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If you're an avid NBA fan, you probably know how good LeBron James is. The crazy thing about this guy is, as good as he is in the regular season, he turns it up several notches during the playoffs - a time when most players are not as good as they have the potential to be.
Also read: 5 Achievements LeBron James was the Youngest to reach
The very nature of a seven-game series allows coaches to gameplan for specific players and throw a variety of curveballs at individual superstars.
But James' sheer dominance, throughout the course of his career, has shone through most often in the postseason.
Of late, he has even been taking it easy in the regular season in order to preserve his body and be in the best possible shape for the playoffs.
James averaged 32 points, eight rebounds and eight assists over the course of the 2017 NBA playoffs!
Let's take a look at the top playoff performances over the course of his storied 15-year NBA career:
#10 Thunder vs Heat, June 19, 2012 (NBA Finals Game 4)
Statline: 26 points, nine rebounds, 12 assists, two steals
While this was the game that announced the arrival of Russell Westbrook as a superstar (with Brody scoring 43 points), James was decisive and ensured that the Heat had a chance to win it all on their ongoing homestand.
The Heat gave up an early lead to the Thunder, who were flourishing on the back of Westbrook's heroics and Durant's efficient play.
James guarded Durant for a couple of possessions in the third quarter and forced him into a couple of inefficient shots which didn't go down, and this allowed the Heat to get back into a small lead.
The King suffered from cramps at the fag end of the game, but fellow superstar Dwyane Wade took over in his absence.
#9 Pacers vs Heat, May 22, 2013 (Eastern Conference Finals Game 1)
Statline: 30 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists, three blocks
In one of the most well-contested, memorable playoff games featuring James, the Pacers took the Cavs to overtime while playing at the American Airlines Arena in Game 1 of what was to be a 7-game series.
Paul George was in the midst of a breakout season - one in which he made his debut All-Star game appearance and was voted the Most Improved Player of the year.
He scored 27 points of his own, but he couldn't stop James from finishing a game-winning layup in the overtime period.
Fans were treated to a fascinating duel between the greatest small forward of all time and an up-and-comer who matched up well, as George did not allow James too much of a free reign to score in the paint.
James then looked to post him up, and he did so with more success.
#8 Hawks vs Cavaliers, May 24, 2015 (Eastern Conference Finals, Game 3)
Statline: 37 points, 18 rebounds, 13 assists, three steals
Despite missing Mike Miller, Kendrick Perkins, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love, the Cavs ran out to a 2-0 lead against the No.1 seeded Hawks with the opportunity to close the deal on their two-game homestand.
James was in a maniacal mode this game, despite suffering from back issues for the entire postseason.
He took 37 shots to focus all of the defensive pressure on himself, and the Hawks sorely missed their elite defender Thabo Sefolosha for the series.
Matthew Dellavedova, JR Smith, James Jones and Iman Shumpert benefited immensely from this as they combined to convert 13 three-pointers. James had again taken a bunch of average players to the doorstep of the NBA finals.
#7 Heat vs Nets, May 12, 2014 (Eastern Conference Semifinals, Game 4)
Statline: 49 points on 16-of-24 shooting, six rebounds, two assists, three steals
The Mikhail Prokhorov-powered Brooklyn Nets went into this semifinal matchup full of hope, given that they'd swept the Heat in the regular season 3-0.
What they should've bargained for, however, was James flipping the switching and becoming Playoff LeBron and ripping the heart out of whatever chances they had in a seven-game series.
In a vintage performance, James tied his playoff career-high of 49 points as the Heat beat the Nets 102-96 at the Barclays Center for a decisive 3-1 series lead.
He was a terror in the low post, the high post, driving to the rim and even from behind the arc - scoring three out of his six three-pointers.
None of Joe Johnson, washed-up Paul Pierce or washed-up Kevin Garnett was able to guard James on the night, as he sealed a series win in a game when none of his teammates scored more than 15 points.
#6 San Antonio Spurs vs Miami Heat, 20th June 2013 (Game 7, NBA Finals)
Statline: 37 points, 12 rebounds, four assists, two steals
While James came up big with a triple-double in Game six of this series as well, it does not make our list.
That is because he went 11-of-26 from the field in that game, turned the ball over 3 times in clutch and missed the game-tying three-pointer before Ray Allen converted from the ensuing rebound.
James single-handedly outplayed the Spurs in Game seven of this series.
He quit trying to set up the likes of Mike Miller and fellow All-Star Chris Bosh early in the game, who were both unable to put up a single point on the board despite starting the game. He converted 12 of his 23 field goal attempts.
