There’s always a special feeling when the NBA playoffs arrive. With 16 teams in place to contend for a championship, fans have seen historic performances from both the teams and the players. Some playoff series are always one-sided, as the better team moves on to the next round after a sweep. But the matchups that go to Game 7 are the ones that are always savored the most.
When people think of the NBA playoffs, there are a few moments that come to mind. There’s LeBron James’ chase-down block in Game 7 of the 2016 Finals on Andre Iguodala, which is later followed by a Kyrie Irving game-winning three-pointer to seal the game.
There’s also Michael Jordan’s game-winning jumper over Byron Russell in Game 6 of the 1998 NBA Finals, or even Reggie Miller’s eight points in 8 seconds against the New York Knicks.
These monumental moments have simplified how exciting the NBA playoffs have always been through the years and it’s a reason why these players have grown into tremendous generational talent.
But there are also huge playoff games that do not get the recognition they deserve. It doesn’t always have to be the NBA Finals to where the league appreciates the biggest moments. At the end of the day, the journey to an NBA championship still takes place round by round. Teams willing their way to win four games each series isn’t an easy task. They have to fight through adversity each round to keep their championship hopes alive and prepare for the next matchup. Let’s dive into some underappreciated Playoff games in NBA history.
Lakers-Celtics 2010 NBA Finals: Game 7
Down 3-2 in the series, the Lakers dominated Game 6 with an 89-67 victory. After losing the NBA Finals in 2008 to the same team, Kobe Bryant would not allow his team to lose to Boston again. Game 7 may have been the ugliest matchup statistically, but the defense on both sides showed that taking the Larry O’Brien trophy meant everything to them.
The Celtics held a 13-point lead in the third quarter, closing in on what they hoped was another NBA title, but they couldn’t close the deal. As Bryant was struggling to score, he and his team needed to find a way to get a rhythm on both ends. With that being said, other contributing factors began to show up. Ron Artest contributed 20 points in the game while Pau Gasol pitched in 19.
Eventually, the Celtics couldn’t slow the momentum of the Lakers as they found themselves amid a victory late in the fourth. An Artest 3-pointer followed by Sasha Vujacic making huge free throws to seal the deal. Bryant may have struggled with 23 points on 6-24 shooting, but he grabbed 15 rebounds to have control of the glass. Bryant would win his fifth NBA championship along with the Lakers’ 16th.
Celtics-Bulls 2009 NBA First Round Game 6
Although the Boston Celtics were the defending NBA champions, the young Chicago Bulls were not shying away from the challenge in front of them. Derrick Rose set the tone leading the Bulls to a Game 1 Overtime victory with 36 points. The Bulls also would force double-overtime in Game 4 followed by another one in Game 5. As both teams have played a lot of basketball the past two games, Game 6 was an anticipating event in the United Center.
The Celtics were looking to close out the series with their Game 5 victory. But they knew it was going to be a difficult task in a hostile NBA environment. The Bulls had their way through most of the game as they were looking to even the series. It was Ray Allen’s hot shooting on the night that kept the Celtics afloat. As Boston gained more momentum, they were close to finishing the series before Chicago mounted a late comeback to force overtime.
Allen would continue to be the number one option for the Celtics with contributions from Paul Pierce, Glen Davis, etc. Chicago was led by Derrick Rose and by contributions from John Salmons as well. Going down the stretch of the third overtime period, the Bulls made great defensive plays and key steals to keep their NBA season alive in a 128-127 victory. While Ray Allen finished with 51 points on the night, Salmons scored 35 points while Rose finished with 28.
Blazers-Nuggets 2019 Conference Semifinals Game 3
The Portland Trail Blazers had momentum building after their NBA first-round series win against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Going into the series against a very young Denver Nuggets team, Portland believed they could outduel them in a seven-game series. The Blazers would win Game 2 in Denver to tie the series, leading to a historic performance in Game 3
This was a matchup that went into quadruple overtime, which was the second in NBA playoff history. It came down to which team could execute properly and show more communication. For the Blazers, it was role players in Rodney Hood who helped contribute significantly with 19 points, while Enes Kanter scored 18. Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum would need all the support from the role players going into Game 3. Without their ability to make shots, the Blazers had no chance of taking that matchup.
Nikola Jokic led the way for the Nuggets with 33 points, 18 rebounds, and 14 assists. Jamal Murray also had his dominant duel against Lillard with 34 of his own. The Nuggets were not backing down from an intense battle. They believed they were the better team and surely playing as if they were.
The four thrilling NBA overtime periods were just as expected. They were tenacious, intense, competitive, etc. The stars on each team played 50+ minutes and continued to lead even when things looked shaky. But in the end, it was the Blazers taking a 2-1 series lead led by McCollum’s 41 points followed by Lillard’s 28.
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