Not every NBA franchise has a title in their history, but every team has a playoff moment fans can hang their hats on.
It’s a fool’s errand to try and equate all 30 NBA franchises in terms of playoff success. After all, there are 12 teams that have never won a championship, while seven teams have never been to the Finals at all. Meanwhile, the Boston Celtics (17) and Los Angeles Lakers (16) have combined for 33 titles between the two teams in their history.
However, every franchise has been to the NBA Playoffs despite the varying degrees of success. As a result, there are moments in every team’s history when it comes to the postseason that fans can point to and remember fondly. These moments come in many different shapes, from entire playoff runs to a single series to one game all the way down to one play.
Much like how teams are not on a level playing field in terms of championships, all 30 organizations don’t have the same number of moments to choose from. Deciding which playoff moment for aforementioned Celtics and Lakers is their greatest is not an easy task. The same can be said of teams like the Chicago Bulls and San Antonio Spurs as well. For the Charlotte Hornets and many others, though, the list of great moments is much thinner.
No matter how thin the list, though, we’re going to dive into the history of all 30 teams to pinpoint that one last memory. These are every NBA team’s greatest playoff moment, presented in alphabetical order.
Note: All stats and box score data is via Basketball Reference.
Atlanta Hawks: First Eastern Conference Finals appearance (2015)
Save for the early-to-mid-2000s, the Atlanta Hawks have been a staple in the NBA Playoffs. They’ve long been a team able to do an ample amount in the regular season to experience postseason play, dating all the way back to their move from St. Louis to Atlanta in 1968. However, one thing that had eluded them throughout nearly 50 years had been anything more than marginal playoff success. Until the 2015 playoffs, the Hawks had never made it past the conference semifinals.
In the 2014-15 season, though, the Hawks were clearly boasting one of the best teams in franchise history, something they put on display in the regular season. Atlanta posted the second-best record in the league, behind the Golden State Warriors, as they won 60 games and clinched the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference. Their first round series against the Brooklyn Nets was more difficult than it should’ve been, but the Hawks prevailed.
That set up a matchup in the semis against the Washington Wizards, and Hawks fans felt the tortured playoff history start to creep up again. Atlanta dropped Game 1 at home to the Wizards, though they came back to even it up in Game 2. But then Washington held serve at home in Game 3 and the Hawks again faced a series deficit and fans surely expected the worst.
On the back of a stout defensive effort led by DeMarre Carroll, though, the Hawks wouldn’t lose again in the series. They weren’t spectacular in Games 4-6 by any means, their largest margin of victory was just five points. However, they clawed to get past their East Semis demons and were finally able to get to the East Finals for the first time in franchise history.
They must’ve used all their fuel reserves to do so, though, because the Cleveland Cavaliers swept them in the Conference Finals. But it’s all about progression, and the Hawks finally did that after almost five decades of not being able to.
Boston Celtics: ‘Havlicek stole the ball’ (1965 Eastern Conference Finals, Game 7)
Despite the fact that no NBA franchise has won more titles than the Boston Celtics, it’s not hard to narrow down the list of the greatest moments in their playoff history. Ultimately, it comes down to Larry Bird’s steal and assist to Dennis Scott in the 1987 Eastern Conference Finals against the Detroit Pistons or John Havlicek’s steal sealing the 1965 Eastern Division Finals win in Game 7 for the Celtics. Both are classic NBA moments, but the latter gets the nod on this list.
In a classic matchup between Bill Russell and the Celtics and Wilt Chamberlain and the Philadelphia 76ers, the series was back-and-forth in the East Finals. The two teams alternated wins through the first six games of the series, leading up to the finale, a Game 7 in Boston. With such a classic rivalry playing out, it was only fitting that it would end on a historically dramatic moment.
With the Celtics up by one, Russell’s inbound pass to essentially run out the rest of the clock hit a wire in the Boston Garden, thus giving the ball to the Sixers for a chance to win. Hal Greer was set to inbound the ball, but Havlicek read the play to perfection and got a hand on the pass for a steal that went to Sam Jones, who took possession as time expired.
There’s no question that the moment would go down in history regardless of anything else. However, what might put it over the top as the greatest is simply the call of the play. The “Havlicek stole the ball” line is simple, but ingrained in the history of the NBA. And it solidifies the moment’s place on this list.
Brooklyn Nets: Kidd punches Finals ticket (2002 Eastern Conference Finals, Game 6)
Since the move to become the Brooklyn Nets, this franchise has been known for their blunders. The trade for Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce failed spectacularly and mortgaged the future in terms of draft capital. Now in the heart of that mortgaged future, the Nets are perennial cellar-dwellers in the standings for the foreseeable future. But once upon a time in a magical land known as New Jersey, that wasn’t the case.
Led by Jason Kidd in his prime, Kenyon Martin and slew of role players, the Nets of the early 2000s were quite phenomenal to watch. They were a stalwart on the defensive end of the floor and Kidd controlled the game better than any point guard in the league. In the 2001-02 season, that was good enough for New Jersey to earn the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference. From that position, they were able to make a trip to the Finals, on the back of Kidd when it mattered, of course.
In the Eastern Conference Finals, the Nets fell behind 2-1 to the Boston Celtics in the series. After stealing a road win back and then holding home court in Game 5, they had the advantage back and the opportunity to clinch the series and a Finals berth on the road. Kidd made sure that happened as he put forth a hugely important triple-double with 15 points, 13 assists and 13 rebounds to help guide the Nets to the victory and the Finals berth.
Though the Nets fell short of a title, losing to the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2002 Finals and then the Spurs in 2003, reaching those heights with that roster was a sight to behold. There are many aspects of Kidd’s career to point to in order to quantify his greatness, but moments like his Game 6 triple-double and the overall success of the Nets stick out the most.
