NBA Playoffs: The 30 most unforgettable individual playoff runs
By Corey Rausch
NBA: The 30 most unforgettable individual playoff runs: 22. Moses Malone (1981)
Most of the players on this list so far, while overall statistically impressive, have been focused on the scoring output. Moses Malone had no problem scoring, but his average is lower than most at 26.8 points per game. However, he added 14.5 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game while pushing the Houston Rockets all the way to Game 6 of the NBA Finals.
Throughout the playoffs, Malone was only in single digits rebounding once, grabbing nine in a second-round loss to the San Antonio Spurs. He exceeded 20 rebounds three times during the run, torturing opponents on the glass in a way only a six-time rebounding champion could.
Making the NBA Finals with a sub-.500 team (40-42 during the regular season) is stunning. The Houston Rockets had moved to a new division that season, drastically altering the competition they would have to face. They got past the Lakers in three games in the first round that saw Malone post an insane 38-point, 23-rebound Game 1 performance. Then they moved on to a war against the San Antonio Spurs that went all the way to the final minutes of a Game 7. In the Conference Finals, they took on division foe, the Kansas City Kings, whom they tied the regular season with.
The Rockets moved past them in five games before taking on the Boston Celtics. Game 4 of the series saw the Rockets tie it up with Moses Malone posting a line of 24 points and 22 rebounds to edge out Boston. This was also Malones 10th 48-minute game during the postseason run. Unfortunately, the Rockets lost the next two games by a combined 40 points.