The 7 most unbreakable playoff records in NBA history

Most assists in an NBA playoff game: Magic Johnson and John Stockton-24

It is no coincidence that the NBA Playoff record for most assists in a game belongs to two of the sport’s greatest passers. Magic Johnson originally set the record back in 1984, in just his fourth season in the NBA, in Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals against the Phoenix Suns. However, almost four years later, Stockton matched that assist mark in Game 5 of the 1988 NBA Western Conference Semifinals while playing against Johnson and the Los Angeles Lakers.

Since then, 35 seasons have passed, and no one has managed to eclipse the record yet. While Steve Nash came close in 2007 when he had 23, only he and Rajon Rondo have managed to dish out 20 or more assists in a playoff game since 2000. Although no one has broken the record, that doesn’t mean that someone can’t, right?

While that is true, when looking at the leaderboard for most assists in the playoffs, Johnson and Stockton dominate the list. Johnson had 10 20-assist games, including his record 24, and Stockton had four of his own. It seems clear that only truly elite passers are capable of having at least 20 assists in a playoff game, and while there are plenty of very good playmakers playing now, it’s hard to imagine them racking up 25 assists in a playoff game.