80. Tracy McGrady scores 13 points in a spectacular final minute (2004)
When: December 9, 2004
Where: Toyota Center, Houston, Texas
The Moment: On December 9, 2004, what was simply a mundane Thursday night game in December turned into an iconic moment in almost the blink of an eye. The Spurs and Rockets were in the midst of a low scoring game that San Antonio was well in control of with under a minute to play when Tracy McGrady, having only been on the Rockets for a few months, caught absolute fire. T-Mac first hit a three to cut the lead to five, then after a pair of Devin Brown free throws he completed a four-point play to cut the lead to three. After a pair of Tim Duncan free throws, McGrady hit another three out of a Houston timeout. It was only a two-point game now and the Spurs called a timeout to advance the ball. Brent Barry got the ball into Brown, who lost his balance and fumbled the ball away. McGrady was there to pick it up and he dribbled down the left side of the floor before drilling a pull up three to give the Rockets a one point lead with just 1.7 seconds to play. Tony Parker's attempt on the other end was off and the Rockets all of the sudden had a miraculous win. McGrady ended up scoring 13 points in just over 30 seconds in one of the most incredible displays of clutch shooting in league history.
When: December 9, 2004
Where: Toyota Center, Houston, Texas
The Moment: On December 9, 2004, what was simply a mundane Thursday night game in December turned into an iconic moment in almost the blink of an eye. The Spurs and Rockets were in the midst of a low scoring game that San Antonio was well in control of with under a minute to play when Tracy McGrady, having only been on the Rockets for a few months, caught absolute fire. T-Mac first hit a three to cut the lead to five, then after a pair of Devin Brown free throws he completed a four-point play to cut the lead to three. After a pair of Tim Duncan free throws, McGrady hit another three out of a Houston timeout. It was only a two-point game now and the Spurs called a timeout to advance the ball. Brent Barry got the ball into Brown, who lost his balance and fumbled the ball away. McGrady was there to pick it up and he dribbled down the left side of the floor before drilling a pull up three to give the Rockets a one point lead with just 1.7 seconds to play. Tony Parker's attempt on the other end was off and the Rockets all of the sudden had a miraculous win. McGrady ended up scoring 13 points in just over 30 seconds in one of the most incredible displays of clutch shooting in league history.
79. The 1985 NBA Draft Lottery
When: May 12, 1985
Where: New York, New York
The Moment: In 1985 the NBA decided to change the structure of how the NBA draft was ordered. Previously, the draft order was simply determined by the records of each team and coin flips, yes, coin flips. This clearly promoted tanking and new commissioner, David Stern, was determined to rid the league of this problem. The new solution was for all of the non-playoff teams to be placed into a "lottery". The teams would simply have a card placed into a bowl and have even odds of being chosen to have the first pick. This only seems extremely archaic and a very easy way to rig the results, because it absolutely is. In 1985, Patrick Ewing was seen as the top prize coming out of college and his arrival would, in all likelihood, totally change a franchise's fortunes. Also, in the 1984-85 NBA season, the New York Knicks had the third worst record in the league and were in need of a hero as Bernard King had just blown out his knee. All of these ingredients made for a compelling case that the first draft lottery was rigged. There are great articles and interesting videos all over the internet as to whether or not the league "rigged" the 1985 draft lottery, but the Knicks did win it and did choose Ewing. This led to a 15-year period where the Knicks were at least playoff contenders and their popularity grew because of it. Whether or not the lottery was rigged, the nations largest market got a big star and the league as a whole benefitted from it. That fact, plus the conspiracy theories, are why this moment landed where it did on this list.
When: May 12, 1985
Where: New York, New York
The Moment: In 1985 the NBA decided to change the structure of how the NBA draft was ordered. Previously, the draft order was simply determined by the records of each team and coin flips, yes, coin flips. This clearly promoted tanking and new commissioner, David Stern, was determined to rid the league of this problem. The new solution was for all of the non-playoff teams to be placed into a "lottery". The teams would simply have a card placed into a bowl and have even odds of being chosen to have the first pick. This only seems extremely archaic and a very easy way to rig the results, because it absolutely is. In 1985, Patrick Ewing was seen as the top prize coming out of college and his arrival would, in all likelihood, totally change a franchise's fortunes. Also, in the 1984-85 NBA season, the New York Knicks had the third worst record in the league and were in need of a hero as Bernard King had just blown out his knee. All of these ingredients made for a compelling case that the first draft lottery was rigged. There are great articles and interesting videos all over the internet as to whether or not the league "rigged" the 1985 draft lottery, but the Knicks did win it and did choose Ewing. This led to a 15-year period where the Knicks were at least playoff contenders and their popularity grew because of it. Whether or not the lottery was rigged, the nations largest market got a big star and the league as a whole benefitted from it. That fact, plus the conspiracy theories, are why this moment landed where it did on this list.
