The 25 greatest playoff series in NBA history

After the Warriors won a record 73 games, they breezed through the playoffs and didn't have much trouble with the Cavaliers in the Finals, going up 3-1. Then, LeBron James and Kyrie Irving helped Cleveland claw back and force Game 7. There, LeBron had his famous block on Andre Iguodala, Kyrie hit a clutch go-ahead three, and the Cavs pulled off the stunning comeback.

Larry Bird and Magic Johnson helped bring a new wave of popularity to the NBA when the college rivals entered the league. It first came to a head in the 1984 Finals, a series that was full of star power. It was a back-and-forth series, and the results of all but two of the seven games were within 11 points.

The Jazz had it tough in the late '90s: The generational duo of Karl Malone and John Stockton made the Finals in 1997 and '98, but they ran into Michael Jordan's Bulls both times. Chicago was up 3-2 heading into Game 6, where MJ hit one of the most iconic shots of his career. He stole the ball from Malone, then hit "The Last Shot" over Bryon Russel to give Chicago the lead.

Towards the end of the Duncan/Parker/Ginóbili era, the Spurs had a run-in with a new power, the LeBron/Wade/Bosh Heat. It was none of those players who had the biggest impact in the seven-game series, though. Instead, it was Ray Allen, who in Game 6 hit a legendary step-back corner three to force a seventh game, which Miami won.

The Celtics/Lakers rivalry has been mostly dead since the '80s, except for a few years in the late 2000s and early 2010s, when both teams were again among the league's best. Boston took home the championship against Los Angeles in 2008, and the teams re-matched in 2010. The seven-game series was a tough one, ultimately decided by just a few points, as the Lakers won the deciding game 83-79.

This has to be one of the closest playoff series in NBA history: Of the seven games, five were decided by two or fewer points. That included Game 7, which Boston won by a single point, 91 to 90. Larry Bird and Julius Erving each contributed 23 points in one of the most tense Game 7's ever.

Wembanyama had a chance to start his championship years early when his Spurs faced the Knicks in the Finals. It was tight, with each of the series' games decided by ten or fewer points. New York, though, won it in five thanks to huge moments like Jalen Brunson's 45-point closing game and OG Anunoby's now-iconic put-back.

The '94 playoffs helped establish Hakeem Olajuwon as one of the best centers of his generation and in NBA history. He carried Houston to its first championship, but it wasn't easy. The series was close the whole way through, with none of the seven games decided by double-digit points.

The Lakers were hard to stop in the '80s, but the Pistons gave them a real tough time in 1988. Detroit pushed LA to 7 games, and LA won the deciding contest by only 3 points. Perhaps the most memorable individual performance of the series came in Game 6, when Isiah Thomas played on an injured ankle but still put up 43 points in a one-point loss.

In these Finals, the Suns got a jump on the Bucks, going up 2-0 despite a 42-point night from Giannis Antetokounmpo in Game 2. Milwaukee, though, responded by rattling off four straight wins and securing the championship. In one of the greatest series-deciding games in Finals history, Giannis put up 50 points in the Game 6 win.

Early-round playoff series don't get much better than this one. In Game 7 with the score tied at 90 points apiece, Toronto inbounded the ball with 4 seconds left. Kawhi got it, ran to the corner, and made a jumper that suspensefully bounced around the rim in one of the most dramatic shots in the history of the league.

The Kings never won a title in the 2000s and many believe they were robbed of their best chance in 2002. That season, they faced the Lakers in the Conference Finals, and in Game 6, they faced what seemed to be officiating favoring Los Angeles. They still put up a fight in Game 7, but the Lakers took it in overtime.

The Bulls won yet another championship in 1998, but they faced a real test in the Conference Finals that postseason. The Pacers pushed MJ and company to seven games, and the final one was decided by just a few points. Scottie Pippen had some injury issues, but Michael Jordan kept things moving in a positive direction, including a 41-point performance.

In terms of first-round series, it's hard to rank any in NBA history over this one. Four of the seven games went into overtime, and in total, there were seven overtime periods played. On top of that, rookie Derrick Rose had some monster nights, and Ray Allen went for 51 in one game.

Celtics/Lakers gets credit as the biggest NBA rivalry of the '80s, but in the Eastern Conference, Boston had some memorable tussles with Detroit, too. Perhaps the biggest was the 1987 Conference Finals, which featured one of the most famous moments in Celtics history. Towards the end of Game 5, Larry Bird stole Isiah Thomas' inbound pass and found a streaking Dennis Johnson for a game-winning layup.

The Thunder were supposed to be one of the biggest franchises of the 2010s, but they missed some key opportunities. That includes the 2016 Conference Finals, when they went up 3-1 against the Warriors. Golden State charged back and won three in a row, though, with a highlight being Klay Thompson hitting 11 threes en route to 41 points in Game 6.

The Jazz nearly upset the favored Nuggets in the first round in a spectacular series from both sites. Donovan Mitchell made his presence known immediately with 57 points in the first game, then he dropped 51 a few nights later. Denver's Jamal Murray had a 50-piece of his own, and ultimately, it came down to Denver winning the seventh game by just two points.

For a while, it looked like Dirk Nowitzki might go down as one of the best NBA players without a ring. He finally got his title in 2011, though, as his Mavericks dispatched LeBron James' Miami Heat in six games. Jason Terry came through big in the deciding game, coming off the bench to drop a game-high 27 points.

The Lakers won the title in 2000, but they were points away from not making the Finals at all. They had a challenging Conference Finals against the Trail Blazers that postseason. They were actually down 13 points entering the fourth quarter of Game 7, but Shaq and Kobe came through to deliver an 89-84 win.

The 2013 Finals between these two teams was one of the greatest series of all time. After the Spurs lost in heartbreaking fashion, they got revenge in 2014, thoroughly dismantling LeBron and the Heat in five games. The series was a real breakout for a young Kawhi Leonard, who picked up the Finals MVP trophy.

Charles Barkley famously retired without a ring, but he came close to earning one in 1993, when the Suns lost to the Bulls in six games. There were some great nights, like when he and Michael Jordan both had 42 points in Game 2, a Chicago win. MJ, though, had 55 a few games later and averaged 41 points a game for the series.

Both Boston and Milwaukee were title contenders in 2022, but they met early in the postseason, in the Conference Semis. Both teams had major moments, like Jayson Tatum's 46 points in a momentum-shifting Game 6 or Giannis Antetokounmpo's multiple 40-point nights. The Celtics put an exclamation mark on the series with a big Game 7 win, 109-81.

The Kevin Durant-era Warriors were a tough team to stop, but the Rockets nearly pulled it off in 2018. They pushed Golden State to seven games, led by James Harden and Chris Paul, even taking a 3-2 series lead before that. But Durant, Stephen Curry, and Klay Thompson were able to complete the comeback, thanks in part to Houston infamously missing 27 consecutive three-point attempts in Game 7.

The Suns were championship contenders for the first time in a while in 2021, though the Clippers gave them a tough six-game Conference Finals. Both teams faced challenges: Kawhi Leonard missed the entire series, and Chris Paul missed some time as well. At any rate, the Suns closed it out and made their first Finals appearance since 1993.

One of the most memorable playoff moments of all time happened in this series. In the first game, Reggie Miller scored eight points in nine seconds to steal a win from the Knicks. The series lasted a full seven games, but ultimately, the Pacers came out on top.