 41 points while Curry added 31 points, 10 rebounds, and nine assists. This would be the final home game for Durant in Oklahoma City, as the Warriors closed out the series at home in game seven, then signed the superstar in a blockbuster deal just a few weeks later.

17) 1994, Conference Finals (game five): Pacers 93, Knicks 86 – Reggie Miller throws the choke sign at the Knicks and Spike Lee

Though neither team managed to win a championship during the era, the Pacers vs. Knicks rivalry of the ’90s is one of the most memorable in NBA history and this was its apex. The series was tied 2-2 heading into this match-up at Madison Square Garden and the Knicks opened up a 12-point lead early in the fourth quarter when “Miller Time” started. The Pacers’ All-Star guard scored 25 points in the fourth quarter with a barrage of deep and mid-range bombs, and added some of his signature flair along the way. Trash talking was nothing new for Miller, but jawing with Knicks super fan Spike Lee was a novel wrinkle, with the two exchanging words multiple times in the game (the New York Daily News seemed to blame Lee the next day for inspiring the Pacers, leading with the headline “Thanks a Lot, Spike”). At one point, Miller even flashed a choke sign at Lee, to indicate how severely the Knicks were falling apart. Though the Pacers pulled off the comeback victory here, they couldn’t close out the series at home in game six and were ultimately eliminated back in New York in game seven.

16) 1970, NBA Finals (game seven): Knicks 113, Lakers 99 – Willis Reed comes out of the tunnel and Madison Square Garden goes wild

Even though it happened before the game, it may be the most iconic moment in NBA history. Willis Reed missed game six of the 1970 NBA Finals with a thigh tear and the Lakers won in a blowout to force a game seven in New York. Reed was listed as doubtful for the deciding game but shocked everyone when he came jogging out of the tunnel onto the court during pre-game warmups. He hit the first two shots of the game, to score his only four points in the game, but it was more than enough to inspire the Knicks to victory. Walt Frazier was the somewhat overlooked hero, finishing with 36 points and 19 assists to lead the way in a 113-99 victory, giving the Knicks their first championship in franchise history. Jerry West had 28 points and Elgin Baylor added 19, as the star duo lost their seventh and eighth NBA Finals, respectively (West would finally win one two years later, while Baylor retired without a championship).

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15) 1958, NBA Finals (game six): Hawks 110, Celtics 109 – Bob Pettit scores 50 to lead the Hawks to their only championship

The only championship in Hawks history was won in dramatic fashion, with Bob Pettit leading the way in a 110-109 win that clinched the 1958 NBA Finals. Pettit finished with 50 points, including 18 of his team’s final 21 and a tip-in that put it away with 15 seconds left. Though the Hawks had some cushion heading into this game with a 3-2 series lead, they undoubtedly felt a sense of urgency to finish it off in six. Not only was game seven scheduled back in Boston but Bill Russell, who suffered through this game with a sprained ankle that caused him to miss games four and five, likely would have been closer to full health. The star back court of Bob Cousy and Bill Sharman kept this one close for the Celtics, finishing with a combined 41 points. This Hawks team was the last without a single Black player to win an NBA championship. 

14) 1988, NBA Finals (game six): Lakers 103, Pistons 102 – Isiah Thomas sprains his ankle but still almost leads a comeback win
13) 1988, NBA Finals (game seven): Lakers 108, Pistons 106 – James Worthy’s triple-double helps the Lakers hold off a late rally

One of the greatest playoff series of all time crested in the final two games, as the Lakers came from behind to win the fifth and final championship of the Showtime era. In game six, Detroit’s Isiah Thomas gave one of the grittiest performances in Finals history, rivaled only by Willis Reed in 1970. The star point guard sprained his ankle during the game but played through it, scoring 23 points in the third quarter to lead a huge Pistons comeback while basically hopping up-and-down the court on one leg. He finished with 43 points, eight assists, and six steals but it wasn’t quite enough, as Magic Johnson’s 22 points and 19 assists led the Lakers to hold on to the victory. It all came down to one controversial play, when Bill Laimbeer was called for a (arguably phantom) foul call late on Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who calmly sank the ensuing winning free throws. Though the hobbling Thomas struggled mightily in game seven two nights later (and sat out essentially the entire second half), the Pistons still almost pulled it off, as Chuck Daly shifted to a fleet, small ball lineup that the aging Lakers struggled to stop. Joe Dumars led the way with 25 points as Detroit almost overcame a 15-point fourth quarter deficit but the Lakers managed to hang on late with some clutch defensive plays and free throw shooting. James Worthy earned his “Big Game James” nickname and Finals MVP with a triple-double performance (the only triple double of his career, regular season or playoffs), with 36 points, 16 rebounds, and 10 assists. The Lakers were the first back-to-back champions since the Celtics in 1968 and 1969, but the Pistons would get their measure of the revenge a year later, sweeping Los Angeles in the 1989 Finals rematch.