78. Celtics historic comeback in game 4 of Finals (2008)
When: June 12, 2008
Where: Staples Center, Los Angeles, California
The Moment: The Boston Celtics came into game 4 of the 2008 NBA Finals with a 2-1 series lead over their bitter rivals, the Los Angeles Lakers. The Celtics had homecourt advantage so the Lakers really had to win game 4 to avoid falling behind 3-1, knowing that two of the final three games would be in Boston. The Lakers came out firing, playing with an edge that had been lacking for most of the series. L.A. held a 24 point lead midway through the second quarter and looked to be in control. Boston had other ideas, however, and they began to chip away at the lead, halving it with a 12-0 run. Then, Boston exploded with a 21-3 run to end the third quarter and cut the lead to just two. The Celtics got their first lead of the game with just over four minutes to play, gaining control of the game. Ray Allen was excellent and his layup with 16 seconds left gave the Celtics a five point lead, sealing a phenomenal road win to take command of the series. This is still the largest comeback in NBA Finals history.
When: June 12, 2008
Where: Staples Center, Los Angeles, California
The Moment: The Boston Celtics came into game 4 of the 2008 NBA Finals with a 2-1 series lead over their bitter rivals, the Los Angeles Lakers. The Celtics had homecourt advantage so the Lakers really had to win game 4 to avoid falling behind 3-1, knowing that two of the final three games would be in Boston. The Lakers came out firing, playing with an edge that had been lacking for most of the series. L.A. held a 24 point lead midway through the second quarter and looked to be in control. Boston had other ideas, however, and they began to chip away at the lead, halving it with a 12-0 run. Then, Boston exploded with a 21-3 run to end the third quarter and cut the lead to just two. The Celtics got their first lead of the game with just over four minutes to play, gaining control of the game. Ray Allen was excellent and his layup with 16 seconds left gave the Celtics a five point lead, sealing a phenomenal road win to take command of the series. This is still the largest comeback in NBA Finals history.
77. MJ drills game winner in game 1 of Finals (1997)
When: June 1, 1997
Where: United Center, Chicago, Illinois
The Moment: The 1997 NBA Finals pitted two juggernauts of the league against each other in the 69-win Chicago Bulls and the 64-win Utah Jazz. Each team was the #1 seed in their respective conference and both now boasted MVP's of the league with Karl Malone controversially winning the '97 award over Michael Jordan. Many expected the Bulls to win but for the Jazz to give them a real challenge, and in game 1, Utah did just that. The entire game was a close affair and Scottie Pippen was excellent. With just over 35 seconds to play, Jordan was fouled following a John Stockton three. MJ hit one of two free throws to tie the game at 82. On the other end, the Utah possession was bottled up and Stockton was forced to shoot a tough three which missed. On the long rebound Malone was fouled, sending the MVP to the line with less than 10 seconds to play. Famously, Pippen went up to Malone before the free throws and said, "the Mailman doesn't deliver on a Sunday", seeing as this game was being played on Sunday afternoon. Malone then missed both free throws and Chicago grabbed the board and called timeout with 7.5 to play. At this point everyone knew where the ball was going, and Jordan did not disappoint. His Airness went iso on the left wing, took advantage of Bryon Russell's reach then hit a pull up jumper going to his left clean through the net at the buzzer; ball game. This gave the Bulls a 1-0 series lead in a series they would go on to win in six games. Don't worry, a couple more moments from this series will feature later in this list.
