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#3 Ben Simmons shooting woes cost the Philadelphia 76ers the series vs Atlanta Hawks
Ben Simmons had a miserable 2021 NBA playoffs. The Philadelphia 76ers point guard was as dominant as ever at the defensive end, but his offensive woes were exposed in the series against the Atlanta Hawks big-time.
Simmons converted just 34.2% of his free throw attempts, the worst ever for a player in the NBA playoffs history with at least 70 attempts.
He played 34 minutes across the fourth quarter of Games 4, 5, 6 and 7 of the series and recorded 0 field goal attempts. The Sixers ended up losing three of those games, including Game 7, in which Simmons passed an easy layup. This could have turned the match in favor of the 76ers, who were down by 2 points.
#2 Kevin Durant scores 49-point triple-double playing every minute of Game 5 against the Milwaukee Bucks; saves the Brooklyn Nets single-handedly
After Kevin Durant suffered a torn Achilles in the 2019 NBA finals, many wondered if he could do the things he is used to doing on a basketball court and whether he will ever be back to his best.
He truly answered that question in Game 5 of the series against the Milwaukee Bucks. He recorded 49 points, 17 rebounds and 10 assists, single-handedly overturning a 16-point deficit to lead the Nets to a win.
On top of that, Durant played every single minute of the match. He was the first player to record a 45/15/10 game in NBA playoffs history.
The win helped the Nets level a 3-2 lead and put them in the driver's seat in the series. However, Kyrie Irving's absence and James Harden playing through injury saw them lose to the Bucks in Game 7 as they lost the series 4-3.
Durant did everything he could, forcing Game 7 into overtime with a deep jumper, which was marginally recorded as a two-pointer. He played a staggering 142 of 149 minutes in the last three games of the series.
#1 Doc Rivers loses 29th series-deciding game; most for a head coach in NBA playoffs history
Doc Rivers endured yet another year with an unexpected exit from the NBA playoffs. After last year's heartbreak, where his LA Clippers lost to the Denver Nuggets despite having a 3-1 advantage, this year it was the Atlanta Hawks, who came back from 2-1 down and beat his Sixers at home in Game 7.
It was a record 29th time in his head coaching career that a side coached by him lost a series-deciding game.
