The Boston Celtics and Dallas Mavericks kick off the 2024 NBA Finals this Thursday. Although the stage glorifies clutch play and permanently etches a player’s name into the history books, sometimes their page is rarely read in the future.
Therefore, it’s time to wipe off the dust and relive five overlooked, iconic NBA Finals performances.
Bob Pettit, Game 6 of 1958 Finals
After losing to Boston in the Finals during the previous season, the St. Louis Hawks found themselves up 3-2 against the loaded Celtics, who featured Hall-of-Famers Bill Russell, Bob Cousy, Bill Sharman, Frank Ramsey and Tom Heinsohn.
If Boston managed to claim Game 6, then it would have home-court advantage for the final matchup. Pettit never allowed a Game 7 to happen though because the Hawks' superstar put on a show for the ages.
Pettit dropped 50 points and 19 rebounds on 19-of-34 shooting from the field (55.9%). To put that efficiency into perspective, the 1958 season had a league-average field goal percentage of 38.3%.
Only six other players in NBA history have notched a 50-point game during the Finals: Elgin Baylor, Michael Jordan, Rick Barry, Jerry West, LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo.
The Hawks needed every bucket too, since they only won Game 6 by one point. It was truly a give-me-the-ball moment with Pettit’s teammates combining for a mere 33% from the field.
Their 1958 title run is still the only championship in Hawks history, which further adds to the legend of Pettit’s Game 6 explosion.
Overall, it’s one of the most underrated games ever by one of the most underrated superstars ever.
Russell and the Celtics went on to win eight consecutive titles after this loss.
Jerry West, Game 7 of 1969 Finals
Leading up to this familiar clash, Boston had defeated L.A. in the Finals a whopping five times during the 1960s.
Jerry West was sick of losing and completely took over the game by producing 42 points, 13 rebounds and 12 assists on 48% from the field (4.1% better than league average). He utterly shredded the top defense in the NBA, which included one of the best paint protectors ever in Russell.
Unfortunately, the improbable comeback was not meant to be — Los Angeles lost by two points after entering the fourth quarter trailing by 15.
Russell secured his 11th ring and finished his career on top of the mountain, while the Lakers were once again denied their first title since the George Mikan dynasty (1949-1954).
West’s heroics during this series earned him Finals MVP. He remains the sole player to win the award while on the losing team. “The Logo” finally captured a championship in 1972 after losing his first seven Finals appearances.
Walt Frazier, Game 7 of 1970 Finals
Willis Reed won MVP during the regular season, and his dynamic partnership with Walt Frazier led New York to its first Finals since 1953.
Disaster struck, though, as Reed tore his right thigh in Game 5 and missed the next contest. Los Angeles subsequently pummeled the Knicks by 22 points in Game 6, and it looked like the series was over with New York’s MVP ailing.
“I think we see Willis coming out," shouted the pre-game announcers when Reed walked through the tunnel onto the court with a slight limp.
Nobody knew how impactful he could be given the injury, so the crowd absolutely roared when Reed sunk his first two shots of the game.
He played stellar defense against Wilt Chamberlain, but Reed simply couldn’t contribute on the offensive end due to his thigh and finished with four points and one assist across 27 minutes.
Against Chamberlain, West, Baylor and Happy Hairston, that’s a death sentence. Frazier disagreed.
Frazier torched Los Angeles to the tune of 36 points and 19 assists. He went 12-for-17 from the field and also chipped in seven rebounds, too, with Reed unable to patrol the glass. It was an all-time masterclass that propelled New York to its first championship.
Given the context of Reed’s injury and the star-power that Los Angeles had, Frazier’s Game 7 is assuredly one of the greatest performances in NBA history.
To this day, only Magic Johnson has topped Frazier’s 19 assists in a Finals game.
Bill Walton, Game 6 of 1977 Finals
The Blazers held a 3-2 series lead against a formidable 76ers squad that contained All-NBA forwards Julius Erving and George McGinnis, as well as All-Star guard Doug Collins.
Erving erupted for 40 points, but it was Bill Walton who stole the spotlight.
“Big Red” had a superb all-around game: 20 points, 23 rebounds, seven assists and eight blocks. He also got a decent contest off on Erving’s potential game-tying jumper with eight seconds left and helped force a miss.
Overall, Walton flexed his basketball IQ, touch and feel for the game on both ends of the court.
Portland wound up prevailing by two points behind his production in an incredibly hard-fought game.
The Blazers are still searching for their second title, so Walton’s Game 6 is probably the best moment in franchise history.
Draymond Green, Game 7 of 2016 Finals
This series will be notorious for as long as the NBA exists. After coming back from down 3-1 against Oklahoma City in the Western Conference Finals, the 73-win Warriors blew a 3-1 lead themselves versus LeBron James and the Cavaliers.
It’s riddled with iconic moments, such as “The Block” by LeBron James or Kyrie Irving’s incredibly clutch 3-point shot.
However, Draymond Green has seemingly slipped through the cracks when fans reminisce about the legendary matchup.
In a monumental Game 7 that featured James, Irving, Kevin Love, Steph Curry and Klay Thompson, it was Green who actually played like the best player on the court. He had 32 points, 15 rebounds, nine assists and two steals while shooting 11-of-15 from the field, including 6-of-8 from 3-point territory.
Green was the one who nearly carried Golden State to the finish line with Curry and Thompson combining for a putrid 33% from the field and nearly twice as many turnovers as assists.
If the Warriors had managed to avoid collapsing and won Game 7, then perhaps his legacy would be viewed differently today.
Either way, it was still a historic effort by Green that's not discussed enough.
Honorable Mentions
Plenty of players easily deserved to make this list, so some honorable mentions are a must.
- Elgin Baylor; Game 5 of 1962 Finals
- Dennis Johnson; Game 5 of 1985 Finals
- Isiah Thomas; Game 6 of 1988 Finals
- Tim Duncan; Game 6 of 2003 Finals
- Russell Westbrook; Game 4 of 2012 Finals
