2023 NBA Playoffs: 9 Greatest Performances in NBA Postseason History

• The NBA Playoff tips off this weekend with some great matchups
• Last season, fans witnessed some great individual performances
• This includes Stephen Curry's amazing 43-point show in the finals

The 2022/23 playoffs are finally here; a time when players rise to the occasion and help their teams make a run to the NBA Finals.

We've witnessed some epic performances in the NBA playoffs in the last few decades.

Hall of Fame stars have produced historic performances for their teams, etching their names in basketball history.

There were superb performances in last year's playoffs.

However, Stephen Curry stole the show in the NBA Finals, leading the Golden State Warriors to their 7th NBA title.

Sports Brief has looked at some postseason performances that have stood out in playoff history.

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9 greatest NBA Playoff performances

8. LeBron James - Game 5: 2007 Eastern Conference finals

LeBron James was still earning his stripes back in 2007. However, at 22, he was sensational. He led the Cleveland Cavaliers to the Conference finals and they were leading 79-78 with 6:05 remaining on the clock.

James went on to score 29 of Cleveland’s 30 points, including the team’s final 25 points as they won 109-107 in double overtime. The Cavs would win game six to proceed to the franchise first ever NBA finals trip.

8.. Stephen Curry - Game 4: 2022 NBA Finals

The Warriors veteran had been accused of not turning up in big moments, especially in the playoffs. Last season, however, he dropped 43 points and 10 rebounds on the Boston Celtics in a pivotal Game 4, leading the Warriors to a 107-97 win when they faced a possibility of going 3-1 down in the series.

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The Golden State did not look back after that and won their next two to seal the NBA title, per Bleacher Report. Curry won his first finals MVP, silencing doubters.

7. Hakeem Olajuwon - Game 6: 1987 Western Conference second round

On May 4, 1987, Hakeem Olajuwon produced one of the greatest playoff performances against the Seattle SuperSonics in Game 6 of the second round. He finished with 49 points, 25 rebounds, and six blocks. The game went to double overtime but the Houston Rockets still lost 128-125.

6. Allen Iverson - Game 1: 2001 NBA Finals

Iverson and the Philadelphia 76ers went into their Game 1 against giants Los Angeles Lakers as underdogs. Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant had brushed aside any opponent in their wake.

However, Iverson helped his team pull off an upset in Game 1. They won 107-101 but that was the only game they won in that series. He dropped 48 points, six assists, five rebounds, and five steals and also made the iconic step-over over Ty Lue.

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5. Kevin Durant - Game 5: Eastern Conference Semifinals 2021

Durant has several top playoff performances. In game 5 of the Eastern Conference semi-finals, pitting the Brooklyn Nets against the Milwaukee Bucks, he scored 49 points, 17 rebounds, and 10 assists. Although they lost that series, it remains one of Durant's best performances in the postseason.

4. Shaquille O’Neal - Game 1: 2001 Western Conference Semifinals

O'Neal is the most dominant NBA star. Alongside Kobe Bryant, he dominated the early 2000s with the Lakers, winning three straight titles from 2000-2002.

In the second round of the Western Conference semi-finals against the Sacramento Kings, the center dropped 44 points, 21 rebounds, and seven blocks. They lost only one game in the 2001 playoffs, one of the greatest runs in NBA history.

3. Michael Jordan - Game 2: 1986 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals)

By acclamation, Michael Jordan is the best basketball player of all time. On April 20, 1986, the Chicago Bulls icon scored 63 points in Game 2 of the first-round series in the 1986 NBA playoffs against the Celtics, per AP.

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The Bulls lost that game 135-131 double-overtime and then lost the series. No player has ever scored more than 63 in a playoff game since.

2. MJ's 'Flu game' - Game 5: 1997 NBA Finals

Jordan played Game 5 of the 1997 NBA Finals with flu. He dropped 38 points, seven rebounds, five assists, and three steals against the Utah Jazz as they won 90-88 to help his team take a 3-2 series lead.

The Bulls went on to win the series 4-2 and the NBA title.

1. Magic Johnson (Game 6 of the 1980 NBA Finals)

Magic Johnson's performance in Game 6 of the 1980 NBA Finals may be the greatest performance by a rookie in the NBA Finals. With Lakers' superstar Kareem Abdul-Jabbar ruled out of the game with an injury, Johnson played almost every position during the game.

He finished with 42 points, 15 boards, and dishing seven assists en route to winning the NBA Finals MVP and clinching the series, per Bleacher Report.

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Top moments of 2022/23 season

Sports Brief earlier reported on the top moments of the NBA season in 2022/23, including LeBron James breaking NBA’s all-time scoring record was definitely the highlight of the season.

Dillon Brooks and Shannon Sharpe's shouting match was also a moment that went viral on social media, as did Ja Morant's Instagram gun videolive video was also a major talking point in the season.

Incredible performances by Luka Doncic, Damian Lillard, and Donovan Mitchell were also memorable but which is the season's top moment?