25 Greatest NBA Playoff Performers of All-Time
By Bill Speros
16. Isiah Thomas
Isiah Thomas’ run of playoff brilliance scorched the earth between the Magic Johnson-Larry Bird dominance of the 1980s, and the Decade of Michael Jordan in the 1990s. Thomas led his Detroit “Bad Boy” Pistons to back-to-back titles in 1989 and 1990. In order to reach that pinnacle, the Pistons first had to get eliminate Boston and reach the Finals for the first time in 1989, when they were beaten by the Lakers.
After losing to Detroit in the 1988 Conference Finals to Detroit, the Celtics would go another 14 years before getting back to that point in the post-season. Then Thomas and his Bad Boys effectively ended the Showtime era in Los Angeles by sweeping the Lakers in the 1989 Finals. Thomas was named MVP of the 1990 Finals against the Portland Trail Blazers, averaging 27.6 points and 7.0 assists.
After the series, Thomas told HOOP magazine: “We never quit. We always feel we are going to win, no matter what the score is. It’s all a battle of will. You have to keep asking yourself, ‘How bad do you really want it?'” Thomas wanted it badly, as evidence by the fact he is in the top 10 all-time in both assists and steals per game in the playoffs, while also averaging 20.4 points a game.
Next: No. 15