Last week, Bleacher Report came out with a list of “Ranking the 25 Best Single-Game NBA Playoff Performances of the Century”. Like with any list ever (especially when it comes from a platform as big as Bleacher Report), it got a ton of slander. If I’m being honest, I think a whole lot of it was warranted. However, one important thing to note is that they ranked only the Top 100 games by the stat “Game Score.” Using this criterion, it filtered out some of the most legendary games of the century. This is not to defend the criteria, but to explain them.
With all this being said, anyone who knows me knows that whenever I see a list about basketball history, I like to fire back and make my own, which is exactly what I did with this list. I’ll be the first to admit, this was one of the hardest lists I’ve ever made. This is mainly due to the fact that it is nearly impossible to put a set of criteria on it.
Personally, I removed the restriction of only considering the Top 100 performances by Game Score. This was to include some of the games that maybe do not look as dominant on paper, but, factoring in stakes, clutch moments, and intangibles, would make the cut without question. With all this being said, here are my Top 25 best playoff performances of the century.
25. Isaiah Thomas vs. Wizards (2017 Round 2 Game 2)
Statline: 53 Points, 4 Assists, 4 Rebounds, 3 Steals, 68.4 TS%, +10
This game probably had the lowest amount of stakes of all the other games on this list. However, everyone who watched this game remembers it. This game took place on what would have been Thomas’ late sister’s birthday. Well, Thomas put it all on the line for his sister. He dropped 53 points, 29 of them being in the 4th quarter and overtime. Sure, this is only a second-round game, but all of the outside factors made me want to put IT4 on this list.
24. Iverson vs. Bucks (2001 Eastern Conference Finals Game 7)
Stateline: 44 Points, 7 Assists, 6 Rebounds, 2 Steals, 61 TS%, +19
What most fans do not realize is that for the majority of his career, Iverson was actually somewhat of a playoff dropper. Despite that, he is known as “that guy” in many people’s eyes because of how elite he was in his run to the finals in 2001. Though the Sixers were not able to finish the job this year, the fact that Iverson was able to carry the team’s offense, especially in Game 7, is one of the most impressive things of the century.
23 Wade vs. Mavs (2006 Finals Game 6)
Statline: 36 Points, 10 Rebounds, 5 Assists, 4 Steals, 3 Blocks, 66.1 TS%, +9T
The consensus is that Wade is one of the three best shooting guards of all time. With this being said, it still feels like this series is not talked about enough. Sure, talk about how many free throws he shot, but he was getting hacked all series. Combined with his 7 stocks (steals and blocks), this makes for a very easy addition to the list.
22 Haliburton vs. Knicks (2025 Eastern Conference Finals Game 4)
Statline: 32 Points, 15 Assists, 12 Rebounds, 4 Steals, 0 Turnovers, 62.4 TS%, +16
I think Tyrese Haliburton is one of the most disrespected players in the league, especially in the way players around the league talk about him. This game truly shut up a lot of his haters. There are lots of players who put together triple-doubles in the playoffs. With this being said, there has only been one other player to have a 30-point triple-double with 0 turnovers (Baron Davis, 2002).
21 Butler vs. Lakers (2020 Finals Game 3)
Statline: 40 Points, 13 Assists, 11 Rebounds, 2 Steals, 2 Blocks, 76.5 TS%, +20
There is not a single person who thought the Heat could hold a candle to the first-seeded Lakers, who were led by LeBron James and Anthony Davis. I personally thought the Lakers would sweep them. Nevertheless, Butler had other plans. Butler has his moments where he does not look like all that big of a playoff riser, but some of his highs are up there with the all-time greats.
20 Jokic vs Heat (2023 Finals Game 1)
Statline: 27 Points, 14 Assists, 10 Rebounds, 1 Steal, 1 Block, 78.1 TS%, +14.
I’m old enough to remember in 2023 when people were calling the Nuggets one of the worst one-seeds of all time. Still, once they made the Finals, Jokic came out with one of the best Finals performances of the century. “Oh, so what? They went up against the 8th seed.” They may have had an easy path, but Jokic was being guarded by Bam Adebayo, and in lots of cases was being doubled and triple-teamed because of how dominant he was. This was the series where Jokic became the consensus best player in the league. Any talk of him being a “regular season merchant” died.