Charlotte Hornets: Zo wins first-ever series (1993 Eastern Conference First Round, Game 4)
Figuring out the greatest playoff moment for the Charlotte Hornets is a decidedly simple task. For Hornets fans, though, the ease is for depressing reasons. Whether it was as the iconic Hornets of the early 90s, the dismal Bobcats or the newly revamped Buzz City, there hasn’t been a whole lot of playoff success to speak of. In any form or iteration, the Hornets haven’t made it past the Eastern Conference Semifinals in franchise history. What’s more, they’ve only made it out of the First Round four times.
Thus, it’s easy to point to the first playoff series win in franchise history as the greatest moment. The good news, though, is that it involved inarguably the most exciting version of the Hornets and had some great singular moments on top of that, specifically Alonzo Mourning effectively winning the series against the Boston Celtics in Game 4.
Armed with the young and exciting trio of Mourning, Larry Johnson and Kendall Gill, the Hornets dropped Game 1 of the series to the Celtics in Boston. However, they clawed their way to a one-point victory in Game 2 to steal one on the road and then the series never went back to New England.
Throughout the series, the presence of Mourning and Johnson on the interior was the decisive factor. Though the Celtics still had Kevin McHale and Robert Parish, they were shells of their former selves by that point. Thus, the athleticism and explosiveness of Mourning and Johnson was too much for Boston to handle. And in Game 4, it was Mourning that pushed them through.
Down by one in the final seconds, Larry Johnson missed a tough jumper that resulted in a loose ball going out of bounds off the Celtics with 3.3 seconds left. On the inbounds play, Mourning flashed to the top of the key and was left open for a long jumper, which he drilled to go up by one. With 0.4 seconds remaining, Boston had one last heave at the rim to try and tip in a winner, but it was swatted away to give Charlotte that elusive first playoff victory.
Chicago Bulls: Michael Jordan one last time (1998 NBA Finals, Game 6)
Going through the great Chicago Bulls moments in the playoffs is largely a Michael Jordan’s greatest hits compilation, with some features from John Paxson and Steve Kerr for good measure. And considering that we’re talking about the greatest basketball player to ever live, trying to narrow it down to one moment might seem impossible. In a way that only Jordan could, though, he left the Bulls with a moment that’s unquestionably the greatest.
Entering the 1998 NBA Playoffs, Jordan and the Bulls were seeking their sixth title of the 90s and the second three-peat of the decade. All roads again led to the Finals and there they were met with a familiar opponent, the Utah Jazz that they’d ousted to win the title the year prior. Stocked with Karl Malone and John Stockton, the Jazz weren’t keen on letting Jordan stop them shy of a ring once more. But Michael Jordan was never really one for caring about how his opponents felt.
After dropping Game 1 on the road, Chicago won three straight before going losing Game 5 at the United Center. Still armed with a 3-2 lead in the series, though, all it would take would be another road win to lock up that last title. However, with just over 40 seconds to play, the Bulls trailed by three points with the ball. Jordan then cut the deficit to one with a drive to the rim that the Jazz made look all to easy for him. Trying to milk the clock, Utah waited and then tried to find Malone on the block, but Jordan came from the help side behind the Mailman to pick his pocket for the steal with around 20 seconds left. The stage was set.
Jordan coolly walked the ball up the floor to the left of the top of the key. With Bryon Russell draped on him, Jordan put ball in his right hand and drove to the free throw line. Ducking his shoulder at his spot, he forced Russell back and pulled up for the jumper. Of course it was in.
The Jazz had a final opportunity, but Jordan’s jumper was ultimately the game-winner to clinch title No. 6. After that, he closed the book on his career, in Chicago at least. Talk about the quintessential way to cap off a legacy like Jordan’s.
Cleveland Cavaliers: To the King goes the spoils (2016 NBA Finals)
When LeBron James took his talents to South Beach and announced it publicly via the ill-conceived “The Decision” special, Cleveland Cavaliers fans felt betrayed. The hometown hero was bailing after numerous playoff shortcomings. Thus, the jersey-burning from fans and the comic sans memos from Dan Gilbert were born. LeBron went off and won two titles in four trips to the Finals in Miami before deciding to come home. With his return, not all was forgiven, but it was a giant head start in the right direction.
However, the case for James upon his return to Cleveland was truthfully the same as it was when he was taken No. 1 overall in the 2003 NBA Draft. Anything less than bringing an end to the Cleveland title drought was going to be deemed as a failure for the man who dubbed himself King James. And though the Cavaliers reached the Finals to take on the Golden State Warriors, they fell short in 2015. Making it back to that point in 2016, again up against the Warriors, it looked as if it was another failure in the making.
Cleveland fell behind 3-1 in the series and faced a bleak outlook ahead. Though their one victory in the first four games came by way of a 30-point blowout in Game 3, they too had been handled in their three losses. Not unexpectedly considering they were facing a team that’d won 73 games in the regular season, the Cavaliers looked outmatched. Then LeBron flipped the switch, as did the rest of his team.
Over the final three games of the series, James averaged 36.3 points, 11.7 rebounds, 9.7 assists, three blocks and three steals per game while turning the ball over just 2.7 times per contest and shooting 50.6 percent from the floor and 42.1 percent from 3-point range. Despite the long odds of success, LeBron proved beyond any measure of doubt that he’s the best in the world at this silly game and erased a 3-1 deficit to bring a championship home to Cleveland.
Dallas Mavericks: Dirk silences the doubters (2011 NBA Finals)
He’s too soft. He’s just a jump-shooter in a center’s body. He’ll never be able to lead the Dallas Mavericks to a title. All of these criticisms regarding Dirk Nowitzki for the majority of his career were not only thrown around, but they were also relatively well accepted. There were obviously those that praised the unique challenges that come with defending a player with Nowitzki’s skill-set, but the skinny was that the Mavericks had a ceiling with him and that ceiling didn’t involve a ring.
Since the 2011 NBA Playoffs, that narrative has changed and, moreover, looks downright foolish.
