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The 2021 NBA playoffs have been exhilarating so far, treating fans to some of the most intense postseason season action in a while. Amid the entertaining matches, players have also broken multiple records.
The news will come as little surprise to those who have followed the NBA in the last couple of years because of the plethora of talents in the league. These players have taken the court by storm and we can expect them to break more records in the future as well.
As we are only halfway through the 2021 NBA playoffs, several franchise/NBA playoffs record-holders are still under threat. Here, we look at the records broken so far.
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#10 Most efficient 50-point playoff game
Damian Lillard has arguably been the best player so far in the 2021 NBA despite his first-round elimination. He broke several NBA playoffs records in one game, which was a record in itself.
Lillard tried to lead his team to a victory in Game 5 of their first-round bout against the Nuggets. He single-handedly took the game to double overtime, scoring 17 of the team's last 19 shots.
In what was an incredible night of scoring for the guard, he recorded 55 points while shooting over 70% from 3-point range and on the field. His true shooting percentage stood at .968, the most for any NBA player that scored 50+ points in the NBA playoffs
#9 First MVP to get swept since the NBA playoffs adopted a best-of-seven format for all round
Since the NBA employed a best-of-seven format in Round 1, no regular-season MVP has been swept in the NBA playoffs. This season, Nikola Jokic infamously became the first one to experience that unpleasant feeling. The Serbian was the first in this regard as Chris Paul and the Phoenix Suns ran all over the Denver Nuggets.
Jokic was brilliant all season long, making buckets and dropping dimes for his teammates. He did a phenomenal job leading the Nuggets without Jamal Murray.
However, his run was cut short rather unpleasantly as he was ejected in Game 4 against the Phoenix Suns in the 2021 NBA playoffs second round. His exit sealed the Nuggets' fate as they were unable to win a single game in the Western Conference Semifinals.
#8 First-ever player to record 275+ points, 75 rebounds, and 75 assists in his first nine playoff games
Basketball enthusiasts believe that Luka Doncic will be the next face of the NBA after the LeBron James era, and the youngster is repeatedly giving us more reasons to agree. He has shown that he can perform at the highest level with a brilliant start to his NBA playoffs career.
Doncic is currently in a league of his own, recording 275+ points, 75 assists, and 75 rebounds in his first nine playoff games. The record is particularly impressive because it was a stat line that was given no thought before he pulled it off.
Although Doncic was eliminated from the 2021 NBA playoffs by the superior LA Lakers team for the second time in two consecutive seasons, it is not a direct reflection of his ability.
#7 First player aged 21 or below to score 47 points in the NBA playoffs
Ja Morant had a very unstable 2020-21 regular season and was not performing at the level expected of the Rookie of the Year award holder. When it came down to it, Morant flipped a switch and led the Memphis Grizzlies to their first playoffs appearance in four years.
The youngster first had to overcome the San Antonio Spurs and Golden State Warriors in the play-in tournament to clinch the 8th seed in the Western Conference.
In Game 2 of the 2021 NBA playoffs first round against the Utah Jazz, Morant put together a monster performance and registered 47 points in the 141-129 loss. That performance made him a record-breaker as his points tally was the highest scored by a player aged 21 and under. The previous record was 45 points by LeBron James.
#6 LeBron James' first-round exit
LeBron James has spent 18 seasons in the NBA and has made 15 playoffs. Before the 2021 NBA playoffs, LeBron had never been eliminated from the playoffs in the first round. However, things took a different turn in his third run with the LA Lakers as injuries derailed the Lakers' season.
James and Anthony Davis battled through injuries in the 2020-21 campaign, which resulted in the team's unfavorable position by the end of the season. The 36-year-old and the Lakers had to overcome the Golden State Warriors in the play-in tournament to clinch the 7th seed in the West.
Chris Paul and the Phoenix Suns were responsible for breaking the superstar's perfect NBA playoffs first-round run as they sent the LA Lakers packing in six games. Although LeBron made significant contributions despite nursing an injury, other players on the roster failed to impress.
#5 Most field goal contributions in a single playoff game
Given how impactful Luka Doncic was for the Dallas Mavericks in the 2021 NBA playoffs first round, it is shocking to see that the supporting cast could not match his intensity. His sublime display in Game 5 of the 2021 first-round series between the Dallas Mavericks and the LA Clippers broke another NBA record.
Doncic registered 42 points and 14 assists in the game, and was directly involved in 31 of the 37 field goals made by the Dallas Mavericks. With that, he set the NBA playoffs record for the most field goals contribution in a single game with 83.8%.
#4 First player to record at least 55 points and 10 assists in the NBA playoffs
It was a record-breaking night for Damian Lillard in Game 5 of the Western Conference first round against the Denver Nuggets. It was arguably the greatest NBA playoffs performance from a player, but unfortunately ended in defeat for his Portland Trail Blazers side.
The Portland Trail Blazers were desperate not to lose Game 5, and Lillard took it upon himself to bail the team out. He made one clutch 3-pointer to send the game into overtime and another to send the game into double overtime. In the first period of overtime, he inspired a comeback, scoring 17 of the team's 19 points to close a nine-point deficit.
Although Portland still lost to the Denver Nuggets 147-140, he became the first player to record 55 points and 10 assists in an NBA playoffs game.
#3 Most 3's in a playoff series
Donovan Mitchell held the previous record for the most 3's in an NBA playoffs series with 33. He achieved that in the 2020 NBA Playoffs first round against the Denver Nuggets after seven games.
Damien Lilliard dethroned Mitchell as he put 35 three-pointers past the Denver Nuggets in the 2021 NBA playoffs first round. It is also worth noting that he achieved it in only six games.
Lillard was relatively successful in the 2021 NBA playoffs, although the Trail Blazers did not make a deep run in the competition. With the right supporting cast, the team might have remained in the competition, allowing the guard to set more NBA playoffs records.
#2 Most 3's in a playoff game
The 2021 NBA playoffs, Game 5 of the first-round bout between the Portland Trail Blazers and the Denver Nuggets, could also go into the record books as a match with the most records set in the NBA playoffs. In Lillard's 55-point decimation, he converted 12 out of 17 three-pointers.
Klay Thompson set the previous record for most 3-pointers in a single game (11). He achieved it in 2011 against the OKC Thunder.
Lillard went over and beyond to register 12 made 3-pointers. Perhaps the more interesting fact is that he did it with about 71% accuracy. The 30-year-old is a trusted 3-point shooter, which makes it surprising that the Nuggets repeatedly gave him space and time to pick his spot.
However, they had the last laugh as the Trail Blazers could not build on Lillard's brilliance.
#1 First player to record at least 45 points, 15 rebounds, and 10 assists in the NBA playoffs
It was a surreal performance from Kevin Durant in Game 5 of the Conference Semifinals against the Milwaukee Bucks. He kept pounding the opposition every chance he got and though the Bucks defended excellently against him in Game 4, they could not match up with the Brooklyn Nets forward this time.
The veteran forward took it upon himself to rescue the team and put together a mind-blowing performance. As things stand, qualifying for the Conference Finals remains to hang in the balance and the Nets will look to Durant to deliver the goods in Game 6.
Durant finished the game with 49 points, 17 rebounds, and 10 assists playing the entire match. He became the first player since LeBron James in the 2018 Eastern Conference Finals to play every second of a match.
KD is now the first player to record at least 45 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists in a single NBA playoff game. With Kyrie Irving out and James Harden still in recovery, all eyes will be on the 32-year-old to see if he can recreate this record-breaking performance in Game 6.