19 Butler vs. Celtics (2022 Eastern Conference Finals Game 6)
Statline: 47 Points, 9 Rebounds, 8 Assists, 4 Steals, 1 Block, 69.4 TS%, +8
Here we have another game from “Playoff Jimmy”. Many would argue this was his best game. The Heat were on the brink of elimination, on the road, and many doubted them. However, Butler went out, played 46 minutes, and controlled the whole game. They ultimately went on to lose Game 7, but that does not take away from how awesome he was in this particular game.
18 Dirk vs. Suns (2006 Western Conference Finals Game 6)
Stateline: 50 Points, 12 Rebounds, 3 Assists, 1 Steal, 73.7 TS%, +22
When a lot of fans think about Dirk’s legacy, they often think that 2011 was the only time he had elite moments. Nothing could be further from the truth. Dirk just happened to fall into an era that had two dynasties in the West, but he was still able to make two finals. The series was initially tied 2-2 against the Suns, and Dirk’s reputation was taking a ton of hits, but he delivered in the best way possible.
17 Dame vs. Nuggets (2021 Round 1 Game 5)
Statline: 55 Points, 10 Assists, 6 Rebounds, 3 Blocks, 1 Steal, 96.8 TS%, +2
This is one of the two games here that resulted in a loss for the team. The Blazers ended up losing this game, but there was literally nothing more Dame could have done to help his team win more. Imagine shooting 17 threes, hitting 12 of them, scoring 11 points in the 4th, 17 in both overtimes, and still losing? I’m someone who is usually very critical of Dame, but this is certainly not one of those games I blame him for.
16 Butler vs. Bucks (2023 Round 1 Game 4)
Statline: 56 Points, 9 Rebounds, 2 Assists, 1 Block, 78.0 TS%, +4
Here we have another Jimmy Butler game on this list. Sure, some downplay this game because Giannis was just coming back from injury. However, when you have three All-League caliber defenders (Giannis, Jrue Holiday, Brook Lopez), all on the court, it’s hard to score a lot of points. Butler was the only guy on the team they were expecting to score, but he still was able to drop 56 on elite efficiency. As much as everyone can criticize Butler for some of his “quirky gimmicks”, he has some of the best playoff performances ever.
15 Kobe vs. Kings (2001 Round 2 Game 4)
Statline: 48 Points, 16 Rebounds, 3 Assists, 2 Steals, 1 Block, 64.2 TS%, +6
While this game probably does not rank among Kobe’s most iconic, it was certainly the most dominant. Sure, it was a closeout game against a clearly inferior Kings team, and Shaquille O’Neal was facing a lot of double teams, but that does not take away from how much Kobe shone in this game. Kobe would go on to have other games that proved he was the guy, but this was the first game in which it looked like he was on his way to becoming one of the best ever.
14 Durant vs. Bucks (2021 Round 2 Game 5)
Statline: 49 Points, 17 Rebounds, 10 Assists, 3 Steals, 2 Blocks, 81.6 TS%, +6
This is one of the most underrated stories of all time. People forget that Durant was just about two years from suffering a brutal Achilles tear in the finals. Many thought Durant’s best days were behind him. Still, he made sure everyone would remember who he was. Even though they ended up losing the two games after this one, Durant cemented himself further in all-time rankings.
13 Durant vs. Cavs (2018 Finals Game 3)
Statline: 43 Points, 13 Rebounds, 7 Assists, 1 Steal, 1 Block, 78.3 TS%, +15
While this KD game was probably not as dominant as the last one, it was at higher stakes and far more of a carry job than people remember. You’re probably thinking, “What are you talking about? He had three Hall of Famers alongside him.” This is true, but they certainly were not playing like Hall of Famers that night.
Steph and Klay went for a combined 7 for 27 from the field and 3 for 15 from three. Durant played 43 minutes, and in those minutes, the Warriors outscored the Cavs by 15. In the 5 minutes without him, the Warriors actually got outscored by 7. His haters can talk about how much the Warriors did not need KD in his time there all they want, but the numbers absolutely suggest otherwise.
