Image via Complex Original
NBA veteran Paul Pierce scored 20 points last week in the opening game of the Toronto Raptors and Washington Wizards first-round matchup, nearly double his regular season average. After the game, when reporters asked Pierce about his scoring outburst, he responded jokingly with, “I’ve been resting.” In other words, it’s not the regular season anymore. Pierce, an NBA champion, knows this as well as anyone.
The playoffs, the NBA’s second season, are where stars are born and legends are solidified. Players find an extra gear this time of year, fueled by a desire to take home the game’s ultimate prize: the NBA championship.
Under the bright lights of the playoffs, with the world watching on, it’s win or go home. In those conditions, the game becomes a battle, a must-win for either side—a bastion for competitiveness. It’s fitting, then, that some of the best games of the last 10 years have been found in this environment.
Game 7, 2010 NBA Finals: Boston Celtics vs. Los Angeles Lakers
In a Game 7, everything is on the line. If that weren’t enough, the 2010 NBA Finals were also a matchup between two of the game’s most historic rivals. The final game of the series was intense from the opening tip. It featured three-point bombs, extra passes, hustle plays, and defenders playing their man so tightly that they basically shared the same pair of shorts. Kobe Bryant was made for this environment, he thrives in it, and in the end, he stood on the scorers table of Staples Center as confetti streamed down around him, the game ball tucked under his arm. He howled into the crowd in celebration, reveling in his fifth NBA championship.
Game 6, 2012 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals: Philadelphia 76ers vs. Chicago Bulls
“When you win like that, you can’t draw it up. That’s what makes this sport so great. Crazy things happen.”
That was Spencer Hawes’ reaction when his Philadelphia 76ers beat the Chicago Bulls, 79-78, in Game 6 of their 2012 first-round matchup. Andre Iguodala was the hero that night, scoring 20 points, including the game-winning free throws with 2.2 seconds remaining, to lift the eighth-seeded Sixers past the Bulls. Iguodala took his game to the next level, shooting 7-for-12 from the field, including 2-for-3 from beyond the arc and 4-for-4 from the free throw line. It was the first time the Sixers moved onto the second round since the 2002-03 season.
Game 4, 2013 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals: Brooklyn Nets vs. Chicago Bulls
In the heightened emotional atmosphere of the NBA playoffs, it can be difficult—nearly impossible—to keep your head on straight. The crowd is screaming, the players are screaming, the game is being played at a frenzied pace, with everyone vying for their chance to hoist the Larry O’Brien trophy, but in the end, its the cool heads that prevail.
The Chicago Bulls and Brooklyn Nets experienced this in Game 4 of their 2013 matchup in the first round. The game took 63 minutes, a triple overtime thriller, before the Nets were sent back to Brooklyn. Nate Robinson played out of his mind for the final few minutes of regulation and into overtime, helping the Bulls erase a 14-point deficit with little more than three minutes remaining. The diminutive Robinson reeled off 12 straight points to close out the game, riding the wave of emotions and carrying the hometown Bulls to victory in front of a sold-out, delirious crowd.
Game 5, 2007 Eastern Conference Finals: Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Detroit Pistons
LeBron James entered King James mode against Detroit in Game 5 of the 2007 Eastern Conference Finals. James scored the Cavs’ final 25 points against a universally heralded Pistons defense that threw everything they could at James, but it wasn’t enough. The game went into double overtime, before ending in a 109-107 win for the Cavaliers. Halfway through the fourth quarter James had 19 points, before scoring 29 of Cleveland’s final 30 points. It was a historically great performance from a historically great player.
Game 4, 2011 Western Conference Quarterfinals: Portland Trail Blazers vs. Dallas Mavericks
The story of Brandon Roy, a tremendous talent with a career cut short by injury, reveals how cruel sports can be. Roy was a gifted player, in his best moments almost unguardable—just ask the Dallas Mavericks.
In their Game 4 matchup, Roy caught fire in the final frame, scoring 18 of his 24 total points and reminding the Mavericks—and anyone watching—just how much talent and determination he kept contained in his 6-4 frame. He carried the Trail Blazers to an 84-82 win, the largest fourth-quarter playoff comeback in franchise history.
Game 2, 2008 NBA Finals: Los Angeles Lakers vs. Boston Celtics
There is, perhaps, not a more fiercely competitive athlete on the planet then Kobe Bryant, and after his Lakers dropped the first game in the 2008 Finals, he came out looking for revenge in Game 2. He propelled the Lakers to an early 15-8 first quarter lead, but the Celtics wouldn’t go away, and, led by their veteran trio, they eventually eked out a 108-102 victory.
Paul Pierce and James Posey hounded the Lakers on both sides of the ball in the final quarter, and the Celtics defense swarmed Bryant, keeping the ball out of his hands in the final possession. Bryant finished with 30 points and 8 assists, but it was a relatively unknown big man, Leon Powe, for the Celtics, who stepped up and hustled his way to 21 points on 6-of-7 shooting, in only 15 minutes of play.
Game 7, 2006 Western Conference Semifinals: Dallas Mavericks vs. San Antonio Spurs
The Texas rivalry between the Mavericks and Spurs is the stuff of legend. These two teams do not like each other, and they aren’t afraid to show it. With bragging rights on the line in their home state, these teams always play hard. Despite their history, the Mavericks had never made it past the Spurs in the playoffs, until this game.
Legends Dirk Nowitzki and Tim Duncan posted 37 and 41 points, respectively. In a hard-fought battle, Nowitzki slashed to the basket, drained high-arcing threes, and played tough defense, including making a game-saving block that sent the game into overtime. After dispatching the Spurs, the Mavericks eventually made it all the way to the NBA Finals, where their bid for the NBA title was ended by the Miami Heat.
Game 6, 2012 Eastern Conference Finals: Miami Heat vs. Boston Celtics
LeBron James and the Miami Heat won their first title together in 2012. Hoisting the trophy helped change the narrative arc of James’ incredible career but his performance before the Finals is also of note. The Heat were on the verge of elimination, playing on the road in Boston, when James delivered one of the most brilliant performances of his career. James scored 45 points and hauled in 15 rebounds, overwhelming the Celtics and refusing to take his foot off the gas pedal, playing every minute of the game. Earlier in his career, James' season was twice ended in Boston while playing for Cleveland. He wasn’t going to let it happen again.
Game 5, 2005 NBA Finals: San Antonio Spurs vs. Detroit Pistons
This list won’t be complete without recognizing Robert “Big Shot Bob” Horry, whose clutch playoff performances rank among the best ever. In Game 5 of the 2005 NBA Finals, he led the Spurs to decisive win, and a 3-2 series lead over the Detroit Pistons. Throughout the game, the lead changed 12 separate times and it was all tied up on 18 occasions before the Spurs inevitably emerged victorious in a 96-95 overtime win. Horry was nearly perfect, shooting 5-for-6 from beyond the arc, including the game-winner. He scored 21 points coming off the bench.
Game 7, 2014 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals: Brooklyn Nets vs. Toronto Raptors
Like all great players, Paul Pierce knows not to force his game when the shots aren’t falling. So when his Brooklyn Nets met up with the Toronto Raptors for Game 7 of the opening round in 2014, he found a way to win. Hobbled by injury, foul trouble and an off shooting night, Pierce crowded the Raptor’s star guard Kyle Lowry all game, including leaping for the game-saving block on the final possession, holding off the Raptors in a 104-103 win. In the second half of the game, Pierce had more fouls (three) than points (none), but in the moment that mattered most, he was there to secure the victory.