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25. (Tie) 1974: John Havlicek - Sent Game
6 to first, second overtimes; named Finals MVP Nine years before, Havlicek broke Sixers' fans' collective hearts
when he stole Hal Greer's inbounds pass. En route to a Finals MVP award, Havlicek helped the Celtics steal Game 7 in Milwaukee.
Hondo almost single-handedly won Game 6 in the Boston Garden when he sent the game into both overtimes and put the Celtics
ahead by one in the second OT before Kareem hit his famous sky-hook to send the series back to Milwaukee.
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25. (Tie) 1960: Bill Russell - 22 points,
35 rebounds in Game 7 Bill Russell won 11 NBA titles with the Boston Celtics and was 10-0 in Game 7s at any level
of the NBA playoffs. Five of those Game 7s came in the NBA Finals. When you look at his stats in Game 7 of the 1960 Finals
against the St. Louis Hawks, it's easy to see why Russell never failed when his team needed him to succeed the most.
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24. 2001: Allen Iverson - 48 points in
shocking Game 1 overtime win in Los Angeles The Los Angeles Lakers had won 19 straight heading into Game 1 of the
2001 Finals, including 11 consecutive wins in the Western Conference playoffs. The Philadelphia 76ers had just finished their
second consecutive seven-game series three days before, but the Sixers and league MVP Allen Iverson took it to the mighty
Lakers. Iverson poured in 48 points to lead Philly to a shocking Game 1 overtime triumph.
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23. 1995: Hakeem Olajuwon - Averaged 32.8
points, 11.5 rebounds, 5.5 assists in sweep Coming into his second consecutive Finals series, the Rockets and Hakeem
Olajuwon had already dispatched of league MVP David Robinson and the Spurs. Now, Olajuwon faced the upstart Orlando Magic,
who were led by a young and hungry Shaquille O'Neal. It was no contest as Olajuwon tipped in a game-winner with 0.3 in overtime
to give the Rockets a Game 1 win en route to a sweep.
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22. 2001: Shaquille O'Neal - 28 points,
20 rebounds, 9 assists, 8 blocks in series-tying Game 2 After the Lakers suffered a stunning loss in Game 1 to the
Philadelphia 76ers, Shaquille O'Neal came to the rescue. After scoring 44 points and grabbing 20 boards in Game 1, O'Neal
nearly had a quadruple-double in Game 2. For the second consecutive game, Shaq grabbed 20 rebounds and added 28 points, nine
assists and tied an NBA playoff-record with eight swats. The Lakers would win Game 2 and take the series in five.
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21. 1972: Wilt Chamberlain - 24 points,
29 rebounds in series-clinching Game 5 No team had cut as wide a swath through the NBA as the Los Angeles Lakers
did in 1972. They won 69 games, including a professional sports record of 33 in a row at one point and had breezed their way
to the Finals. The Knicks had some hope before Game 5 as reports had Lakers center Wilt Chamberlain unable to play. But Wilt
took an anti-inflammatory injection, and his 24 points and 29 rebounds helped the Lakers win their first title in L.A, with
Wilt winning the Finals MVP trophy.
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20. 2003: Tim Duncan - 21 points, 20 rebounds,
10 assists, 8 blocks in series-clinching Game 6 Spurs big man and reigning league MVP Tim Duncan had the game of
his life in Game 6 of the 2003 NBA Finals. Duncan helped the Spurs overcome a nine-point fourth quarter deficit and he fell
two blocks shy of a quadruple-double. His eight blocks tied a playoffs record.
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19. 1967: Rick Barry - 55 points in Game
3 win The Philadelphia 76ers rolled to a then-record 68 regular-season wins, but this was the Finals and San Francisco
Warriors forward Rick Barry showed no fear. The league's scoring leader poured in the second-best scoring performance in Finals
history with 55 points to lead the Warriors to a Game 3 win. The Sixers would go on to win the series in six games.
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18. 1993: Michael Jordan - 55 points in
Game 4 win Michael Jordan missed 24 shots in Game 3. He made sure that Game 4 would be different. Jordan poured in
55 points on 21-of-37 shooting as the Bulls topped the Suns 111-105. Jordan tied Rick Barry for the second-best scoring output
in Finals history and was eventually awarded his third consecutive Finals MVP award.