12 Curry vs. Kings (2023 Round 1 Game 7)
Statline: 50 Points, 8 Rebounds, 6 Assists, 1 Steal, 62.2 TS%, +25
“If you’re getting on this bus, you’re making a commitment to this team. I don’t care how many minutes you play… but if you’re getting on this bus, you are saying, ‘I am going to do whatever it takes as far as my preparation goes, to win this game.” That is exactly what Steph Curry said on the bus ride to Game 7 against the Kings to his teammates. He followed up by dropping 50 on the road. This was the Game 7 record at the time.
The Warriors had just won the title the year before, but Steph was still hungry and heard the haters from a mile away. This is probably not the most memorable game of his decorated career, but it might be his most dominant.
11 Tatum vs. Sixers (2023 Round 2 Game 7)
Statline: 51 Points, 13 Rebounds, 5 Assists, 2 Steals, 74.6 TS%, 0 turnovers, +33
Remember that record I told you about Steph broke? Tatum broke that one two weeks later. This was a roller coaster of a series for not only the Celtics, but Tatum in particular. For more than three quarters of Game 6, Tatum was playing the worst basketball of his career. However, he then went on to score 12 points in the final four minutes to force Game 7. After that, his hot streak continued, and Tatum closed the deal on Mother’s Day. As a Celtic fan, it killed me not to put this in the top ten, but I weighed Conference Finals and Finals Performances heavier than the first two rounds.
10 Curry vs. Celtics (2022 Finals Game 4)
Statline: 43 Points, 10 Rebounds, 4 Assists, 67.3 TS%, +11
Earlier in Curry’s career, critics called him a “super team merchant” or a “lights too bright type of player.” To an extent, some of those claims were valid, but this game was the ultimate legacy changer. The Celtics held a late lead, but then Steph scored 10 points in the fourth to close the deal. Any momentum the Celtics had from the series was all gone. Curry had elite playoff games and moments before this. However, this was the first time we saw him completely put the team on his back and carry them to a huge win in the finals.
9 Dirk vs. Thunder (2011 Western Conference Finals Game 1)
Statline: 48 Points, 6 Rebounds, 4 Assists, 4 Blocks, 93.9 TS%, +12
Many consider Dirk’s title run to be one of the best of all time. I wholeheartedly agree with this, and this game was easily his best. The Mavs had just swept the second-seeded Lakers and decided not to mess around for Game 1. Fans today would scoff at this game because he shot 24 free throws. Still, he made all of them and went 12/15 from the field without shooting any threes. To be that efficient on that volume is unheard of.
8 LeBron vs. Celtics (2018 Eastern Conference Finals Game 6)
Statline: 46 Points, 11 Rebounds, 9 Assists, 3 Steals, 1 Block, 60.8 TS%, +15
I know you were probably waiting for a LeBron game, and spoiler alert, there are many others after this. The Cavs traded their second-best player, Kyrie Irving, a month before the season started. In addition, they blew up their roster even more at the trade deadline. While this led to the Cavs being the fourth seed, very few people had the Cavs losing before the Finals. This was all because LeBron was at the peak of his powers offensively. The Cavs were down 3-2, but LeBron simply was not going to allow Cleveland to lose to a young and inexperienced team. This game showed how hungry he was to do so.
7 LeBron vs. Spurs (2013 Finals Game 7)
Statline: 37 Points, 12 Rebounds, 4 assists, 2 Steals, 69.8 TS%, +8
This next LeBron game is, in my opinion, one of his most underrated performances ever. The Heat had already won the title, so he had that monkey off his back. However, he was still viewed as a guy who lacked that “killer instinct”. This game erased those narratives as he scored nearly 40% of Miami’s points and was the best defender on a team that held a dynasty to 88 points. Lastly, he hit the game-sealing shot to put the Heat up four with 27 seconds left. This probably does not crack the top five in LeBron’s statistical dominance, but for what was on the line and what it did for his legacy, I think it has to.
