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The 2023 NBA Playoffs concluded with the Denver Nuggets winning the championship in an unpredictable postseason. Lower-seeded teams dominated the conference brackets, with the No. 8 seed from the east, the Miami Heat making a finals run, while the No. 7 seed from the west, the LA Lakers making a conference finals appearance.
Meanwhile, heavy favorites like the Milwaukee Bucks, Boston Celtics and Phoenix Suns failed to deliver the goods big time. It all came down to some of the greatest moments produced by the underdogs that flipped the script in the playoffs.
Top 5 greatest moments from the 2023 NBA Playoffs
The 2023 NBA playoffs were memorable for several basketball fans who have rooted for underdogs to shine on the big stage. The finals series between Miami Heat and Denver Nuggets proved that. According to NBA.com, the 2023 NBA playoffs garnered a staggering eight billion views, the most for any postseason in history.
It all came down to some of the greatest moments produced by the underdogs who made the postseason a must-see TV. Here are the five greatest moments from the 2023 NBA playoffs.
#1 Jimmy Butler's 56-point night
Jimmy Butler was one of the show-stoppers in the 2023 NBA playoffs. He led the Miami Heat's charge as the No. 8 seed, making them only the second franchise in history to make an NBA finals appearance despite being the worst seed.
Butler came into his own in Game 5 of the first-round series against the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks when he bagged 56 points, the fourth-highest for any player in the playoffs, to lead Miami to a 119-114 comeback win to take a commanding 3-1 series lead.
#2 Steph Curry's 50-point effort
Steph Curry produced a career-high 50 points in Game 7 of the Golden State Warriors first-round series against the Sacramento Kings. Curry was facing a first-round exit for the first time since 2014, but he put the team on his back, single-handedly leading his team to the next round.
#3 Austin Reaves' half-court buzzer-beater
Austin Reaves was one of the breakout players in the 2023 playoffs. The LA Lakers sophomore guard was efficient in every series and arguably their most consistent player. His best highlight came during the Lakers' closeout Game 6 win over the Warriors. Reaves hit a halfcourt shot to close the half, sending the Crypto.com Arena into a frenzy.
#4 Trae Young game-winner
With the Hawks' season on the line against the Celtics in Game 5 of their first-round series, Trae Young produced one of the coldest moments in playoffs history when he nailed a wild go-ahead game-winner over Jaylen Brown with one second left.
#5 Nikola Jokic's one-legged 3-pointer
Reigning finals MVP Nikola Jokic unlocked his true potential in these playoffs and especially against the LA Lakers in the conference finals. Jokic didn't put a foot wrong the whole series, despite a defensive force like Anthony Davis standing, in front of him.
With Game 4 going right down to the wire, Jokic hit a tough one-legged 3-point shot over Davis with the shot clock winding down to give the Nuggets a crucial 3-point lead with 2:49 left.