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17. 1957: Tom Heinsohn - 37 points, 23
rebounds in Game 7 double-overtime win as a rookie In his first Game 7 of an NBA Finals, Boston rookie Tom Heinsohn
emerged as a star. With the Celtics veteran starting backcourt combining for a miserable 5-for-40, Heinsohn made sure the
Celtics' first NBA title was a memorable one. Heinsohn scored 37 points and grabbed 23 boards as Boston topped St. Louis 125-123
in double overtime.
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16. 1949: George Mikan - 42 points in
Game 1, 22 points in Game 5 after breaking his wrist When we think of playing hurt in the NBA Finals, we think of
Willis Reed. But the NBA's original dominant big man, George Mikan, played Game 5 of the 1949 Finals with a cast on his broken
wrist. He scored 22 points as the Lakers went on to win their first-ever NBA title. His scoring tear also gave him a then-record
303 points in one postseason (10 games).
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15. 1985: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar - Rallies
from dismal Game 1 to be named Finals MVP at 38 As the game's dominant big man, the game came to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
But with Magic Johnson in the fold, the Lakers turned into Showtime. Yet, in the Finals, Kareem, at age 38, showed he still
had game. Kareem scored 36 points in Game 5 and 29 points -- including 18 in the second half -- in Game 6 of the Boston Garden
as the Lakers finally broke through against the Celtics in the Finals.
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14. 1992: Michael Jordan - 35 points and
six 3-pointers in first half of Game 1 Even Michael Jordan didn't know what to make of it. Not known for his 3-point
shooting, Jordan just shrugged his shoulders after draining his record-setting sixth trey in Clifford Robinson's face during
the first half of Game 1 against the Portland Trailblazers. Jordan's 35 first-half points set a Finals record and he finished
with 39.
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13. 2000: Shaquille O'Neal - Averaged
38.0 points and 16.7 rebounds in thoroughly dominating series After being swept in his first Finals appearance, Shaquille
O'Neal made sure he wouldn't suffer the same fate. O'Neal averaged a whopping 38.0 points and 16.7 rebounds in the Laker's
six-game triumph over the Indiana Pacers. O'Neal's performance was more than enough to earn him his first of three consecutive
Finals MVP awards.
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12. 1988: James Worthy - 36 points, 16
rebounds, 10 assists in Game 7 to win Finals MVP It's no wonder they called him "Big Game" James. Heading back to
L.A. down 3-2 to the Pistons, the Lakers scored a one-point win in Game 6, setting the stage for Big Game. In Game 7, Worthy
saved his best Finals performance for last with a triple-double: 36 points, 16 rebounds and 10 assists as the Lakers became
the first team since the 1969 Celtics to repeat as NBA champions.
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11. 1998: Michael Jordan - 45 points in
Game 6, including steal that led to game-winner It may have been the best-ever ending to a career steeped in excellence.
The Jazz held a one-point lead and Utah's All-Star power forward Karl Malone held the ball. But Jordan faked like he was going
to follow his man weakside, but stopped and stripped Malone. The ball then never left Jordan's hands until he launched a game-winning
20-footer over Bryon Russell. Jordan finished with 45 points, his sixth title and his sixth NBA Finals MVP award.
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10. 1977: Bill Walton - 20 points, 23
rebounds, 7 assists, 8 blocks in series-clinching Game 6 The Portland Trail Blazers were appearing in their first-ever
postseason, let alone their first Finals. And after the Philadelphia 76ers won the first two games, the outlook appeared bleak
for the Blazers. But Portland won the next three games and center Bill Walton applied the coup de grace with a 20-point, 23-rebound
performance in Game 6. He was named Finals MVP.
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9. 1969: Jerry West - 42 points, 13 rebounds,
12 assists in Game 7; only player to be named MVP in losing effort Jerry West was making his sixth trip to the NBA
Finals in 1969. The previous five had ended in defeat, each by the Boston Celtics' hand. Trip No. 6 appeared to be different
as the Lakers took a 3-2 series lead, but a Game 6 loss sent the series back to L.A. West had a triple-double with 42 points,
13 rebounds and 12 assists, but the Celtics prevailed again, winning Game 7, 108-106. West's performance earned him the Finals
MVP, the only player from a losing team ever to do so.