In the wake of “The Decision,” all eyes around the league were on LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and the rest of the Miami Heat. Meanwhile, Dirk and the Mavericks were plugging away in the Western Conference, winning 57 games (just one fewer than the Heat, mind you) and earning the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference. From there, they sent the Portland Trail Blazers, Los Angeles Lakers and Oklahoma City Thunder packing en route to the Finals and a matchup with the Heat.
Through the first three rounds of the playoffs, the Mavericks were rolling behind a masterful effort from Nowitzki. The big German, in 15 games in the postseason prior to the Finals, was posting 28.4 points, 7.5 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game with 51.7 percent shooting from the floor, 51.6 percent shooting on 3-pointers and 92.9 percent free throw shooting for good measure. Yet, they were still looked at as the doormat for LeBron’s first title.
Dirk turned the tables, though, and won his first ring instead. Aided by the phenomenal defense of Tyson Chandler and key contributions from Jason Terry and Shawn Marion, Nowitzki led the Mavericks to the long-awaited first title in franchise history, much to the delight of Mark Cuban. Fittingly, the big man led the way as he put up 26 points, 9.7 rebounds and two assist per game, decidedly outplaying James in the process and silencing all of the doubters as well.
Denver Nuggets: Super comeback vs. Sonics (1994 Western Conference First Round)
After two games in the 1994 Western Conference First Round matchup between the No. 1 seed Seattle SuperSonics and the No. 8 seed Denver Nuggets, it looked like the latter didn’t belong in the building with their opponents. Seattle opened up the series with a thunderous 24-point victory on their home floor. Though Game 2 was closer, it wasn’t all that close or even as narrow as the 10-point margin might suggest. In the five-game series format for the first round then, the thought was that the Sonics would roll to another win.
That, of course, was not the way things played out. When the series shifted to Denver, the Nuggets either fed off the crowd or just flipped a mental switch as a team. As badly as Seattle thrashed them in Game 1, they returned the favor in Game 3 as Reggie Williams and Dikembe Mutombo spearheaded a 17-point win. Building off that momentum, it was LaPhonso Ellis’ turn to step up alongside Mutombo in Game 3 as the Nuggets evened the series with a nine-point victory.
On the road for the decisive game in the series, though, the worry was that Denver would revert back to their form from the first two games against Seattle. But while the SuperSonics recaptured that level of play, the Nuggets were able to not lose all of their momentum either. Robert Pack exploded off of the bench for 23 points while Mutombo notched a second-straight eight-block game to squeeze by the top-seeded Sonics and complete a marvelous comeback that seemed near impossible when down 2-0 considering how they lost those games.
Detroit Pistons: Isiah Thomas guts out ankle injury (1988 NBA Finals, Game 6)
Labeled both famously and infamously as the “Bad Boys,” Isiah Thomas and the Detroit Pistons won two-straight NBA Championships in 1989 and 1990. With Chuck Daly at the helm and the likes of Thomas, Joe Dumars and Bill Laimbeer (among others) setting the tone, those teams are icons in the history of the NBA. Oddly enough, though, it was the legend-making performance in the prior year’s Finals by Thomas that goes down as their greatest playoff moment.
Taking on the Los Angeles Lakers in the Finals, Thomas was obviously the heart of the Pistons at the time. During the regular season, he put up 19.5 points, 8.4 assists, 3.4 rebounds and 1.7 steals per night at the helm of the offense and team. Thomas’ efforts in the first five games of the Finals had Detroit leading 3-2 in the series, but things looked dire due to an injury to the point guard. Nursing a nasty ankle injury, there were questions about if Thomas would play and if he’d be effective at all if he did. He answered those questions with authority.
Going toe-to-toe with Magic Johnson, Thomas gutted through the injury and pain and submitted a masterful Game 6 performance. In 44 minutes (an underrated feat given the injury), the Pistons star notched 43 points, eight assists and an exceptional six steals in the game. Detroit needed every bit of it, but could’ve used more from Thomas’ teammates. As Adrian Dantley and Laimbeer combined to go 3-of-15 from the field, Detroit lost Game 6 and eventually Game 7 and the Finals.
Even in a loss, though, that performance from Thomas showed where he belonged in the upper-echelon of the league. And really, the was the predecessor to the two titles that followed in the subsequent years.
Golden State Warriors: We Believe (2007 Western Conference First Round)
Without question, the 2015 Golden State Warriors were a blast to watch. After winning 67 games in the regular season, Stephen Curry and company were equally as dominant in the playoffs. A team-on-the-rise became a certified juggernaut and everyone just stared in awe at what Steve Kerr’s group was doing. And while that resulted in a championship in the first of back-to-back trips to the Finals, it’s not the greatest playoff moment in Warriors history.
In the 2006-07 regular season, the Warriors truthfully weren’t great at all. They finished just a hair over .500 for the year with a 42-40 record. That was good enough to earn them the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference, still. For their efforts, they were treated to a matchup with the No. 1-seeded Dallas Mavericks with Dirk Nowitzki coming off of an MVP-winning season and after the team had won 67 games. They were a force, but not one that could escape a little belief.
The Warriors led by the trio of Baron Davis, Stephen Jackson and Jason Richardson came out and stole Game 1 in Dallas. From there, the fans in the Bay Area started to get big ideas. What if this pesky bunch could knock off the top seed? Though the Warriors dropped Game 2, they went home for Game 3 and trounced the Mavericks by 18 points. From there, there was no stopping them and the belief that they shared with their fans.
Using the “We Believe” slogan as their mantra, Golden State was able to ride the wave to another big win in Game 4 with a frenetic crowd at home cheering them on. With a 3-1 series lead, it didn’t matter that they lost in Game 5 back on the road. They had a chance to close out the series in what had become one of the most electric NBA playoff environments in history in Game 6, which they did.
Houston Rockets: The Dream’s block (1994 NBA Finals, Game 6)
The Houston Rockets in the early 1990s were clearly on the precipice of doing exceptional things, but they’d yet to get over the hump. Then, in a combination of great timing and just being ready to seize the moment regardless of that, things all fell in their favor. Michael Jordan retired from the NBA to go play baseball and the Rockets took the leap to the next level. As such, Hakeem Olajuwon and company found themselves up against the New York Knicks in the 1994 NBA Finals.