12) 1965, Conference Finals (game seven): Celtics 110, 76ers 109 – “Havlicek stole the ball!”

Maybe the peak of the Bill Russell/Wilt Chamberlain rivalry, as both star centers were at the zenith of their powers. Russell was the reigning MVP, his fifth such award, while Chamberlain secured his sixth consecutive scoring title despite being traded mid-season from the Warriors to the 76ers. It was their fifth of nine postseason head-to-head match-ups and arguably the most memorable. The teams traded wins in the first six games setting up a winner-take-all closer in Boston. Russell had 15 points and 29 rebounds for the Celtics, while Sam Jones led all scorers with 37 and John Havlicek added 26. Chamberlain finished with 30 points and 32 rebounds and had a thunderous dunk on Russell that cut Boston’s lead to 110-109 with five seconds left. Russell then made a rare mistake in the clutch, hitting a stabilizing cable above the backboard with his inbounds, giving the ball back to Philadelphia under the basket. Rather than attempt to lob the ball into Chamberlain over Russell, Hal Greer tossed his inbounds pass towards Chet Walker and Havlicek anticipated it perfectly, deflecting the ball into the hands of Jones to dribble out the clock as fans mobbed the court. It was punctuated by the legendary radio call of Johnny Most: “Havlicek stole the ball! It’s all over!”

11) 2011, NBA Finals (game two): Mavericks 95, Heat 93 – a stunning fourth quarter comeback sparks Dirk Nowitzki and the Mavericks to a massive upset

Trailing 1-0 in the series and by 15 points in the fourth quarter of game two, the Mavericks could have easily conceded the 2011 NBA Finals. Their opponents had the newly minted “Big Three” of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh, who seemed pre-ordained to win their first of numerous championships this season. But the veteran Mavs, led by their aging superstar Dirk Nowitzki, found a second wind in that fateful quarter and completely changed the series, season, and fate of both franchises. Dallas closed the game on a 22-5 run, spurred by Jason Terry, who scored the first six, and Nowitzki, who closed it out with the final seven, including a game winning lay-up with 3.6 seconds remaining. Miami’s superstars froze up down that stretch, with James and Wade missing all seven shot attempts they took in the final six minutes. The Mavericks eventually finished off the series in six games to accomplish one of the biggest upsets in NBA Finals history.

10) 1987, NBA Finals (game four): Lakers 107, Celtics 106 – Magic’s “baby sky hook” closes out an instant classic

The last NBA Finals match-up of Magic Johnson and Larry Bird appropriately included their greatest individual game. It was a rubber match, following the Celtics winning in 1984 and the Lakers in 1985 (the Celtics won another title in 1986, but against the Rockets), and Los Angeles held a 2-1 series lead heading into game four in Boston Garden. Bird struggled some in this game, shooting 7-of-19 from the field, but still finished with 21 points, 10 rebounds, and seven assists. He also hit a three-pointer with 12 seconds left that gave Boston a 106-104 lead. Prior to that, the Lakers had erased a 16-point second half deficit, taking their first lead of the second half on an alley-oop dunk from Johnson to (a 40-year-old) Kareem Abdul-Jabbar with 29 seconds remaining. Abdul-Jabbar then hit one of two free throws with seven seconds left to cut the lead to 106-105 and the rebound was deflected out of bounds by the Celtics. The inbounds pass went to Johnson, who drove across the lane and hit a running jump hook, now known as either the “baby sky hook” or the “junior sky hook,” over two Celtics defenders to give the Lakers the win. In retrospect, this was the day that Johnson, who finished with a game high 29 points, took the mantle of greatest player in the NBA from Bird.