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8. 1986: Larry Bird - 29 points, 11 rebounds,
12 assists in dominating Game 6 performance In 1986, Larry Bird was the NBA's best player and the Boston Celtics
the league's best team. And in Game 6 of the 1986 Finals, Bird and the Celtics showed why. Bird helped Boston clinch its 16th
NBA title with a triple-double performance of 29 points, 11 rebounds and 12 assists.
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7. 1958: Bob Pettit - 50 points, including
19 of St. Louis' last 21, in series-clinching Game 6 If there were one team in the NBA that could challenge Bill
Russell's Celtics for the championship, it was Bob Pettit's St. Louis Hawks. After losing a heartbreaker of a Game 7 in The
Finals the year before, Pettit made sure the Hawks got their NBA title in Game 6. Pettit notched 50 points, including 19 of
the Hawks' final 21 as St. Louis eked out a 110-109 win to close out the Hawks' only NBA title to date.
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6. 1970: Walt Frazier - 36 points and
19 assists to lead Knicks in Game 7 after Reed's emotional entrance Willis Reed may have opened the door, but it
was Walt "Clyde" Frazier who closed it on the Lakers in Game 7. Reed, suffering from a torn thigh, made a brief but inspiring
appearance in the first quarter to give the Knicks a psychological lift. Frazier took over after that, scoring 36 points and
dishing 19 assists, as the Knicks clobbered the Lakers 113-99 for New York's first NBA title.
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5. 1962: Bill Russell - 30 points and
40 rebounds in Game 7 overtime win Game 7 in the '62 Finals went to overtime and, thanks to Bill Russell, the Celtics
added another notch to their championship belt. The Celtics had already forced a Game 7 with a Game 6 win in L.A. two days
before. In the final contest, Russell scored 30 points and grabbed an incredible 40 rebounds as the Celtics won their fourth
of eight consecutive titles.
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4. 1962: Elgin Baylor - 61 points, 22
rebounds to lead Lakers to Game 5 win The Los Angeles Lakers were making their first Finals appearance and it looked
as if they were going to make it a success thanks to Elgin Baylor. The forward poured in a Finals record (and then-playoffs
record) 61 points against the Celtics in the Boston Garden, giving the Lakers a 3-2 series lead.
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3. 1988: Isiah Thomas - 25 points on a
severely sprained ankle in the third quarter of Game 6 When it comes to toughness, pound-for-pound, Isiah Thomas
may have been the toughest player in NBA history. In Game 6 of the 1988 NBA Finals, he showed why. Playing on an ankle so
severely sprained he could barely put weight on it, Thomas scored 25 points in the third quarter -- a Finals record for points
in a quarter. Despite his valiant effort, the Pistons would lose Game 6 and eventually the series to the Lakers.
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2. 1997: Michael Jordan - 38 points, 7
rebounds, 5 assists with the flu in decisive Game 5 in Utah Bitten hard by the flu bug, Michael Jordan was so ill
some speculated that he wouldn't be able to play in Game 5 against the Jazz in Utah with the series tied at 2-2. Jordan fought
the Jazz, dehydration and exhaustion (he could barely walk to the bench during timeouts) -- and won. Jordan turned in another
masterful performance with 38 points and seven rebounds, sending the series back to Chicago with the Bulls up 3-2 in the series.
Two days later, the Bulls won their fifth title in six years.
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1. 1980: Magic Johnson - 42 points, 15
rebounds, 7 assists in series-clinching Game 6, in place of injured Kareem In one game, a 20-year-old rookie named
Magic Johnson went from precocious to prodigious. With six-time NBA MVP Kareem Abdul-Jabbar out with a severe ankle sprain,
Magic started at center and turned in the best performance ever in an NBA Finals game -- 42 points, 15 boards, seven assists
-- on the road, no less -- as the Lakers won their first of five NBA titles in the '80s.
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