When: June 1, 1997
Where: United Center, Chicago, Illinois
The Moment: The 1997 NBA Finals pitted two juggernauts of the league against each other in the 69-win Chicago Bulls and the 64-win Utah Jazz. Each team was the #1 seed in their respective conference and both now boasted MVP's of the league with Karl Malone controversially winning the '97 award over Michael Jordan. Many expected the Bulls to win but for the Jazz to give them a real challenge, and in game 1, Utah did just that. The entire game was a close affair and Scottie Pippen was excellent. With just over 35 seconds to play, Jordan was fouled following a John Stockton three. MJ hit one of two free throws to tie the game at 82. On the other end, the Utah possession was bottled up and Stockton was forced to shoot a tough three which missed. On the long rebound Malone was fouled, sending the MVP to the line with less than 10 seconds to play. Famously, Pippen went up to Malone before the free throws and said, "the Mailman doesn't deliver on a Sunday", seeing as this game was being played on Sunday afternoon. Malone then missed both free throws and Chicago grabbed the board and called timeout with 7.5 to play. At this point everyone knew where the ball was going, and Jordan did not disappoint. His Airness went iso on the left wing, took advantage of Bryon Russell's reach then hit a pull up jumper going to his left clean through the net at the buzzer; ball game. This gave the Bulls a 1-0 series lead in a series they would go on to win in six games. Don't worry, a couple more moments from this series will feature later in this list.
76. Vince Carter lights up the dunk contest (2000)
When: February 12, 2000
Where: Oakland Arena, Oakland, California
The Moment: The 2000 NBA All-Star Weekend was held in Oakland, California, the home of the Golden State Warriors. The league was in its first full season post Michael Jordan and post '99 lockout. Popularity had dipped and the league was searching for new stars. The lockout shortened season of '99 was ugly but it did bring Tim Duncan's first title and a spectacular rookie of the year campaign from Vince Carter of the Toronto Raptors. In Carter's second season, '99-'00, he was named an All-Star for the first time and was elected to participate in the Slam Dunk Contest the night before the big game. Carter had thrown down a slew of gravity defying dunks in his first year and half of play, so anticipation was high for what he might bring to the dunk contest. Tracy McGrady, Ricky Davis, Steve Francis, Jerry Stackhouse and Larry Hughes also participated in the show, but the night belonged to Carter. Half-man, half-amazing, as Carter became known, threw down five monster dunks to earn the dunk contest crown. As spectacular as the slams were, it wasn't simply the dunks that mattered. It was the showmanship, the fact that he was a great player plus the fact that we weren't tired of Kenny Smith's hype man routine yet. All of that plus the building's energy (including Vince's fellow players) made that night exactly what this list is for; a moment.
When: February 12, 2000
Where: Oakland Arena, Oakland, California
The Moment: The 2000 NBA All-Star Weekend was held in Oakland, California, the home of the Golden State Warriors. The league was in its first full season post Michael Jordan and post '99 lockout. Popularity had dipped and the league was searching for new stars. The lockout shortened season of '99 was ugly but it did bring Tim Duncan's first title and a spectacular rookie of the year campaign from Vince Carter of the Toronto Raptors. In Carter's second season, '99-'00, he was named an All-Star for the first time and was elected to participate in the Slam Dunk Contest the night before the big game. Carter had thrown down a slew of gravity defying dunks in his first year and half of play, so anticipation was high for what he might bring to the dunk contest. Tracy McGrady, Ricky Davis, Steve Francis, Jerry Stackhouse and Larry Hughes also participated in the show, but the night belonged to Carter. Half-man, half-amazing, as Carter became known, threw down five monster dunks to earn the dunk contest crown. As spectacular as the slams were, it wasn't simply the dunks that mattered. It was the showmanship, the fact that he was a great player plus the fact that we weren't tired of Kenny Smith's hype man routine yet. All of that plus the building's energy (including Vince's fellow players) made that night exactly what this list is for; a moment.
75. Avery Johnson seals Spurs' first title (1999)
When: June 25, 1999
Where: Madison Square Garden, New York, New York
The Moment: In 1976 the San Antonio Spurs merged into the NBA from the ABA, one of four teams to do so. By 1999 none of those four teams had even made the Finals, let alone win a championship. The lockout shortened season in '99 was ugly, with each team playing a condensed schedule of only 50 games. The Spurs had the reigning Rookie of the Year in Tim Duncan who really came into his own during the San Antonio's '99 playoff run. San Antonio met the New York Knicks in the Finals, who were the #8 seed in the east. New York's fairy tale run was a feel good story for the league, but the Spurs clearly were the better team. San Antonio held a 3-1 lead heading into game 5 in the Garden, but the Knicks battled all night. Latrell Sprewell was excellent for New York and Duncan superb for San Antonio, but the score remained low, as it usually did in that era. With under a minute to play, Avery Johnson hit a jumper on the left baseline to give the Spurs a one point lead. It ended up being the last points scored that season and was enough to seal the Spurs' first title.