9) 1962, NBA Finals (game seven): Celtics 110, Lakers 107 (OT) – Bill Russell leads the way with a record 40 rebounds as a Frank Selvy buzzer beater misses the mark for L.A.

Arguably the most thrilling NBA Finals of all time crested in the deciding, winner-take-all game. Not only was it a tight, back-and-forth affair, with neither team leading by more than six points in the fourth quarter or overtime, and not only did it feature incredible performances from four superstars in Bill Russell, Sam Jones, Elgin Baylor, and Jerry West, it also had a near buzzer beater. With five seconds left in regulation and the score tied at 100-100, Frank Selvy had a wide open shot for the Lakers that could have forever altered the Celtics dynasty, but missed it, necessitating overtime. Baylor fouled out in the extra period, finishing with 41 points and 22 rebounds. West, who finished with 35 points, attempted to rally the troops on his own but came up just short and the Celtics prevailed. Russell had a record 40 rebounds in addition to 30 points, while Jones scored 27 in the winning effort. Though 1969 was arguably the bigger heartbreak for Baylor, West, and the Lakers, this was arguably the year they had the best chance to take down Russell and Boston.

8) 1987, Conference Finals (game five): Celtics 108, Pistons 107 – “Now there’s a steal by Bird!”

With five seconds remaining in game five of the 1987 Eastern Conference Finals, the Pistons seemed like a team of destiny. They had slowly built their “Bad Boys” roster and persona over the course of the last few seasons and now it was cresting into upending the mighty, defending champion Celtics. The series was tied 2-2 and the Pistons were primed to pull off an upset win in Boston Garden in game five, setting the stage for game six in Detroit to close it. They led 107-106, thanks to a clutch jumper from Isiah Thomas, followed by rookie defensive sensation Dennis Rodman blocking a driving Larry Bird lay-up, with the rebound deflected out of bounds off Boston. Thomas just had to inbound the ball to put the game away, but he rushed his lazy floater to Bill Laimbeer, and Bird came flying in to steal it, and pass it to a cutting Dennis Johnson, who hit the ensuing lay-up for a stunning Boston victory. It was Bird’s first steal of the game, which he finished with 36 points, 12 rebounds, and nine assists. The shell-shocked Pistons did manage to hold serve at home in game six but the Celtics advanced with a game seven victory. 

7) 1998, NBA Finals (game six): Bulls 87, Jazz 86 – the “Final Shot”
6) 1997, NBA Finals (game five): Bulls 90, Jazz 88 – the “Flu Game”

When you’re the greatest player in NBA history, even your signature games get their own nicknames. In the 1998 NBA Finals, Michael Jordan was being dogged by rumors of his retirement while trying to carry an aging, fracturing Bulls team to a sixth championship. The Bulls led the series 3-2 but a title was far from assured, as the Jazz held home court advantage for games six and seven. Jordan struggled from the floor in game six, shooting just 15-of-35, but in classic G.O.A.T. fashion still gutted out 45 points. It was literally more than half the scoring total for Chicago, with Toni Kukoc second with 15 points (Scottie Pippen tweaked a back injury early in the game and finished with just eight points in 25 minutes). Karl Malone led the Jazz with 31 points and 11 rebounds but made a crucial mistake with 18 seconds left, allowing Jordan to strip the ball away from him to set up the winning shot. Jordan crossed over (and arguably pushed off) Bryon Russell to pull up for the winning jumper (John Stockton missed a subsequent desperation three-pointer at the other end). It did turn out to be Jordan’s swan song with Chicago and it was and still is the highest rated TV broadcast in NBA history, with approximately 72 million viewers tuning in. One year prior, Jordan had maybe the bravest performance of his career in the “Flu Game.” Of course, we now know that it was likely food poisoning, not the flu, that waylaid him that night. Either way, Jordan could barely get out of the bed the entire day leading up to a crucial game five in the 1997 NBA Finals, but still managed to lead the Bulls with 38 points in a 90-88 victory. The game was back-and-forth the whole way, with Jordan hitting a three-pointer off an offensive rebound (following his own free throw miss) to put the Bulls ahead for good with under 30 seconds left. He soon after collapsed into Pippen’s arms while walking to the sideline, creating an indelible moment of his career.

