Best NBA Playoff Series

The NBA playoffs grip the world yearly as the best basketball teams face off to determine the champion. Viewers love to watch it unfold as the drama comes to a crescendo, and finally, there’s a single team left reigning over the others. We understand why the NBA playoffs are such a huge deal, so we’ve covered the best series ever. Join Sportzino to discover why basketball is an enthralling event and which playoff series stands at the top.

How Many Games Are in an NBA Playoff Series?

The NBA playoffs are a best-of-7 series. As a result, each series has a minimum of four games and a maximum of seven. The best NBA playoff performances will lead to a four-game series as the dominant team blows away the opposition. However, the greatest NBA playoff series of all time tend to feature close encounters and go to 4-3. 

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The team with the highest seed gets home advantage for four games: games 1, 2, 5, and 7. The lower-seeded team gets home advantage for games 3, 4, and 6. 

The current system of best-of-7 for all rounds has been in place since 2003 when the best-of-5 series for the first round changed to match the rest of the tournament. 

How Many Rounds in the NBA Playoffs?

The playoffs are a four-round knockout tournament. The best teams from the Western and Eastern conferences compete on each side of the bracket. After deciding the winner for each conference, the two teams play in the NBA finals to determine the overall winner. 

If each series goes to a 4-3 conclusion, the finals winner could play 28 games. 

Top 10 NBA Playoff Series

10. Chicago Bulls 3 – 4 Boston Celtics First Round 2009

The Bulls came into this game as heavy underdogs. They were the seventh seed, so the Celtics expected a clean sweep on the way to the second round. But before the first game, the Celtics suffered a significant injury to star player Kevin Garnett. It gave the Bulls some impetus to perform, and they started the series with surprise. 

Game Results

• Game 1: Bulls 105 – 103 Celtics
• Game 2: Bulls 115 – 118 Celtics
• Game 3: Bulls 86 – 107 Celtics
• Game 4: Bulls 121 – 118 Celtics
• Game 5: Bulls 104 – 106 Celtics
• Game 6: Bulls 128 – 127 Celtics
• Game 7: Bulls 99 – 109 Celtics

The Bulls won the first game in overtime, which became typical for the series. The Celtics won the second game, but it was much tighter than many expected. Normality ensued in the third, with the Celtics destroying the Bulls, but it just motivated the team from Chicago. 

The Bulls fought back in game four, taking double overtime to do it. In game five, the Celtics won, again in overtime, and game six took triple overtime for the Bulls to win. It all went down to the final game of the series, with the Celtics prevailing, but the back-and-forth nature of the series makes it one of the most exciting ever.

9. Oklahoma City Thunder 3 – 4 Golden State Warriors Conference Finals 2016

In 2016, the Warriors still seemed like an all-conquering basketball monster, but the Thunder battled hard to make this an exhilarating contest. Both sides went all-out, with incredible players showing fantastic basketball. 

Game Results

• Game 1: Thunder 108 – 102 Warriors
• Game 2: Thunder 91 – 118 Warriors
• Game 3: Thunder 133 – 105 Warriors
• Game 4: Thunder 118 – 94 Warriors
• Game 5: Thunder 111 – 120 Warriors
• Game 6: Thunder 101 – 108 Warriors
• Game 7: Thunder 88 – 96 Warriors

The Thunder started strong, winning 108 – 102, with Westbrook hitting 27 points to shock the Warriors. In the second game, the Warriors ran wild, but the Thunder came back in games 3 and 4 to take a 3-1 series lead. 

Facing an early exit, it inspired the Warriors to show the form that had taken them to the best-ever NBA regular season. They completed a three-game sweep for games 5, 6, and 7 to complete one of the best NBA playoffs series ever. 

8. Boston Celtics 4 – 3 LA Lakers NBA Finals 1969

The 1969 NBA finals game, featuring the legendary Wilt Chamberlain, is one for the ages. It was a back-and-forth contest, with both teams battling for the championship.