That Finals series was phenomenal in itself. The Rockets and Knicks traded wins through the first four games before New York held serve at Madison Square Garden in Game 5 to put Houston in an elimination game at home for Game 6. Of course, that wasn’t the end of the road for the Rockets in the slightest.
Up by two points in the waning moments of the game, the Rockets needed a stop to stay alive and force a Game 7 without overtime. To that point, Knicks guard John Starks had beasted Houston throughout the matchup. In Game 6, he’d totaled 27 points and eight assists to lead the way in a low-scoring game. To try and force overtime, he went to the rack to try and push his scoring total to 29.
Rather than that happening, though, Olajuwon timed his defense perfectly as he thwarted Starks’ attempt with a game-wining block to even the series and force a winner-take-all matchup back in New York. The Rockets would win and take all in that decisive Game 7, but that and their 1994 championship wouldn’t have happened without The Dream being their superstar and sealing the Game 6 win.
Indiana Pacers: 8 points, 9 seconds (1995 Eastern Conference Semifinals, Game 1)
There are plenty of people who argue that Reggie Miller isn’t one of the all-time greats that the league has ever seen. While he may have been an all-time great shooter, a look at his career numbers does show a player that was never an all-around contributor for the Indiana Pacers. But that argument starts to fall apart when you start talking about the intangibles of an all-time great. Miller had the “clutch gene” and guts in abundance, and there’s no better example than the famous “8 points, 9 seconds” game against the New York Knicks.
In Game 1 of the 1995 Eastern Conference Semifinals, the Knicks fans and Madison Square Garden (and the Knicks themselves for that matter) thought that the win was in the bag. With just over 18 seconds on the clock, the Pacers had the ball, but New York was ahead at home by six points. Nothing bad could possibly happen, right?
Then bad things started coming in droves in the form of Miller. Indiana’s sharpshooter caught the inbounds pass and nailed a 3-pointer. Before the Knicks could even process the lead being cut to just three points, a sloppy inbound pass on their part was nabbed by Miller. He then found the 3-point arc again and drained the game-tying triple. The Pacers then quickly fouled and watched John Starks choke at the line as he missed both freebies. Miller drew a foul off the next possession and sunk both of the free throws to take the two-point lead with 7.5 ticks left on the clock, ultimately leading to a win by the same margin.
Such a feat shouldn’t be possible without the right player catching all of the right breaks. That’s exactly what happened with Miller against the Knicks, though, starting a feud for the ages and giving fans an iconic playoff moment.
Los Angeles Clippers: Finally, a win (2006 Western Conference First Round)
As the Buffalo Braves in the 1976 NBA Playoffs, the eventual Los Angeles Clippers won a first round series (a three-game series back then). A move to San Diego and then to Los Angeles later, they didn’t make the playoffs again until 1992. But entering the 2006 playoffs, they still hadn’t won a series since their time in Buffalo. And while things may have changed since the arrival of Chris Paul and Blake Griffin, it was getting over the hump in 2006 that goes down as their biggest moment.
The Clippers entered the 2006 postseason as just the No. 6 seed in the Western Conference, matched up with the No. 3 seed Denver Nuggets. With a core of Elton Brand, Corey Maggette, Cuttino Mobley, Sam Cassell and exciting young guard Shaun Livingston off the bench, though, they were wholly unafraid of their Carmelo Anthony led foes.
With a balanced attack from their core, the Clippers simply had too many weapons to throw at the Nuggets in the series. Los Angeles stole both games on the road to jump out to a 2-0 lead and then dropped Game 3 at home before winning the second in L.A. and then ending the series back on the road in the Rocky Mountains.
Often the Clippers and the playoffs comes with a designation of them being a cursed franchise. Though no one believes in curses, there’s definitely something that holds the Clippers back perpetually. Even since the arrival of Paul, Griffin and DeAndre Jordan, they’ve still not been able to get past the second round — and likely won’t in 2017 with Griffin injured again. The franchise has more mountains to climb, but finally getting out of the first round in 2006 is their greatest playoff achievement to date.
Los Angeles Lakers: Magic plays center (1980 NBA Finals, Game 6)
Picking a singular moment from the history of the Los Angeles Lakers and calling it their greatest in playoff history is near impossible. It’s so impossible that you could frankly pick one from four different eras in the team and all would be viable options for the top spot in team history. Sadly, there has to be only one. And in the interest of that, it’s not all that shocking that we’re led to the ineffable Magic Johnson.
Though the Lakers had a 3-2 lead over the Philadelphia 76ers heading into Game 6 of the 1980 NBA Finals, they seemed to be in danger of falling apart. One of the cornerstones of the team in Kareem Abdul-Jabbar badly injured his ankle and was ruled out for Game 6 (the injury was severe enough that, assumedly, he would’ve missed Game 7 too had there been one). In the wake of that injury, head coach Paul Westhead called upon his rookie point guard, Johnson, to move to center in the starting lineup.
We all know what Magic did throughout his career and how incredible it was. However, this might be his most incredible feat. Not only was he a point guard asked to play as a big man, he was in his first-ever playoffs. But of course, Johnson looked like an All-Star center when asked to fill in for Kareem.
Playing at the five, the Lakers rookie turned into a white-hot supernova on Julius Irving and the Sixers. After the final buzzer sounded, Johnson had amassed 45 points, 15 rebounds, seven assists and three steals en route to clinching the title for the Lakers. Every single thing about the moment seems impossible, but that’s Magic Johnson for you.
Memphis Grizzlies: 8 over 1 (2011 Western Conference First Round)
For whatever reason, it feels like the Memphis Grizzlies and San Antonio Spurs meet in the playoffs yearly. It’s almost an annual tradition at this point that you can book on your calendar at the start of the season. As of late, though, it’s also been a one-sided postseason rivalry in favor of the Spurs. Part of the reason for that might be that Gregg Popovich and his staff and team are motivated by one of the few black marks on their historic resume, courtesy of the Grizzlies in 2011.