5) 1957, NBA Finals (game seven): Celtics 125, Hawks 123 (2 OT) – Celtics rookies Bill Russell and Tom Heinsohn lead the way in the only NBA Finals game seven to go double overtime

Game seven has happened in the NBA Finals just 19 times in 75 seasons, has gone to overtime only twice, and to double overtime in just this one instance. Not only that, this Celtics-Hawks battle was an end-to-end thriller and notable as the starting point of the league’s all-time greatest dynasty. A rookie Bill Russell was the hero for Boston, finishing with a then Finals record 32 rebounds and ending the fourth quarter with a game-saving block of a Jack Coleman shot. Meanwhile, Celtics veterans Bob Cousy and Bill Sharman struggled, shooting a combined 5-of-40 (12.5%) from the field, with the former air balling a crucial free throw late in regulaton and the latter missing a buzzer beater in the first overtime. Bob Pettit finished with a game high 39 points but injured his wrist early in the second overtime and struggled for the remainder. That includes missing a wide-open jumper at the buzzer that could have tied the game and sent it to triple overtime. Instead, the Celtics held on and escaped with the win in a game that neither team led by double digits at any point. Red Auerbach, who earlier in the series had punched Hawks owner Ben Kerner in the mouth during a dispute over backboard height regulations, got to light his signature victory cigar for the first time. While Russell winning his first NBA title (to go along with NCAA and Olympic championships earned the year before) was the headline in retrospect, the real hero for Boston was another rookie, Tom Heinsohn, who finished the game with 37 points and 23 rebounds.

4) 2016 NBA Finals (game seven): Cavaliers 93, Warriors 89 – Cleveland’s own version of the “The Shot” and “The Block” culminate an implausible 3-1 series comeback

Having waited 52 years for a championship in their city, Cleveland fans couldn’t be surprised by the incredible, nerve racking experience of witnessing another one. All it took was erasing a 3-1 series deficit against a team that had won a record 73 regular season games and featured three All-Stars, including the two-time reigning league MVP. LeBron James was unsurprisingly incredible in this game, finishing with 27 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists, but Kyrie Irving was the revelation, scoring 26 points and hitting a bevy of clutch shots down the stretch. The fourth quarter was a war of attrition, with both teams obviously laboring from exhaustion. In fact, the vaunted Warriors offense managed only 13 points in the final frame, while shooting just 1-of-10 from three-point range. But the final two minutes are nonetheless an unforgettable sequence, starting with James making a sweeping block on Andre Iguodala so iconic it’s now just known as “The Block.” Irving hit a go-ahead three-pointer over Curry with 53 seconds left, which is now renowned in Northeast Ohio as “The Shot.” Then, it was Kevin Love’s turn to play hero, doing an admirable defensive job sticking with Curry and forcing him into a difficult pull-up three that was off the mark. On the ensuing possession, James drove down the lane and almost completed what may have been known as “The Dunk” if not for Green fouling him on the effort. Despite being obviously shaken up, he recovered to hit one out of two free throws to put the game away and send Cleveland into ecstatic celebration that seemed to last the remainder of the summer.

3) 1969, NBA Finals (game seven): Celtics 108, Lakers 106 – Wilt Chamberlain sits out down the stretch and Bill Russell keeps the balloons in the nets as he earns an 11th championship

Here’s a game that just had a little bit of everything, from numerous Hall of Fame players with their legends on the line to incredible performances, shocking coaching decisions, a game winning shot from an unlikely source, and the ultimate “bulletin board material.” It was the seventh NBA Finals match-up in 11 years between the Celtics and Lakers, and the closest Los Angeles came to winning it all against Bill Russell. This would be the final game of the star center’s career, as both he and longtime teammate Sam Jones both retired in the ensuing offseason. Russell finished with just six points but also 21 rebounds and ran the up-tempo offense. The Lakers were so heavily favored in this game that owner Jack Kent Cooke had balloons in the rafters ready to drop at the buzzer, as well as a detailed postgame celebration itinerary waiting in the seat of each attending fan. Russell supposedly caught wind of this during the pre-game and used it as just that extra bit of needed motivation for him and his teammates. Already facing an uphill battle, the Lakers were further hampered by Wilt Chamberlain sitting out in the fourth quarter with five fouls and a supposed injury. His backup, Mel Counts, led an unlikely Lakers comeback, punctuated by the scoring of Jerry West, who finished with 42 points, 13 rebounds, and 12 assists. The led was cut to 103-102 with two minutes left when Chamberlain asked to return but coach Butch van Breda Kolff refused, much to the consternation of Cooke (who rushed down to the sidelines to convince his coach otherwise, to no avail). The Celtics held on to win thanks to a game winner from role player Don Nelson, who nailed a jumper from the free throw line off of a deflection. Just as Russell had predicted before the game, the balloons stayed in the nets above the court, and he was a champion for the 11th and final time.

