Making a game-winner in the NBA Playoffs is the event that every kid dreams about when playing basketball. However, some NBA players have managed to accomplish this in their careers and we have collected the 20 most iconic game-winners in postseason history based on the degree of difficulty, importance, and by simply being iconic.
1. Michael Jordan Makes It Six NBA Championships
Michael Jordan has many moments to prove he is the greatest player of all time, whether it is his record-breaking 63-point performance against the Boston Celtics or “The Shot” over Craig Ehlo. The one that resonates the most is his iconic clutch performance in Game 6 against the Utah Jazz in the 1998 Finals.
Coming up with a steal on Karl Malone, Jordan had the game in his hands with 17 seconds to spare in the half-court. After dribbling out the clock, he drove on Byron Russell, pushed off just enough, and nailed a picture-perfect jumper with 5.2 seconds left. As the Bulls got the defensive stop, Jordan infamously held up six fingers to indicate the completion of his second three-peat, forever etching his name as the greatest player of all time.
2. “The Shot”
The 1988-89 Cleveland Cavaliers were undoubtedly one of the franchise’s strongest teams. Led by team legends like Mark Price, Larry Nance, and Brad Daugherty, the Lenny Wilkens-coached squad compiled an impressive 57-25 record. They were widely regarded as favorites to win the NBA championship that year but first, they had to get over the Chicago Bulls.
Superstar Michael Jordan, closely guarded by Craig Ehlo, sank the game-winning shot as time expired. His triumphant arm pump has been etched into the memories of countless sports fans in the region. Jordan’s celebration is often considered the most iconic in NBA history, and the accompanying commentary only added to the legend of that moment.
3. Kyrie Irving Completes An Iconic Comeback
The 2016 Finals was one of the best series ever because the 73-9 Golden State Warriors faced off against the Cleveland Cavaliers superteam led by LeBron James and Kyrie Irving. What James and the Cavs achieved that year stands as one of the greatest accomplishments in NBA history. Facing a 3-1 deficit, the Cavs had to win two games on the road, something the Warriors had only lost twice at home the entire season.
Yet, the heroics of LeBron James and Kyrie Irving made the impossible possible. From each of them dropping 41 points in Game 5 to LeBron’s iconic block and Kyrie’s unforgettable shot in Game 7, they carried an entire city on their backs and delivered a championship that will be remembered for generations. As great as LeBron was throughout the series, as he won Finals MVP, it was Kyrie Irving’s shot that delivered Cleveland their first NBA championship.
4. Magic Johnson’s Iconic Hook Shot
There can never be a mention of the greatest game-winners in playoff history without remembering Magic Johnson’s incredible and iconic hook shot. It is iconic because of the rivalry between the Lakers and Celtics and the amount of star power on both sides. Magic’s shot that sealed the outcome of an exhilarating Game 4 in the 1987 series was a masterpiece in both execution and culmination.
Despite the Celtics holding a 16-point lead at halftime, the Lakers mounted a spirited comeback. With just seven seconds remaining in the intense and deafening atmosphere of Boston Garden, Boston still clung to a narrow 106-105 lead. Magic received an inbounds pass from Michael Cooper, executed a hesitation dribble to momentarily freeze Kevin McHale, then drove into the lane and let a baby hook over Robert Parish give the Lakers a 3-1 lead and an eventual NBA championship.
5. Steve Kerr Is Ready
The Chicago Bulls are the most dominant team ever and the driving force of the 1990s. With so many iconic moments from the Bulls, Steve Kerr’s jumper in Game 6 of the 1997 NBA Finals has to stand out among the best. Kerr remembered telling closer Michael Jordan that he’d be prepared for the pass and would make the shot.
True to his word, Jordan evaded a double-team and passed the ball out to a ready Kerr. Without hesitation, Kerr drained a straightaway jumper, putting the Bulls ahead 88-86. With one final defensive stop, the Bulls clinched another championship, their fifth during their second three-peat. It is really hard to beat game-winners made in the NBA Finals.
6. John Stockton Sends Utah To The Finals
Some young fans might not remember this shot, but we certainly do. On May 29, 1997, the Houston Rockets faced off against the Utah Jazz in Game 6 of the Western Conference Finals. The Jazz held a 3-2 series lead entering the pivotal matchup. With less than three seconds left on the game clock and the score tied at 100, Karl Malone set a crucial screen near the top of the three-point arc to free up space for John Stockton.
Bryon Russell inbounded the ball to Stockton, who took a single dribble toward the basket and elevated for a shot over Rockets forward Charles Barkley. Stockton’s shot went through the rim as time expired to give Utah a 103-100 victory and a 4-2 series win. This was the first time the Jazz would make the Finals, and it also meant Charles Barkley was not meant to win a title in his career.