Posting a 61-win regular season, the Spurs were the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference for the 2011 postseason. As has been the case for many years, most looked to them as title contenders. Meanwhile, the then-young Grizzlies snuck in as the eighth seed in the West and, by all accounts, could’ve enjoyed the ride with a first-round exit and no one would’ve batted an eye. Instead, the heart of Grit-and-Grind was born.
As just a second-year player at the time, Marc Gasol was a relative nobody in the 2011 playoffs, but he showed his promise with a monster series against the Spurs. Meanwhile, a rejuvenated Zach Randolph led the way as an enforcer on both ends of the floor that San Antonio didn’t have an answer for. Put simply, Memphis’ now-signature mentality hit the Spurs right in the mouth and they were too dazed to recover in time. The Grizzlies advanced in six games and then even pushed the Oklahoma City Thunder to seven games in the next round. Memphis hopes more moments keep coming, but the arrival of the Grit-and-Grind era really started with this 8-1 upset.
Miami Heat: Ray Allen’s Shot (2013 NBA Finals, Game 6)
Had Game 6 of the 2013 NBA Finals not happened the way that it did, there’s a good chance that the LeBron James Miami Heat teams would not be the ones owning the franchise’s greatest playoff moment in team history. That honor would likely then fall on Dwyane Wade and Shaquille O’Neal going berserk on the rest of the league in the 2006 playoffs. But instead, Ray Allen happened.
After LeBron, Wade and Chris Bosh won the title over the Thunder in the 2012 Finals, they were hungry to deliver on their promises of “Not one, etc.” But when they were met with the San Antonio Spurs in the 2013 Finals, they were in severe danger of not even seeing a second title. The Spurs had them on the ropes in Game 6, the Heat trailing 3-2 in the series and down by three points with only seconds left on the clock.
With about 12 seconds left to play, James rose up for a 3-point attempt that wasn’t all that close. Allen was initially in the scrum for the rebound, but retreated and backpedaled once Bosh got into the fold and got his hands on the ball. The big man then kicked it out as the veteran sharpshooter quickly gathered in the corner and then unfurled his picturesque jumper to knock down the greatest shot in NBA history.
Yes, Ray Allen’s shot to tie Game 6 is the greatest shot in NBA history. The difficulty, the moment and even the build-up to it were all perfect for it being just that. Allen’s now-legendary make tied the game and forced overtime, where Miami would go on to win. They then had all the momentum going into the decisive Game 7, where they got past San Antonio for the second-straight championship.
Milwaukee Bucks: Kareem, Oscar bring one home (1971 NBA Finals)
Quite frankly, the current iteration of the Milwaukee Bucks looks like a team that might have their own contender for the franchise’s greatest playoff moment sooner rather than later. Giannis Antetokounmpo is here and he’s a bonafide star. Meanwhile, it seems pretty clear at this point that we can put to bed the debate over whether or not Jason Kidd is a good NBA head coach. However, their moment has yet to happen, which means you have to go in the way-back machine to find the greatest playoff moment in Bucks history.
Said way-back machine takes us to the 1970-71 season with the Bucks being led by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Oscar Robertson — maybe you’ve heard of them. Kareem was not long out of UCLA at the time and clearly at the height of his powers. The big man captured MVP honors in the regular season as he went for 31.6 points and 16 rebounds per night.
What Kareem’s exploits also did was make the Bucks into a virtually unstoppable force. They were the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference, sure. What’s truly phenomenal, though, is that their 66-16 record was an absurd 14 games ahead of the team with the second-best record in the league.
That level of dominance continued into the playoffs in one of the more brilliant postseason runs in league history. Milwaukee dropped only two games over three series, with Kareem putting the work on Wilt Chamberlain and the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference Finals. That also included a clean sweep of Wes Unseld and the Baltimore Bullets in the Finals to win the title. It’s hard to touch that type of performance in the postseason.
Minnesota Timberwolves: Going on a run (2004 NBA Playoffs)
The sad truth of the matter is that Minnesota Timberwolves fans might have forgotten what it’s like to see their team in the playoffs at this point. After missing out again in the 2016-17 season, it’s now been 13 seasons since they tasted playoff basketball in Minneapolis. That’s obviously an exceptionally brutal stretch, especially for a team that’s had plenty of talent in those 13 years. They may get back there soon, but for now, their laurels rest on the last time they were in the postseason, the 2004 NBA Playoffs.
Kevin Garnett was still a member of the Timberwolves at that point and he was at the peak of his powers. He captured the NBA MVP award for his regular season exploits, but he wasn’t trying to let it die there. Instead, he was trying to put the Wolves on his back and carry them through the postseason. What’s crazy is that he was almost able to do so, and it was incredibly fun to witness.
After earning the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference, the Timberwolves began the playoffs with the Denver Nuggets. Garnett just straight-up eviscerated the Nuggets in the 4-1 series win, posting averages of 25.8 points, 14.8 rebounds, seven assists, one steal and two blocks per game. The Timberwolves legend wasn’t done there as he then helped Minnesota gut out a seven-game series win over the Sacramento Kings. In that series, Garnett went off just the same to the tune of 23.9 points, 15.4 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 1.7 steals and 3.4 blocks per game.
Ultimately it was a Western Conference Finals matchup with the Los Angeles Lakers that spelled doom for Minnesota, though Garnett left it all on the floor. In the 4-2 loss in the series, the big man still averaged 23.7 points, 13.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.2 blocks per game.
On that Timberwolves team, Garnett’s second-leading man was Latrell Sprewell, followed by role players (at the time at least) like Wally Szczerbiak and Sam Cassell. So while they were the top seed, that Garnett was able to carry that team as far as he did is truly remarkable. And it’s a playoff moment that Timberwolves fans will have to hang on to until Karl-Anthony Towns and the current team in Minnesota can fight their way back to the postseason.