6 Shaq vs. Pacers (2000 Finals Game 1)
Statline: 43 Points, 19 Rebounds, 4 Assists, 3 Blocks, 63.9 TS%, +18
I think that the goat debate is between LeBron and Jordan, and I’m not really willing to allow anyone else in the discussion. However, if we’re asking who was the best player at the peak of his powers, Shaq has as good an argument as anyone else. Out of all the great things to say about Shaq, this was probably his best game. Sure, the Pacers did not have an impressive defensive center at the time, but to put up those numbers on that efficiency when you are getting hacked like no tomorrow, that shows me you’re one of the best players to ever play basketball.
5 LeBron vs. Warriors (2016 Finals Game 6)
Statline: 41 Points, 11 Assists, 8 Rebounds, 4 Steals, 3 Blocks, 67.2 TS%, +26
Everyone knows I had to include at least one of LeBron’s games from the 3-1 comeback. LeBron was completely unstoppable in this game. He was so unstoppable that it led to the MVP Steph Curry fouling out, throwing his mouth guard, and getting ejected. Everyone already knew how great LeBron was at the time, but it seemed like most were ready to put Curry ahead of him as “best in the world.” This was the game that people paused and said, “Hold on a second, maybe LeBron is not ready to give up that title yet.”
4 Duncan vs. Nets (2003 Finals Game 1)
Statline: 32 Points, 20 Rebounds, 6 Assists, 7 Blocks, 3 Steals, 69.1 TS%, +10
If you ask certain fans about Tim Duncan, there are a few things that they might say. One criticism is that Duncan was never an all-time peak player, but rather someone who sustained greatness for a very long time.” They are right about having a great coach and team, but boy, are they wrong about how great he was individually. Sure, compared to some of the other all-time greats, he was not as consistent offensively, but when he was on, he was unstoppable. The 2003 Spurs were a good-but-not-great team, but Duncan absolutely carried them to the title, and this game 1 set the tone for the series.
3 LeBron vs. Warriors (2018 Finals Game 1)
Statline: 51 Points, 8 Rebounds, 8 Assists, 1 Steal, 1 Block, 69.2 TS%, -13
Here we have the other performance that resulted in a loss. But just like Dame’s performance, there was literally nothing more LeBron could do to win (except maybe in overtime). The Cavs were going up against 4 Hall of Famers, two of those players being the other two best players in the league, not named LeBron. For the Cavs, they had one other guy score 21 points, and no one else scored more than 10. The Warriors’ entire defensive focus was on LeBron because Cleveland lacked secondary scoring. That did not stop him from having debatably his most statistically dominant game of his playoff career.
2 LeBron vs. Celtics (2012 Western Conference Finals Game 6)
Statline: 45 Points, 15 Rebounds, 5 Assists, 75.1 TS%, +22
Similar to Game 7 of the 2013 Finals, LeBron has had more dominant playoff games. However, let’s look at it from all the narratives heading into the game.
LeBron spent the first 7 years in Cleveland and was never able to get the job done. He then went to Miami, where he had an awesome supporting cast. He led them to the finals, but then had the worst meltdown a superstar has ever had. Then, in the following playoffs, he goes up 2-0 in the Eastern Conference Finals against a team that usually has his number, and they lost 3 in a row, with the last one on his home court.
Then we have this game. His back was against the wall, and fans and media members alike were ready to tear him apart more than perhaps any player ever. However, he was not fazed one bit and put together the best playoff performance of his career. This was the moment that LeBron began to build the foundation of his goat case.
1 Giannis vs. Suns (2021 Finals Game 6)
Statline: 50 Points, 14 Rebounds, 2 Assists, 5 Blocks, 74.9 TS%, +10
Speaking of players going through bad narratives towards them, Giannis was going through it almost as much as LeBron was. He had won MVP the two seasons before and was disappointing both times in the playoffs after. In addition, the Bucks actually fell 2-0 in the second round against the Nets AND in the Finals. Giannis was not bothered in either and decided to become the best in the world.
Ironically, one of the biggest critiques of Giannis was how bad he was at free-throw shooting. Not only did he go 16 for 25 from the field, but he also went 17 for 19 from the line. Giannis has had some low playoff woes both before this series and since, but this singular game is the best one we have seen this decade.
Conclusion:
Making this list was super hard. Balancing out statistical dominance with stakes and narratives is a near-impossible task. However, there are a boatload of other games that could have easily cracked this list, which shows just how dominant these NBA players are.
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