7. Kawhi Leonard As Clutch As It Gets
Kawhi Leonard made one of the greatest shots ever when he rose over Joel Embiid and made an impossible shot in Game 7 of the 2019 Eastern Conference Semifinals. It was Leonard’s first and only season in Toronto, and he put on his Superman cape time and time again with the team. After watching the ball rattle on the rim four agonizing times before finally dropping through the net, Leonard unleashed a triumphant roar.
This shot ranks so highly because Leonard would go on to lead the Raptors to the NBA Finals and eventually win the NBA championship. This shot re-wrote history, gave Toronto their first NBA title (and possibly their last), and established Kawhi Leonard as an all-time great NBA superstar.
8. Derek Fisher’s Impossible Shot
Tim Duncan’s incredible fadeaway over Shaquille O’Neal with 0.4 seconds left should have won the game for the San Antonio Spurs against the Los Angeles Lakers. Instead, Derek Fisher had other ideas. With 0.4 seconds left, a number that is just unfathomable, the point guard received the ball from the inbounds and raised a rainbow show that swished through at the buzzer.
Instead of the Spurs coming out with a 3-2 series lead and eventually heading to the Finals, where they would be favored against the Detroit Pistons, the Lakers pulled out a miraculous Fisher jumper. The funniest part was all the Lakers players leaving the game and heading into the locker room because they were still certain that shot counted…and we were as well.
9. Damian Lillard Waves Goodbye
Damian Lillard is as clutch as it comes, and in 2019, he had one of the greatest moments in playoff history. Playing Russell Westbrook, Paul George, and the Oklahoma City Thunder, Lillard had the ball from way downtown, and instead of getting a better shot, he rose and shot over George from 40 feet at the buzzer.
Lillard’s iconic celebration that included a nasty mean mug and a wave goodbye sent George and the Thunder packing. Lillard effectively ended George’s reign in Oklahoma City because he would depart a year later. We might never see another player dribble out the clock and swish a three-pointer from 40 feet over one of the game’s most elite defenders in the playoffs again.
10. Robert Horry Breaks Sacramento
Robert Horry is one of the most clutch players ever, even if his job was to simply receive a pass and let loose. The man had unwavering confidence and loved the critical moments, even as a role player. His greatest moment came against the Sacramento Kings in the 2004 Western Conference Finals. With so much tension and drama between the two teams, the rivalry was truly iconic.
The Kings, long considered underdogs against the dominant Lakers, were on the brink of taking a commanding 3-1 series lead. This would have led to a league-wide ridicule of the Lakers, who had Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant in their primes. Following Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal’s misses, Kings center Vlade Divac accidentally tipped the ball out to Horry, whose three-pointer rattled the rim and created one of the most iconic moments in NBA history.
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11. Ralph Sampson’s Turnaround Jumper
In the 1980s, the Houston Rockets boasted perhaps the most iconic Twin Towers in NBA history with the pairing of 7-footer Hakeem Olajuwon and 7-foot-4 Ralph Sampson on their front line. Both were All-Stars and in 1986, they propelled Houston to the NBA Finals. However, they got there thanks to one of the greatest game-winners ever.
In Game 5 against the Los Angeles Lakers, the Lakers fought hard to extend the series. With the score tied in the waning seconds, Sampson received the ball to the left of the lane. He launched a twisting jumper that bounced on the rim before dropping in at the buzzer, sealing a 114-112 victory and eliminating the Lakers in a 4-1 series win for the Rockets.
12. Dennis Johnson Somehow Beats The Buzzer
Dennis Johnson was always clutch for the Boston Celtics, time and time again. The point guard is one of the most underrated stars ever, but we certainly remember his game-winner in the 1985 NBA Finals. In Game 4, the Celtics competed against the Philadelphia 76ers and were down 2-1. Johnson had one second to heave a long jumper and it went in at the buzzer to tie the series.
This shot was pivotal because the Celtics had hoped to try to win the series. Even if they didn’t, because of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Magic Johnson’s greatness, Johnson’s shot is one of the greatest shots in Finals history and there haven’t been many game-winners in the NBA Finals.
13. LeBron James’ Greatest Shot
For the first handful of seasons in LeBron James’ career in Cleveland, there were lingering doubts about his ability to make the clutch shots. In fact, that was his largest criticism. Could he handle the pressure and deliver in those pivotal moments? In 2009, the narrative was different for LeBron, making that shot particularly significant by nailing an impossible three-pointer against the Orlando Magic led by Dwight Howard.
LeBron proved he was clutch, shut the haters up for a while, and also gave us false hope that a showdown with Kobe Bryant in the Finals was possible. However, as we saw countless times in LeBron’s early days in Cleveland, they would lose in the playoffs and lose specifically to the Magic. Regardless, The King made his mark and proved he could be the clutch shot-maker if he wanted to be.
