Great game by Bron-Bron yesterday, but I am kinda tired of everyone slobbing him, saying this is one of the greatest playoff performances of all-time. I've read some media outlets that put this game right behind Magic's game to clinch the title in his rookie season. Since I know we actually have educated basketball fans here I'm sure we can come up with some better performances. Off the top of my head I think the following games were better: Hakeem dropping 41 and 42 points on the Robinson/Rodman frontcourt in the 95 playoffs (wins in game 2 and game 5). Not only was Robinson the MVP, but both he and Rodman have won DPOY awards. It's even more impressive considering Hakeem is a center and doesn't control the ball at will like LeBron. Magic's 42, 15 and 7 Game 6 of the 1980 Finals. Duncan dropping 20, 20, 10 and 8 in the 2003 NBA Finals to clinch the title. Dirk's 50 point, 12 board performance in game 5 of the WCF's last year (NO OVERTIME). KG's 30 point, 19 board, 4 dime game against the Lakers in game 5 of the 2004 WCF, where both of his PG's were hurt and he had to be the #1 option defensively. Jordan's flu game. Isiah's game 6 of the 1988 Finals (25 in the 3rd qtr on a bum ankle). Bird's 29, 11 and 12 against us in the 86 Finals clincher (b*stard). MJ's 45 point game 6 in 1998, when he hit the game winner. I wanna say one of KJ's 40-10 games...if the Suns ever beat us while he put those numbers up....
KG's 30/20 game to beat the Kings in game 7 in 04 Shaq had a near quad double (28pts, 20rebs, 9asts, 8blks) in the 01 Finals Steve Nash 48pts in Dallas in 05 Iverson's 48 in game 1 of the 01 finals (Shaq's 44/20 in the same game)
jordan putting up 63 in boston jordan hitting 6 threes against portland in 92 hakeems 40+ points against seattle in 87
Reggie Miller owned the Knicks a few times in the playoffs. The 8 in 8.9 seconds game still boggles my mind. http://www.nba.com/knicks/news/reggietimeline_050404.html GAME FIVE (June 1, 1994 @ MSG): Of all the “Reggie Games”, this is the most memorable of them all... Reggie scores 25 of his game-high 39 points in the fourth quarter as Pacers take a 3-2 series lead with comeback 93-86 win before stunned MSG crowd... Reggie nails five three-pointers in the fourth quarter (then an NBA record, since broken by Antoine Walker), and his 25 points in the fourth fall four shy of one-quarter Playoff mark... Knicks came into the fourth quarter with a 70-58 lead. But Pacers seized control of the game with a 14-0 fourth quarter run, with Reggie scoring 10 of the 14 points... Reggie went 6-for-11 from Downtown on the night... Pacers had lost 11 straight at the Garden (combined reg. season+Playoffs) coming into the game. GAME ONE (May 7, 1995 @ MSG): Reggie caps a 31-point game by scoring eight points over an 8.9-second span, wiping out a six-point Knicks lead and giving Pacers series-opening 107-105 win at stunned MSG. Shocking, unforgettable last-minute sequence: With Knicks leading 105-99, Reggie nails a three with 16.4 seconds left (105-102). Then Reggie – after pushing off Greg Anthony -- steals Anthony Mason’s inbound, steps back behind the stripe and nails another threeball to tie the score 105-105 with 13.3 left... Then comes the play everyone forgets: Sam Mitchell, thinking Indiana still trails by one, intentionally fouls John Starks on the inbound with 13.2 left, but Starks misses both FTA... Mason rebounds the second miss, Ewing fails to put back from close in, Reggie rebounds and is fouled by Mase with 7.5 left. Reggie nails both FTA (107-105 Indiana), then Knicks see last hopes fade as Greg Anthony slips and falls going to the hole as buzzer sounds.
LeBron's game was unbelievable and the most amazing thing that's happened in basketball since Jordan retired. It's up there with Reggie Miller, Hakeem's domination of Robinson, and MJ heroics. Scoring the last 25 points???? That's going to be lore you'll tell your kids about even if Detroit goes on to win the series. LeBron's a very special player. Enjoy it.
Apples and oranges. The bottom line is that LeBron just put up one of the top playoff performances of all time, I know this because I watched it. I have watched many others. His ranks up with the very best. Just becuase you hate the marketing cloud around him doesn't make it not true.
that's pretty much what makes it spectacular. I'm not going to go "all-time" because obviously probably 99% of us on this board are to young to say that but its up there in my life time. its not just the last 25 or 48, its the carrying the team aspect of the game. its the carrying the team at such a young age. lebron is manchild who in the last two seasons has really improved his basketball skills. it like the tnt crew said after game four, if he's hitting his jumpshot, game over.
Best for me is 1985 finals game 2, 38 year old Kareem Abdul Jabar dropped 30 pts, 17 rebounds, 7 assists and a few blocks after the massacre in game 1. Lebron was great but the game was tainted by Rasheed fouled with no call and dumb coaches from both sides. Lebron wide open dunks and again ?! Doesn't beat a 38 year old dunk in traffic against HOFs and scoring, rebounding and blocking shots like crazy and out-duels Larry Bird.
Jordan's 38 against the Jazz while battling the flu in the Finals was a memorable moment for me. He could barely stand up at the end and Pippen had to help MJ walk to the locker room. Also, Allen Iverson's game 1 performance in the 2001 Finals against the Lakers deserves mention. His team didn't win the series but he gained a lot of respect form me. The guy is (maybe) 6' tall and the way he scored 48 points on the eventual champions was awesome. He showed lots of heart and I loved the play where he just steps over Tyronn Lue after crossing him over and hitting a J in his face.
That was a stunning performance but it really shouldnt overshadow Jamaal Wilkes performance in that game as well... The game was tied 60-60 at half time and Jamaal went off for 25 in the second half to help the Lakers win the title
dreams performance against the jazz in 95 first round game 5. He carried them in the 4th quarter making unbelievable dream shake fadeaways. Even had one go off the top of the backboard.
I've only seen highlights but yea this game stands out except for the final result. Hakeem had the most ridiculous baseline fadeaways! As Walton once said, it is a low percentage shot but Hakeem made it look so easy.
thanks oomp for bringing up the Reggie games. It is doubly amazing to see a player absolutely take over a game when the only thing that he can really do well is shoot jump shots, everyone knows that, everyone tries to stop that, and still the jumpers just keep on raining down. Reggie was amazing in those games in MSG, and the photo where he is nailing the game-winning three and a dozen Knick fans in the crowd have the "Oh my God we will definitely lose" expression on their face is my favorite sports photo of all time. http://miller_reggie.sinaman.com/capt_pacers_knicks_for_three2.jpg
oops I screwed up that link here is the pic http://www2.indystar.com/library/factfiles/people/m/miller_reggie/1998_0510knicks.jpg
There's only 4 knowledgeable ball fans in that shot. everyone is going "Ooooooooh" but only 4 of them are already pulling their hair out KNOWING that that's def going in
I like the expression of guy in the brown jacket sitting down just to the right of Reggie at knee-level. He is doing a decent imitation of the famous painting "The Scream"