2) 1976, NBA Finals (game five): Celtics 128, Suns 126 (3 OT) – the “greatest game ever played,” a triple overtime Finals thriller packed with controversy

It may not be #1 on our list but it will be referred to forever as the “greatest game ever played.” Add the superlative “most controversial” to its resume as well, with several key mistakes by the officials that affected the outcome and Boston fans basically mingling on the court with players during a second overtime timeout. The heavily favored Celtics found themselves in a dogfight with the Suns, tied 2-2 in the series and attempting to fend off a huge second half comeback in this crucial game five. The controversy started late in the fourth quarter of a tie game, when John Havlicek missed a potential game winner and Paul Westphal, who had been traded from Boston to Phoenix in the prior offseason, grabbed the rebound and called timeout. But the clock mistakenly (?) continued to run from five seconds down to three, causing the ensuing game winning attempt by Phoenix to be rushed and unsuccessful. Havlicek had another chance to end it in the first overtime but missed a buzzer beater, leading to the second overtime where the real fun began, starting with a Curtis Perry jumper with five seconds to give Phoenix a 110-109 lead. The third time was then the charm for Havlicek, who hit a buzzer beater jumper to seemingly end it but the officials astutely surmised that the clock had not started properly and granted two seconds to Phoenix. They had to clear the court of storming fans and it was a melee, with one spectator punching an official and others wandering into the Suns huddle before getting pulled away by security. Somehow, after all that, Westphal had his wits about him enough to make a smart play, calling a timeout that the Suns didn’t have. This triggered a loophole in the rules where the Celtics got one free throw, which Jo Jo White sank, but the Suns then got to advance the ball to half court. Gar Heard hit an incredible turnaround buzzer beater to force an improbable third overtime. Boston finally put it away in the third extra frame, taking an early six point lead and then holding on for the 128-126 win. The bowed and broken Suns could not regroup, and were eliminated two nights later at home in game six.

1) 2013 NBA Finals (game six): Heat 103, Spurs 100 (OT) – with the Larry O’Brien trophy already court side for the Spurs’ celebration, Ray Allen has other plans

One game and really one play that completely altered the histories of two of the greatest players in NBA history, LeBron James and Tim Duncan. And neither of them were even really involved in that play. In fact, Duncan was watching from the bench when Chris Bosh made an offensive rebound off a James miss and passed it outside to Ray Allen, whose improbable three-pointer with 5.2 seconds on the clock tied the game. Spurs coach Gregg Popovich had opted to play small to defend the three-pointer and it came back to bite him in the most painful way possible. Even without that final incredible sequence, the game was an all-time classic with numerous memorable moments, including Mike Miller hitting a three-pointer with one shoe missing, Duncan dropping 30 points and 17 rebounds at age 37, and James playing down the stretch without his signature headband, which he lost during a thunderous dunk. The Spurs carried a 10-point lead into the fourth quarter, but the Heat battled back to take an 84-82 edge midway through the period. Things were back-and-forth down the stretch from there, with two crucial James turnovers and a couple clutch Tony Parker shots giving San Antonio a 94-89 lead with 28 seconds left. League officials were there with the Larry O’Brien trophy, and at that point started to cordon off the court with caution tape to prepare for the Spurs’ celebration. But the Heat pulled off the stunning comeback, with James hitting a three-pointer, Kawhi Leonard making just one of two free throws, and then the shocking final sequence that ended with Allen sinking arguably the most clutch three-pointer in NBA history. The Spurs somehow bounced back to lead for the first half of overtime but after a James short jumper put Miami ahead 101-100 with under two minutes remaining, San Antonio missed its final five shots. Between the stakes, the level of play, the number of unforgettable moments, and the whiplash win expectancy changes, this game takes its rightful place atop our list of the greatest of all time.