14. Kobe Bryant’s Most Iconic Buzzer-Beater
Kobe Bryant had many clutch moments in his career, which is why many argue that he is the most clutch player of all time. Specifically, his game-winner against the Phoenix Suns was almost as iconic as it was emotional. Bryant was forced to carry a very subpar Lakers team against the title-favorite Phoenix Suns in the first round of the 2006 playoffs.
In Game 4, Bryant hit the shot in regulation to tie the game and send it to overtime with 0.7 seconds left. In overtime, he did the almost unthinkable by driving right to the mid-range and fading away over a double-team. The way the shot went in at the buzzer was simply perfection, and it sparked madness in Los Angeles. If only the Lakers would have won the series…
15. Damian Lillard Ends The Rockets
Heading into the 2014 playoffs, the Blazers were on a 14-season quest for their franchise’s first series win. In just his second season with the team, Damian Lillard became the star of Portland and a budding superstar. With just 0.9 seconds remaining on the clock, Lillard received the inbound pass, swiftly squared up his shoulders, and nailed a three-pointer over Chandler Parsons at the buzzer.
This clutch shot secured a one-point victory for Portland, sending James Harden and the Rockets packing after a six-game series. It also marked the final time Dwight Howard would ever wear a Rockets jersey, and Lillard would soon develop a reputation for ruining careers as we already saw further up the ranking.
16. Chris Paul Over Tim Duncan
How on Earth did Chris Paul get the shot up over Tim Duncan? The smallest player on the court drove right past Danny Green and had a layup/jumper over one of the game’s greatest defensive players to clinch Game 7 on their home court. The Lob City Clippers were one of the best teams of the 2010s, and this moment might shine brightest for them.
Even if the Clippers would lose in the second round, there was hope at the time that Chris Paul could spearhead a championship run. In terms of shot difficulty, this game-winner has to rank among the very top because we hardly see a player of 6’0” make contested shots over elite big men to seal a Game 7.
17. Paul Pierce Proves He Is The Truth
Paul Pierce is quietly one of the greatest clutch players of all time, and he proved it against the Miami Heat in the 2010 Playoffs. Even if the Celtics had won a championship two years prior, they still wanted to prove they could hang with the best. First up, they had to take out the Dwyane Wade-led Miami Heat, a year before LeBron James and Chris Bosh joined.
Leading the series 2-0, the Celtics were one win away from truly putting their stamp on the series in the first round. With the score tied at 98, the Celtics put the ball in Pierce’s hands and he delivered a cold-blooded shot that was simply perfect the minute the buzzer sounded. You can’t deny The Truth with the game on the line.
18. Anthony Davis Clutch Three In The Bubble
The 2020 NBA playoffs unfolded in the unique setting of the Orlando bubble following the COVID-19 pandemic. In the Western Conference Finals, they unexpectedly squared off against the Denver Nuggets, who had defied the odds by overcoming two consecutive 3-1 deficits. Their most notable feat was upsetting the heavily favored Los Angeles Clippers in the second round.
In a critical moment, Anthony Davis began the play positioned at the opposite elbow, then darted out to the 3-point line. A defensive miscommunication between Denver’s Mason Plumlee and Jerami Grant left Davis with an open look. With a swift rise and release, Davis drained the three-pointer, securing a crucial win for the Lakers and a 2-0 series lead. This momentum carried the Lakers through to win the series and advance to the Finals, where they faced the undermanned Miami Heat and clinched the championship in six games.
19. LeBron James Takes A 3-2 Lead Against Indiana
In a thrilling 98-95 Game 5 victory over the Indiana Pacers at Quicken Loans Arena during the 2018 playoffs, the Cleveland Cavaliers faced a tense moment. After squandering a double-digit lead in the fourth quarter, LeBron James provided a game-changing block, denying Victor Oladipo’s potential go-ahead layup with just five seconds left on the clock.
On the subsequent possession, James received the inbounds pass, quickly dribbled to position himself beyond the arc, and launched a buzzer-beating three-pointer to seal the win. This crucial shot propelled the Cavaliers to ultimately secure the series and advance to the Finals but it was simply a beautiful shot by The King.
20. Never Forget Derrick Rose
This shot remains a standout moment for former MVP Derrick Rose and the city of Chicago. After battling through numerous injuries and fighting his way back onto the court, Rose delivered a breathtaking shot to clinch the win for the Bulls in the series against the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals,
Although the Cavaliers went on to win the series thanks to LeBron James’ game-winner in Game 5, this shot will forever be etched in the memories of Bulls fans because it gave us the thrill that Rose used to provide before injuries ruined his prime.
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