When: June 25, 1999
Where: Madison Square Garden, New York, New York
The Moment: In 1976 the San Antonio Spurs merged into the NBA from the ABA, one of four teams to do so. By 1999 none of those four teams had even made the Finals, let alone win a championship. The lockout shortened season in '99 was ugly, with each team playing a condensed schedule of only 50 games. The Spurs had the reigning Rookie of the Year in Tim Duncan who really came into his own during the San Antonio's '99 playoff run. San Antonio met the New York Knicks in the Finals, who were the #8 seed in the east. New York's fairy tale run was a feel good story for the league, but the Spurs clearly were the better team. San Antonio held a 3-1 lead heading into game 5 in the Garden, but the Knicks battled all night. Latrell Sprewell was excellent for New York and Duncan superb for San Antonio, but the score remained low, as it usually did in that era. With under a minute to play, Avery Johnson hit a jumper on the left baseline to give the Spurs a one point lead. It ended up being the last points scored that season and was enough to seal the Spurs' first title.
74. Reggie Miller vs. Spike Lee (1994)
When: June 1, 1994
Where: Madison Square Garden, New York, New York
The Moment: The New York Knicks and Indiana Pacers were tied 2-2 in the '94 eastern conference finals and doing battle at Madison Square Garden in game 5. The Knicks held a 12-point lead heading into the fourth quarter and were seemingly in control. Reggie Miller had other ideas, however. The Pacers sharpshooter caught fire and had the lead down to four in almost the blink of an eye. After just four and a half minutes played in the final period, Miller gave the Pacers a three point lead with a top of the key three. Obviously, the shooting was incredible, but what made this moment special was the fact that after nearly every shot Miller was jawing at Spike Lee who was sitting courtside. Only in the NBA could one of the most popular filmmakers of his day literally get in on the action by having a war of words with a star player. Miller finished the game with 39 points, 25 in the fourth quarter, as the Pacers took a 3-2 series lead back to Indiana. Unfortunately for the Pacers, though, the Knicks would bounce back with two wins to earn a spot in the NBA Finals. But, Reggie Miller began to stake his claim that day as one of the most clutch players of a generation.
When: June 1, 1994
Where: Madison Square Garden, New York, New York
The Moment: The New York Knicks and Indiana Pacers were tied 2-2 in the '94 eastern conference finals and doing battle at Madison Square Garden in game 5. The Knicks held a 12-point lead heading into the fourth quarter and were seemingly in control. Reggie Miller had other ideas, however. The Pacers sharpshooter caught fire and had the lead down to four in almost the blink of an eye. After just four and a half minutes played in the final period, Miller gave the Pacers a three point lead with a top of the key three. Obviously, the shooting was incredible, but what made this moment special was the fact that after nearly every shot Miller was jawing at Spike Lee who was sitting courtside. Only in the NBA could one of the most popular filmmakers of his day literally get in on the action by having a war of words with a star player. Miller finished the game with 39 points, 25 in the fourth quarter, as the Pacers took a 3-2 series lead back to Indiana. Unfortunately for the Pacers, though, the Knicks would bounce back with two wins to earn a spot in the NBA Finals. But, Reggie Miller began to stake his claim that day as one of the most clutch players of a generation.
73. Bernard King and Isiah Thomas epic scoring duel in game 5 (1984)
When: April 27, 1984
Where: Pontiac Silverdome, Pontiac, Michigan
The Moment: It's game 5 of the 1984 eastern conference quarterfinals and the Detroit Pistons are hosting the New York Knicks. Both teams boasted budding superstars at that time in Isiah Thomas and Bernard King and those two really came to play in this game. Late in the fourth quarter the Knicks are seemingly in control but then Thomas goes nuts. The diminutive point guard starts scoring from everywhere to furiously bring the Pistons back into the game, tying the game on a three with 23 seconds to play. After a wild final possession that saw a turnover and a foul overturned, we had overtime. The Knicks ended up with the win, 127-123, taking the series on the road in a memorable game, but it was the battle between the stars that made this contest a moment. Thomas finished the game with 35 points on 13-25 shooting, including a bevy of huge shots down the stretch. Bernard King was virtually unstoppable in 1984 and proved it again in game 5, finishing with 44 points on 17-26 shooting.
