10 best performances in the NBA Playoffs from the last 40 years

6. Sleepy Floyd, 1987 Western Conference Semifinals Game 4

The Golden State Warriors finished the 1986-87 season at 42-40 and earned the No. 5 seed in the Western Conference playoffs. After dropping the first two against the No. 4 seed Utah Jazz, the Warriors stormed back to win the next three games and advance to the Conference Semifinals. Sleepy Floyd led a balanced Warriors attack that featured five double-figure scorers, including Chris Mullin, Joe Barry Carroll, and Purvis Short.

Not many were giving the Warriors any chance to challenge the Los Angeles Lakers in the West Semifinals. And the majority were correct in doing so. The 1986-87 “Showtime” Lakers were steamrolling opponents and have since been considered one of the greatest teams of all-time. The Lakers dispatched the Warriors in five games, but not before Floyd eviscerated them in Game 4 to give the Warriors their lone win in the series.

On May 10, 1987 at Oakland Coliseum, Sleepy Floyd put on one of the greatest spectacles ever seen on a basketball court. The Lakers were going for the sweep and led by 14 points to start the final quarter. And that’s when Floyd detonated, leaving a trail of debris all over the hardwood. Lakers’ guard Michael Cooper was an All-NBA first team defender, who was rendered helpless against Floyd’s onslaught.

When the dust settled, the Warriors lived to fight another day behind 29 fourth quarter points from Floyd. He finished the game with 51 points and 10 assists and set NBA postseason records for points in a half (39) and points in a quarter (29). Both records still stand today. It was the banner performance of Sleepy Floyd’s career against the stiffest of competition.