Game Results

• Game 1: Celtics 118 – 120 Lakers
• Game 2: Celtics 112 – 118 Lakers
• Game 3: Celtics 111 – 105 Lakers
• Game 4: Celtics 89 – 88 Lakers
• Game 5: Celtics 104 – 117 Lakers
• Game 6: Celtics 99 – 90 Lakers
• Game 7: Celtics 108 – 106 Lakers

The Lakers blew into an early series lead, winning the first two games, partly due to the influence of Chamberlain. The Celtics clawed it back in games 3 and 4, with a close win coming through in the fourth game. 

The Lakers blew the Celtics out of the water in game 5, giving them a lead in the series and most expecting them to win the finals. However, the Celtics had something left in the tank and grabbed the championship with two wins in the final two games. 

7. Phoenix Suns 2 – 4 Chicago Bulls NBA Finals 1993

The Bulls were the team of the 90s, winning six NBA finals. The 1993 finals were an incredible battle, with Barkley and Jordan two of the era’s defining players. 

Game Results

• Game 1: Suns 92 – 100 Bulls
• Game 2: Suns 108 – 111 Bulls
• Game 3: Suns 129 – 121 Bulls
• Game 4: Suns 105 – 111 Bulls
• Game 5: Suns 108 – 98 Bulls
• Game 6: Suns 98 – 99 Bulls

After winning the 91 and 92 finals, the Bulls were looking to solidify their position with three finals wins in a row. They started the series strongly, winning the first two games, with Michael Jordan performing almost inhumanly. The Suns grabbed a win in the third game by 8 points, and Barkley led the way on rebounds. 

The Bulls restored their two-game lead in game four before the Suns gave themself hope with a 10-point win in game five. Game six makes this series historic; Jordan was tightly marked with the Suns up by two points and the buzzer looming. It left John Paxson open, who sunk a three, giving the Bulls the finals with four seconds on the clock.

6. Philadelphia 76ers 2 – 4 LA Lakers NBA Finals 1980

The 1980 finals saw a passing of the torch moment between two NBA legends. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Magic Johnson took turns to light up this incredible series. 

Game Results

• Game 1: 76ers 102 – 109 Lakers
• Game 2: 76ers 107 – 104 Lakers
• Game 3: 76ers 101 – 111 Lakers
• Game 4: 76ers 105 – 102 Lakers 
• Game 5: 76ers 103 – 108 Lakers
• Game 6: 76ers 107 – 123 Lakers

The first five games saw Kareem Abdul-Jabbar dominate both points and rebounds, showing that although he wasn’t a newcomer anymore, he still had the chops to dominate. With the series tied at 2-2 after the first four games, the Lakers needed to show their quality to win the series. 

They snuck past the 76ers in game five, winning by 5 points. Going into game six, the Lakers knew a win would give them the title. Up stepped 20-year-old Magic Johnson. He hit 42 points and 15 rebounds to inspire the Lakers to a championship and forever etch his name in history. 

5. Indiana Pacers 4 – 3 New York Knicks Conference Semis 1995

This was an end-to-end series that literally carried on until the final second. Two teams were desperate to win, leading to one of the best NBA playoffs we’ve ever seen.

Game Results

• Game 1: Pacers 107 – 105 Knicks
• Game 2: Pacers 77 – 96 Knicks
• Game 3: Pacers 97 – 95 Knicks
• Game 4: Pacers 98 – 84 Knicks
• Game 5: Pacers 95 – 96 Knicks
• Game 6: Pacers 82 – 93 Knicks
• Game 7: Pacers 97 – 95 Knicks

With 18 seconds left in the first game, the Pacers were losing by 6 points. Reggie Miller hit two three-pointers in quick succession before sinking two free throws, taking just nine seconds to score eight points. This set the scene for the series, which went back and forth, leading to a 3- 3 final game. 

As the buzzer loomed, the Pacers were up 97-95 as Patrick Ewing tried a layup. His chance missed, sending the Pacers into the Conference finals. 

4. Utah Jazz 2 – 4 Chicago Bulls Finals 1998

Michael Jordan’s second chance to claim a three-peat after retiring from basketball and returning led to one of the most incredible series ever. 