When: April 27, 1984
Where: Pontiac Silverdome, Pontiac, Michigan
The Moment: It's game 5 of the 1984 eastern conference quarterfinals and the Detroit Pistons are hosting the New York Knicks. Both teams boasted budding superstars at that time in Isiah Thomas and Bernard King and those two really came to play in this game. Late in the fourth quarter the Knicks are seemingly in control but then Thomas goes nuts. The diminutive point guard starts scoring from everywhere to furiously bring the Pistons back into the game, tying the game on a three with 23 seconds to play. After a wild final possession that saw a turnover and a foul overturned, we had overtime. The Knicks ended up with the win, 127-123, taking the series on the road in a memorable game, but it was the battle between the stars that made this contest a moment. Thomas finished the game with 35 points on 13-25 shooting, including a bevy of huge shots down the stretch. Bernard King was virtually unstoppable in 1984 and proved it again in game 5, finishing with 44 points on 17-26 shooting.
72. Lakers sweep to wrap up three-peat (2002)
When: June 12, 2002
Where: Continental Airlines Arena, East Rutherford, New Jersey
The Moment: The Shaquille O'Neal, Kobe Bryant and Phil Jackson Los Angeles Lakers of the early-00's were absolutely dominant. They put together a run of three titles in a row, a feat only managed four times in league history and something no team has accomplished since them. They had their scares in the '00 and '02 conference finals, but they annihilated nearly everyone else in their way during this stretch. They faced the New Jersey Nets in the 2002 NBA Finals and while a couple of the games were close, the series ended up being a Lakers coronation. While it is hard to narrow it down to one moment, this accomplishment has to be recognized for what it was; legendary.
When: June 12, 2002
Where: Continental Airlines Arena, East Rutherford, New Jersey
The Moment: The Shaquille O'Neal, Kobe Bryant and Phil Jackson Los Angeles Lakers of the early-00's were absolutely dominant. They put together a run of three titles in a row, a feat only managed four times in league history and something no team has accomplished since them. They had their scares in the '00 and '02 conference finals, but they annihilated nearly everyone else in their way during this stretch. They faced the New Jersey Nets in the 2002 NBA Finals and while a couple of the games were close, the series ended up being a Lakers coronation. While it is hard to narrow it down to one moment, this accomplishment has to be recognized for what it was; legendary.
71. Bill Walton dominates in the NBA Finals (1977)
When: May 22-June 5, 1977
Where: Portland, Oregon and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
The Moment: The 1977 NBA Finals were the first after the merger between the NBA and ABA in 1976. Pro basketball had begun a new era with this season and the league was in a fascinating place. The NBA from 1976-1979 is often a forgotten time in the minds of fans as it is just before Bird and Magic arrive to "save" the league, but there were some fantastic teams playing in that mini era that totally deserve recognition. Julius Erving had been the star of the ABA and him joining the Philadelphia 76ers after the merger made Philly an instant contender. In the west, Bill Walton was leading a Portland Trail Blazers squad that played beautiful basketball. These two teams met in the Finals, in what would become a classic series. After dropping the first two in Philadelphia, the Blazers bounced back to win four straight games and claim their only title in franchise history. Walton was superb, winning Finals MVP with his brilliant all-around play, averaging 19 points, 19 rebounds, 5 assists, a steal and nearly 4 blocks per game over the six contests. Unfortunately, this series also serves as a what if, with Walton beginning a nasty string of foot injuries the following year that would plague him the rest of his career. We didn't get a fully healthy Walton for his career, which could've been one of the greatest ever, but we will always have the 1977 NBA Finals.
When: May 22-June 5, 1977
Where: Portland, Oregon and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
The Moment: The 1977 NBA Finals were the first after the merger between the NBA and ABA in 1976. Pro basketball had begun a new era with this season and the league was in a fascinating place. The NBA from 1976-1979 is often a forgotten time in the minds of fans as it is just before Bird and Magic arrive to "save" the league, but there were some fantastic teams playing in that mini era that totally deserve recognition. Julius Erving had been the star of the ABA and him joining the Philadelphia 76ers after the merger made Philly an instant contender. In the west, Bill Walton was leading a Portland Trail Blazers squad that played beautiful basketball. These two teams met in the Finals, in what would become a classic series. After dropping the first two in Philadelphia, the Blazers bounced back to win four straight games and claim their only title in franchise history. Walton was superb, winning Finals MVP with his brilliant all-around play, averaging 19 points, 19 rebounds, 5 assists, a steal and nearly 4 blocks per game over the six contests. Unfortunately, this series also serves as a what if, with Walton beginning a nasty string of foot injuries the following year that would plague him the rest of his career. We didn't get a fully healthy Walton for his career, which could've been one of the greatest ever, but we will always have the 1977 NBA Finals.
