NBA Finals: Top 7 Upsets In NBA Finals History

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A downcast Phil Chenier walks off the court as the Golden State Warriors celebrate the most surprising title in NBA history, a sweep in 1975. (US-PRESSWIRE) /

1. Golden State Warriors over Washington Bullets, 1975

While the Boston Celtics and Washington Bullets battled for Eastern supremacy—60-win teams, each of them—the Golden State Warriors were surviving a seven-game slugfest with the Chicago Bulls to get out of the much weaker West.

The Warriors were the top seed in the conference with just 48 wins and, thanks to the fact the Warriors couldn’t find an arena for Memorial Day weekend, the Bullets—with home-court advantage—opted for a 1-2-2-1-1 scheduling format for the Finals.

That left an awful lot riding on Game 1.

Behind 24 points from Rick Barry and 20 more from rookie guard Phil Smith, the Warriors stunned the Bullets at the Capital Centre in Landover, Md., 101-95. Elvin Hayes had 29 points for Washington and Phil Chenier added 20, but the Bullets would head west for two games already in a 1-0 hole.

At the Cow Palace instead of their regular home court at the Oakland Coliseum Arena, the Warriors erased an early 13-point deficit behind 36 points from Barry. Washington got the ball with six seconds left and trailing 92-91, but missed twice and Golden State had a 2-0 series lead.

Chenier paced the Bullets with 30 points and Mike Riordan had 21.

Barry blew up for 38 points in Game 3 at the Cow Palace and the Warriors took a 3-0 series edge with a 109-101 win. Hayes had 24 points for Washington and Kevin Porter tossed in 21, but Washington would return home facing a deficit which no NBA team to this day has ever overcome.

Butch Beard, known much more as a defensive stopper in the backcourt than a scorer, brought the Warriors home in Game 4.

Beard scored the last seven points for Golden State, including a pair of game-clinching free throws in the final seconds of a 96-95 win and an inexplicable sweep. The Warriors came back from 14 points down in Game 4 and did it without coach Al Attles, who had been ejected in the first quarter.

Barry had 20 points for the Warriors in the clincher and Beard added 16. Chenier led Washington wtih 26 points and Wes Unseld had 19, but just like that, it was over.

Barry—who averaged 29.5 points per game in the four games—was the Finals MVP and the Warriors had their first title since leaving Philadelphia in 1962. The franchise’s third title is still its last.