New Orleans Pelicans: Anthony Davis arrives (2015 Western Conference First Round)
There are certainly people that are going to be looking for the days of Chris Paul and the New Orleans Hornets when it comes to the now New Orleans Pelicans’ greatest playoff moment. However, that’s not where you’ll find it. Instead, it’s a moment that’s happened since the transformation to the Pelicans. Fittingly, it involves their superstar, Anthony Davis, in his first taste of playoff basketball.
Coming into the 2015 playoffs, the jury was still out to a degree about whether or not Davis was a viable superstar in the league. Though he carried a pretty questionable roster to the playoffs, they were still just a 45-win team and the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference. Thus, the questions were there over if Davis had actually arrived in the realm of the league’s stars just yet. But in a matchup where he and the Pelicans should’ve been overwhelmed, he proved that wasn’t the case.
New Orleans drew a matchup with the 67-win eventual-champion Golden State Warriors in the first round. Rather than cower in the face of adversity, though, Davis stepped up in the biggest way possible. In his first-ever playoff game, Davis was a monster as he racked up 35 points, seven rebounds and four blocks. He was far from a one-game wonder, though. Davis averaged 33.8 points, 11 rebounds, two assists, 1.3 steals and three blocks per contest over the four games.
Obviously the four games tells you that the series was a sweep in favor of Golden State. However, Davis made the Pelicans competitive in every game, with the largest margin of defeat being just 11 points. This against a team that won 22 more games than his in the regular season. Chris Paul was great in New Orleans, but the arrival of their next star was even more impressive and memorable.
New York Knicks: The Willis Reed Game (1970 NBA Finals, Game 7)
Like there would be another moment that would qualify as the New York Knicks’ greatest playoff moment in team history. The Willis Reed Game in the 1970 NBA Finals isn’t just the stuff of legends in the Big Apple, but in the history of the league as a whole. It was the ending to a sports movie come to life and something that will likely never be duplicated again.
Reed already had a historic season under his belt going into the Finals against the vaunted Los Angeles Lakers. He won the All-Star Game MVP at midseason and then capped that off by being named league MVP as well. The Knicks big man would also capture Finals MVP honors (the first to do so at the time), and that was in no small part due to what happened in Game 7.
New York had a 3-2 lead in the series after Game 5, but went into Game 6 without Reed after he suffered a muscle-tear in his thigh. Given the severity of the injury, no one expected him to play in the decisive game of the Finals. But just before tip-off, Reed came jogging out of the tunnel ready to go before a raucous crowd in Madison Square Garden that was put into a frenzy by his return.
What’s often lost in the story of The Willis Reed Game is that the big man was basically a non-factor in terms of his production. Reed added only four points to the cause. However, his intestinal fortitude inspired both his teammates and the crowd to carry the Knicks to the 1970 title.
Oklahoma City Thunder: Mavs, Lakers, Spurs to Finals (2012 NBA Playoffs)
What Russell Westbrook was able to accomplish in the 2016-17 regular season is truly legendary. Analytics can pick apart his efficiency, but arguments about him stat-chasing are largely unfounded. The Oklahoma City Thunder guard single-handedly willed a sub-par supporting cast around him to the sixth seed in the Western Conference. Once upon a time, though, Westbrook wasn’t forced to deal with the same amount of pressure as Kevin Durant and James Harden were there with him.
Just four months (give or take) after the 2012 NBA Finals, Harden was traded to the Houston Rockets. However, he was integral component with Westbrook and Durant in the Thunder’s greatest playoff moment to date: the 2012 playoffs in their entirety.
Yes, Oklahoma City was eventually bounced in the Finals with relative ease by a hungry LeBron James and the Miami Heat as The King won his first career championship. However, the road that the Thunder had to take to get to the Finals against the Heat proved that they had arrived as many had hoped they would.
The Thunder began the playoffs against the defending champion Dallas Mavericks. Though the Mavericks had a different look, the Thunder still dispatched a veteran group by way of a sweep. Next up was Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers. That series was hard-fought from LA, but the Oklahoma City trio of stars was again too much. Just for good measure, the Thunder then had to take out the San Antonio Spurs, which they did in thrilling six-game series.
Looking back on the 2012 run from the Thunder, it’s hard not to wonder about what could’ve been. The Harden trade was defensible, but it’s still difficult to swallow the notion of that trio getting to develop further together, especially when you look at what they accomplished in those playoffs.
Note: The Seattle SuperSonics history is technically associated with the Thunder, but was not considered when looking for Oklahoma City’s greatest moment.
Orlando Magic: Nick Anderson makes MJ un-clutch (1995 Eastern Conference Semifinals, Game 1)
The 1995 NBA Playoffs and Orlando Magic guard Nick Anderson usually don’t bring about the happiest of memories for fans. Orlando, led by Shaquille O’Neal and Penny Hardaway, made it to the NBA Finals that year. However, in Game 1 against the Houston Rockets, Anderson collapsed in the worst of ways. For the season, Anderson shot 70.4 percent from the charity stripe. Yet with the Magic up by three points, he missed four consecutive free throws that could’ve sealed the game. Instead, the Rockets forced overtime, where they won to set the tone for an eventual sweep.
Just a few weeks prior, though, it was Anderson’s heroics in another Game 1 that provided the greatest Magic playoff moment in their history. Facing the Chicago Bulls in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, a post-baseball Michael Jordan was on the floor. And with the Bulls trailing by one point, all eyes were on the lookout for MJ to announce his presence back in the NBA with another game-winner to add to his resume.
Jordan got the ball on the inbound pass and Anderson almost came up with a steal immediately. The Bulls legend spun out of trouble, though, and dribbled up the floor. Anderson, however, didn’t give up on the play and picked the pocket of the unsuspecting Jordan from behind for the steal. That steal then set up a fast-break to seal the win for the Magic. They would then go on to win the series after that tone-setting performance and iconic moment. If only the postseason could’ve ended on that same type of note for Anderson.