Game Results

• Game 1: Jazz 88 – 85 Bulls
• Game 2: Jazz 88 – 93 Bulls
• Game 3: Jazz 54 – 96 Bulls
• Game 4: Jazz 82 – 86 Bulls
• Game 5: Jazz 83 – 81 Bulls
• Game 6: Jazz 86 – 87 Bulls

The opening game delivered a shock as the Jazz grabbed the win in overtime. The Bulls seemed to take it personally, winning the next three games on the spin, including a mauling in game three by 42 points. 

The Jazz gave themselves a lifeline with a close win in game five before Michael Jordan went wild in game six. He scored 45, including the points to win the game, delivering a sixth final win before he left the Bulls. 

3. Cleveland Cavaliers 4 – 3 Golden State Warriors NBA Finals 2016

The Warriors were a dominant force in the 2010s, with Steph Curry leading the way as one of the best in the world. However, LeBron James hit one of the best NBA playoff performances of all time to solidify his potential as the G.O.A.T. 

Game Results

• Game 1: Cavaliers 89 – 104 Warriors
• Game 2: Cavaliers 77 – 110 Warriors
• Game 3: Cavaliers 120 – 90 Warriors 
• Game 4: Cavaliers 97 – 108 Warriors 
• Game 5: Cavaliers 112 – 97 Warriors 
• Game 6: Cavaliers 115 – 101 Warriors
• Game 7: Cavaliers 93 – 89 Warriors 

The Warriors were coming off a 73-9 regular season, so they went into the finals as the favorites. That didn’t change after four games, with the Warriors leading 3-1. LeBron took this as a personal challenge and showed his class. 

In games 5 and 6, LeBron scored consecutive 42-pointers. He took the series to 3-3 and gave the Cavaliers a chance to win their first championship. James and Irving scored 53 points in the final game, helping Cleveland win their first NBA finals. 

2. Philadelphia 76ers 3 – 4 Boston Celtics Conference Finals 1981

The 1981 Conference finals had one of the closest contests in playoff history. Five of the games had a gap of two points or less. It was intense and featured some incredible players.

Game Results

• Game 1: 76ers 105 – 104 Celtics
• Game 2: 76ers 99 – 118 Celtics
• Game 3: 76ers 110 – 100 Celtics
• Game 4: 76ers 107 – 105 Celtics
• Game 5: 76ers 109 – 111 Celtics
• Game 6: 76ers 98 – 100 Celtics
• Game 7: 76ers 90 – 91 Celtics

The 76ers started with a close win before losing by almost 20 points in the second game. After this, the 76ers built up a 3-1 lead by game four. However, the Celtics were made of solid stuff and had no interest in lying down. 

The Celtics beat out the 76ers in three incredible encounters to take the series. The final game saw Larry Bird claim the series-winning shot in a moment of intense drama.

1. LA Lakers 3 – 4 Boston Celtics NBA Finals 1984

Abdul-Jabbar, Bird, and Johnson are three legends who battled in this incredible encounter. With battle being taken literally at one point, with a clothesline and bench clearance part of the excitement. 

Game Results

• Game 1: Lakers 115 – 109 Celtics
• Game 2: Lakers 121 – 124 Celtics
• Game 3: Lakers 137 – 104 Celtics
• Game 4: Lakers 125 – 129 Celtics
• Game 5: Lakers 103 – 121 Celtics
• Game 6: Lakers 119 – 108 Celtics 
• Game 7: Lakers 102 – 111 Celtics

Abdul-Jabbar led the way, finishing as the top scorer in four games, but Larry Bird wasn’t far behind, grabbing the most points in two games. However, the Celtics had the last laugh. The series started hectically, with both teams trading wins to be tied at 2-2 by game four, which almost saw a brawl after an errant clothesline.

There were two more back-and-forth encounters, with each team taking a win, making the final game the vital match. The Celtics took an early lead, with the Lakers battling to catch up and getting within three points. The Celtics couldn’t be denied, though, as they kept going to extend their lead and take the championship.