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The 10 greatest NBA Playoffs performances of all time

By Thomas J. Brown

Allen Iverson and Kobe Bryant, Jeff Haynes, via Getty Images
Allen Iverson and Kobe Bryant, Jeff Haynes, via Getty Images /
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10. Stephen Curry, Game 5 of the 2022 NBA Finals, June 10, 2022

Although Stephen Curry was widely regarded as a legend heading into the 2022 NBA season, there were some critics who routinely referenced his trophy case to detract from his legacy. Sure, he was the greatest 3-point shooter in NBA history, a two-time league MVP, and a three-time champion, but where was his Finals MVP Award?

The logic behind this was silly, but that did not stop those who wanted to doubt Curry from stating it loudly. In 2015, the Finals MVP award went to Andre Iguodala, whose defense and versatility were integral to the Golden State Warriors championship triumph. In 2017 and 2018, superstar forward Kevin Durant received the award. The team would not have won those titles without Curry, but that did not stop the critics from using this as ammunition.

The Warriors found themselves back in the Finals in 2022, this time without Kevin Durant, who left the team in 2019 to join the Brooklyn Nets. After losing games one and three against the Boston Celtics in convincing fashion, the team found itself on the brink of an almost insurmountable three-games-to-one deficit. That’s when Curry put on his cape and came to the rescue.

In front of a raucous, full-capacity crowd in Boston, Curry refused to let his team lose. The game was a back-and-forth affair the entire night. The Warriors found themselves down by five at halftime and ahead by a single point heading into the fourth quarter. However, whenever the Celtics made a run, Curry responded with a basket.

By the end of the night, he had amassed 43 points, 10 rebounds, and four assists. Most importantly, Golden State was able to escape with a victory and even the series at two games apiece. The Warriors would go on to win the series in six, and Curry would earn his first Finals MVP award.

If the team lost game four, it is highly unlikely they would have been able to come back from a three-games-to-one deficit against a young, hungry Celtics team. Stephen Curry’s exploits not only helped even out the series, but they kept the Warriors’ title hopes alive. For that reason, it is one of the greatest performances in NBA history.