Philadelphia 76ers: Fo’, Fo’, Fo’ (1983 NBA Playoffs)
Current Philadelphia 76ers fans are more familiar with tanking and Sam Hinkie’s “Process” than success. While that may be so, this is one of the most storied franchises in the league that boasts a great deal of triumph over the decades. You could look to Allen Iverson carrying his Sixers teams for great moments. However, it’s not going to touch that moment when a great achievement is matched with an equally great story.
Throughout the 1982-83 regular season, no one was breathing the same air as the 76ers. Moses Malone was putting together an MVP-winning campaign, flanked by the great Julius Erving to help lead the way. They finished 65-17 in the regular season, the best record in the league by seven games and with a nine-game cushion over the closest team in the Eastern Conference. Thus, when asked about how the playoffs would go for the Sixers prior to East Semifinals, Malone unveiled the iconic “Fo’, fo’, fo'” quote, saying that they’d sweep every series.
They didn’t quite sweep every series as they dropped a game to the Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Conference Finals. However, going fo’, five, fo’ is still an assertion of dominance that we may never see again in the playoffs. As for the Sixers, they finished well out of the playoffs again in the 2016-17 season. But in 2020 when the Joel Embiid led 76ers are waltzing through the postseason with ease, we’ll have to look back and see if anything they accomplish rivals the 1983 title-winning club.
Phoenix Suns: Barkley and Co. nearly go all the way (1993 NBA Playoffs)
It stands to reason that fans will remember the most successful teams in a franchise’s history the most fondly. Winning usually brings about good feelings, so that all makes sense. However, there are special cases involved in such affairs, which in the NBA includes teams like the Phoenix Suns. The Suns have no titles to their credit in franchise history. With that factor in play, how then do you measure success if they’ve always lost their last game of the postseason when they earned a berth?
For the Suns specifically, you measure it by Charles Barkley and the 1992-93 squad. In the regular season that year, Phoenix finished with 62 wins and as the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference. However, that meant nothing if they weren’t able to go into the postseason and look the part of the top seed out of the West. Barkley made sure that was the case, however.
Barkley was an absolute monster throughout the entire playoffs, averaging 26.6 points, 13.6 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.6 steals per game. However, he turned it on further when it mattered most. In the Western Conference Finals, the Auburn product posted a 43-point triple-double in Game 5. But when the series went to Game 7, Barkley turned it up a notch again with an unreal 44 points and 24 rebounds to carry the Suns to the Finals.
Of course, they met up with Michael Jordan and the Bulls, who would go on to win their third-straight championship. The Suns were no pushover, though. Barkley, Kevin Johnson and Dan Marjele all stepped up, but just weren’t enough to take down Chicago. Still, the team has never seen a greater success than reaching the 1993 Finals, which is why they’re royalty over 20 years later still in the city.
Portland Trail Blazers: Championship conclusion to Blazermania (1977 NBA Playoffs)
For those curious, there were a couple of other playoff moments for the Portland Trail Blazers that were strongly considered for this spot. Damian Lillard’s increasingly iconic 3-point make to beat the Houston Rockets in the 2014 playoffs is certainly up there. So too is the Game 4 comeback in the first round of the 2011 postseason orchestrated by Brandon Roy. When you get down to it, though, there’s nothing that ultimately touches Bill Walton and Blazermania as it pertains to great playoff moments.
When the ABA/NBA merger occurred, the Trail Blazers still didn’t have even a trip to the playoffs to their credit. But with the arrival of Deadhead and All-World former UCLA center Bill Walton in addition to the hire of Jack Ramsay as head coach, that changed. Portland played fantastic all season long to win 49 games on the year. Prior to that, the city was a bit tepid about the relatively new franchise still, but the playoff berth got some buzz starter. And then the postseason turned it into full-on Blazermania.
After dispatching the Bulls and Nuggets in rounds one and two, respectively, Portland was then faced with the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference, the Los Angeles Lakers. Led by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the Lakers were thrashed by Portland’s attack of Walton, Lionel Hollins and Maurice Lucas and the Blazers swept the series.
Yet another massive roadblock was up next in the Philadelphia 76ers, the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference led by some guy named Julius Erving. Though Dr. J and company put up a better fight than LA, they too were no match for a Blazers team with the entirety of Portland frenetically cheering them on by that point. They went on to win the series 4-2 behind a monster 18.5-point, 19-rebound average from Walton in the Finals to capture a championship in the organization’s first playoff appearance.
Sacramento Kings: Mike Bibby heroics (2002 Western Conference Finals, Game 5)
Bringing up the 2002 Western Conference Finals to a Sacramento Kings fan is a bittersweet experience. On one hand, fans remember that team and their run through the playoffs exceptionally fondly, as well they should. At the same time, there’s also the fact that the series against the Los Angeles Lakers stands as an example of one of the most…shall we say, curiously officiated series in NBA history. If you don’t know, there are plenty of examples of the conspiracy against the Kings on YouTube for reference.
What’s always been impressive, however, is that the Kings still pushed the Lakers to the brink in that series. Even if the refs weren’t in the wrong, that’s an impressive feat against the eventual champions who were winning their third-straight title with Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal. The entire series was absolutely fantastic for the Kings with the likes of Chris Webber, Vlade Divac and Hedo Turkoglu all becoming fan-favorites. It was Mike Bibby, though, that came through with the biggest singular moment in Game 5.
With the series tied at two games apiece and the Kings playing in Sacramento, they couldn’t afford to lose a swing game. The Lakers, however, took a three-point lead over the home team with two Samaki Walker free throws with 59.3 seconds remaining. Then it was Bibby’s time. The point guard took the ball on the next possession and drew a shooting foul on Kobe, drilling the two free throws. After a miss by Bryant, Bibby then hauled in the defensive board and the Kings called timeout.
