10 best performances in the NBA Playoffs from the last 40 years
By Dre Elder
9. Hakeem Olajuwon, 1987 Western Conference Semifinals Game 6
Hakeem Olajuwon burst onto the NBA scene in 1984. He was selected No. 1 overall by the Houston Rockets ahead of some guy named Michael Jordan. Olajuwon wasted little time making a name for himself in the league. He scored 24 points and pulled down 9 rebounds in his first game. Olajuwon averaged an impressive 20.6 points, 11.9 rebounds, and 2.7 blocks per game during his rookie campaign, which helped him get selected to the 1985 All-Star Game.
By Olajuwon’s third season in 1986-87, he was selected to the All-NBA and All-Defensive first teams. He led a Rockets team that showed promise but struggled to compete with the powerhouses atop the Western Conference. The Rockets finished 42-40 to grab the No. 6 seed in the West. The upstart Rockets upset the No. 3 seed Portland Trail Blazers in the first round.
The Rockets then faced the No. 7 seed Seattle Supersonics, who pulled off an upset of their own against the No. 2 seed Dallas Mavericks in the opening round. The Rockets trailed the Sonics 3-2 heading into Game 6 in Seattle. They would need a gargantuan effort from Olajuwon to bring the series back to Houston for Game 7.
Hakeem Olajuwon owned the moment and delivered the goods. He swarmed the glass. He defended the rim. The Sonics double-teamed him and it didn’t matter. Olajuwon put the Rockets on his back, but they came up short in double overtime and lost 128-125. The 24-year old big man poured in 49 points, grabbed 25 rebounds, and blocked 6 shots. The historic performance still holds up as Olajuwon is the only player to record 25 or more rebounds in a playoff game over the last 30 years.