These 23 attempts include 10 three-point shots, of which he converted five! He also got to the line for eight free throws, and in a rare display of perfection, he scored on all eight of them.
The likes of Kawhi Leonard and Tim Duncan had good games on the scoring end for the Spurs, but James' relentless defence on Tony Parker caused the mercurial point guard to miss nine of his 12 shots.
#5 Warriors vs Cavaliers, 16th June 2016 (NBA Finals Game 6)
Statline: 41 points, eight rebounds, 11 assists, four steals and three blocks
Playing a home game back at the Quicken Loans Arena, James continued pretty much from where he'd left off in the previous game against a hobbled Warriors team.
Andrew Bogut, their only rim protector of note, was out for the season with a knee injury, and James capitalised on their lack of stoutness on the defensive end and feasted on what remained of it.
Driving to the rim with reckless abandon nearly all game long, James finished with 16-of-27 from the field and three out of six from the three-point line.
The best driver in the game for most of his career, LeBron's relentless onslaught on the rim made sure that the Cavs were able to maintain a separation in terms of scoring.
His defensive box score stats of four steals and three blocks deserve special mention as well, as we saw the very best of James in the highest-stakes game of his career until that point.
#4 Cavaliers vs Wizards, 22 April 2006
Statline: 32 points, 11 rebounds, 11 assists
As a 21-year-old third-year player in the league, James was able to play in the playoffs for the first time in his career.
He made sure that his first appearance in a high-stakes playoff game left a lasting impression on viewers' minds, as he finished a flawless game with a triple-double on the night.
It was a night of epic proportions in every way for James. He played every single second of the ball game which finished 97-86 in favour of the Cavs, and he held Caron Butler to 4-of-14 shooting from the field.
Gilbert Arenas on his part could only score off seven of his 20 shot attempts.
It was surreal how clearly James was on a different plane of basketball excellence altogether from tip-off in his very first playoff game, and it's something that basketball fans have taken for granted ever since.
#3 Cavaliers vs Pistons, May 31 2007 (Eastern Conference Finals Game 5)
Statline: 48 points, nine rebounds, seven assists and two steals
The Detroit Pistons made it to their 5th straight Conference Finals series, and despite losing Ben Wallace to the Chicago Bulls in the offseason, they held homecourt advantage in this series.
After the two sides defended home court in the first four games of the series, the Cavaliers stole the game off the Pistons in game five at the Palace on the back of a humongous night from The Chosen One.
This is one of the games that cemented James' legacy in his early years as a top-three player in the league.
Facing some of the best perimeter defenders of the decade in Rip Hamilton, Tayshaun Prince and Rasheed Wallace, James put together a run of 25 straight points on his own for the Cavaliers in a double-OT thriller!
#2 Celtics vs Heat, June 7, 2012 (Game 6, Eastern Conference Finals)
Statline: 45 points, 15 rebounds and five assists on 19-of-26 from the field (73.1%)
The fact that a Heat side with prime Wade, Bosh and James was trailing to a Celtics team with three ageing Hall of Famers and Rajon Rondo should be more surprising than it does the way I advertised it here.
But it was a genuine mark on James' postseason record, as it was his ejection in overtime in Game five that sealed a valuable win for the Celtics at the American Airlines Arena.
James gave it to the Celtics in any and every manner in one of the most dominant Eastern Conference Finals performances ever.
Defensive aces of the likes of Ray Allen (too small), Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett (too slow) had no answer for his post game on the defensive end.
Only Rondo had any sort of effect whatsoever, and after a couple of possessions, James used screens to switch onto a different defender and tormented that guy in kind.
A truly Beast Mode performance by James in a win-or-go-home game.
#1 Cavaliers vs Warriors, June 13, 2016 (Game 5, NBA Finals)
Statline: 41 points, 16 rebounds, seven assists, three steals, three blocks!
In what was a must-win game for the Cavaliers, they came up big at the Oracle Arena on the back of monster nights from their two superstars.
It was James, however, putting up the more well-rounded stat line as the game finished 112-97 in favour of the visiting team.
The performance by The King in this game set the tone for the Cavaliers to pull off the biggest comeback in NBA Finals history.
James had a considerable impact on both ends of the floor, as his defensive numbers of three steals and three blocks reflect.
James also had a great night from downtown, scoring on four out of his 8 three-point attempts.
This game showcased one of the all-time greats changing the game in a variety of ways apparent on both the stat sheet as well as in areas that didn't show up there.
Guess the Lakers players!