Down by a point with other 30 seconds left, Sacramento burned a little clock before getting the offense into motion. As they did, Webber was able to find Bibby on the perimeter just inside the 3-point line for a jumper — and the point guard drained it to go ahead by one. They forced a miss from Bryant on the final possession to secure the win and take the series lead. It’s a shame they weren’t able to capitalize further, but no Kings fan will soon look past Bibby’s heroics.
San Antonio Spurs: Big Shot Rob earns his name, again (2005 NBA Finals, Game 5)
The San Antonio Spurs are one of the teams that would be slotted into the category of “hard to pinpoint a singular moment” when it comes to their playoff successes. With five NBA championships to their credit and the likes of all-time greats like David Robinson and Tim Duncan having led the way, you’d probably expect one of their victories or moments to be at the top of their great memories. However, it instead goes to an unlikely — albeit deserving — candidate in Robert Horry.
Three years prior with the Los Angeles Lakers, Robert Horry earned the nickname Big Shot Rob thanks to his heroics. After a move to the Spurs, the veteran made sure that the moniker would stick for life.
San Antonio found themselves in a battle with the Detroit Pistons in the 2005 NBA Finals. In Game 5 on the road, Horry’s impact was inconsequential for almost 36 minutes of play. With one second remaining in the third quarter, however, Horry drilled a 3 to give the Spurs the one-point lead. That set the wheels into motion and they only turned faster. Horry hit another triple as the first field goal of the fourth quarter and then continued to go off.
Horry scored 13 points in the fourth quarter alone, including three 3-point makes overall in the period, to help force overtime. He didn’t stop in the extra frame, either. With just under two minutes on the clock, Rasheed Wallace scored for the Pistons to go up four. On the ensuing possession, Horry got a good look at the rim and fought through a foul to score. He missed the free throw, but would soon make up for it.
After a run of defensive stops, the Spurs had the ball with under 10 seconds on the clock. Coming out of a timeout, they looked to the hot hand as Manu Ginobili found Horry and the latter put up another 3-point shot. And he earned another 3-point make to put the Spurs up one, a lead they held. It may not have ended the series, but as San Antonio lost the next game, it kept them alive on the road and thus allowed them to get to Game 7 and ultimately win the title.
Toronto Raptors: Arriving (2016 Eastern Conference Finals)
Unfortunately for The North, as they like to call themselves, playoff shortcomings have been more numerous than triumphs for the Toronto Raptors. Coming into the 2016 postseason, the Raptors had only been out of the First Round once in franchise history. That included instances like Vince Carter essentially quitting on the team, being upset on a few occasions in Round 1 and a slew of other forgettable moments.
With Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan leading the way, though, the Raptors seemed to put it all together in the 2015-16 campaign. After winning 56 games in the regular season, it was all about proving themselves in the playoffs. They were able to do that and more with their best playoff showing in team history, by far.
Admittedly, Toronto made it hard on themselves throughout the first round against the Indiana Pacers. Yet, they pulled out the win in Game 7 in Toronto to advance. They needed seven games against Dwyane Wade and the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Semifinals as well, but still moved on to the East Finals for the first time ever.
Even had they been swept by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Conference Finals, this likely would’ve been the best playoff moment in Raptors history. However, they also were able to push the eventual champs to six games in a highly competitive series. Now it’s all about maintaining that success moving forward for this franchise as they have only a few more hills to climb.
Utah Jazz: John Stockton pulls through (1997 Western Conference Finals, Game 6)
In Utah and throughout the NBA-watching world, the franchise’s history is almost unanimously associated with John Stockton and Karl Malone. The duo didn’t exactly do much to revolutionize the way the pick-and-roll is run. But what the pair was able to do was perfect the simplest set in the game and forge Hall-of-Fame careers as a result of that. However, that set wasn’t a factor in the greatest playoff moment for the Jazz.
Facing the Houston Rockets in the 1997 Western Conference Finals, the Jazz went up 2-0 in the series before giving up the next two to even the series. Picking up a win in Utah, the Jazz had no plans of going back home. Though they fell behind at halftime, they fought back in the second half.
With the game tied at 100 with 2.8 seconds remaining, the Jazz had the ball on a side inbounds. At the top of the key, Malone set a screen to free up Stockton, who received the pass halfway between midcourt and the top of the key. The NBA’s assist king then stepped up to the 3-point line and, over the outstretched arm of Charles Barkley, drilled the triple as time expired to get the Jazz to the Finals.
Of course, Utah would suffer heartbreak at the hands of Jordan’s Bulls in the 1997 and 98 Finals. However, getting over the hump with Stockton and Malone on a play like that is something fans in Utah will not soon forget.
Washington Wizards: The lone title (1978 NBA Finals)
Prior to the arrival of John Wall (and even after the fact at times), the Washington Wizards have been known more for creating a tumultuous environment than anything. The Gilbert Arenas saga/incident/experience played a part in that, but so too did a slew of questionable personnel decisions along the way. With Wall now establishing himself firmly as a star, Bradley Beal realizing his potential and the team as a whole starting to come around, there should be more playoff moments to come.
Until that time, though, the Wizards have to go back to 1978 and their time as the Washington Bullets for the best playoff moment in the franchise’s history. That would be the year that Wes Unseld led his team to the lone championship in team history.
During the regular season, the Bullets were certainly nothing spectacular. They finished the year with a meager 44-38 record and were just the third seed in the Eastern Conference. That didn’t matter when the postseason rolled around, though. They started with a 2-0 win in Round 1 over the Cleveland Cavaliers, followed by wins over the top-two seeds in the East in the San Antonio Spurs and Philadelphia 76ers to get to the Finals.
Next: 30 worst NBA playoff teams of all time
In the Finals against the Seattle SuperSonics (RIP), it wasn’t Unseld that led the way, but was instead another veteran in Elvin Hayes. Alongside Unseld in the frontcourt, Hayes put up 20.7 points, 11.9 rebounds and two blocks per game to guide Washington to a 4-3 series win and the 1978 championship. It rarely gets better than reaching the mountaintop, and that’s the case for the Wizards franchise.