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With the NBA playoffs nearing the Conference Finals, most of the series' outcomes have been as expected. There certainly haven't been any upsets from the likes, seen as recently as the Miami Heat's run to the Finals last year in the bubble.
The postseason always gives the underdog an opportunity. They have a seven-game series with which to topple a tougher opponent with at least two home games guaranteed. In this article, we will look back over the years in the NBA and pick out some of the greatest playoff upsets of all time.
Counting down 10 of the greatest upsets in NBA playoff history
Although it is usually expected that a team with home court advantage or with superior stars should win an NBA playoff series, it doesn't always work out that way. Often times, the favored team struggles under pressure while the underdogs have less to lose and so can play with relative freedom. That was the case for most of our examples in this list.
#10 Miami Heat vs Milwaukee Bucks, 2020
The Miami Heat surprised the basketball world when they made it all the way to the NBA Finals in the 2020 bubble. On their way there, they demolished the Milwaukee Bucks in a five-game series, bettering their opponents in every facet of the game.
With MVP and Defensive Player of the Year, Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Milwaukee Bucks were the clear favorites to win the series. They finished the regular season campaign with the best record in the league and 12 games ahead of the Heat. Following a rigorous game plan and stifling defense, Miami held the Bucks to under 105 points in three of their matches and advanced as comfortable victors.
#9 Chicago Bulls vs Cleveland Cavaliers, 1989
It was some time before Michael Jordan's Chicago Bulls became the dominant favorites in every playoff series they played. Jordan had to help lead his team past the physicality of the Cavaliers. In six matchups during the regular season campaign, the Bulls failed to beat the Cavs, with Cleveland finishing the season with 60 wins and the NBA's best record.
As with many opponents, though, the Cavaliers had no answer to Jordan's postseason ability. In the five-game series, he averaged 39.8 points per game and hit the decisive, series-winning shot in game 5 in Cleveland. Later becoming known as 'The shot', Jordan hit the buzzer beater with seconds to go and took his NBA stardom to another level.
#8 Houston Rockets vs LA Lakers, 1981
Prior to the present-day, 16-team format in the NBA playoffs, there were still multiple upsets in the postseason. One of which came in 1981, with the Houston Rockets, who caused a surprise by overcoming reigning champion LA Lakers.
The Lakers at the time were led by future Hall of Famers Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Magic Johnson. They were defending their 1980 championship crown. However, they were toppled in a three-game series 2-1 by the Rockets and fellow great Moses Malone. Not only had they toppled the heavy favorites, it was a surprise Houston had even made the postseason after barely scraping in on a 40-42 record.
#7 Cleveland Cavaliers vs Toronto Raptors, 2018
The Toronto Raptors were certainly happy to see the back of LeBron James when he left the NBA's Eastern Conference in 2018. At the culmination of the 2017-18 season, the Raptors were comfortably the best team in the East. They had a record of 59-23, while the Cavs finished nine games behind in fourth seed.
After struggling past the Indiana Pacers, the two teams met in the playoff semifinals. It was not the Cavs of 2016 though, they did not have Kyrie Irving to run the offense. Instead, they relied on James' excellence and their perimeter scorers, who the Raptors had no answer for in this series.
LeBron averaged 34 points across four games in which the Cavs embarrassed their opponents. Cleveland's shooting was electric, with the likes of Kevin Love and Kyle Korver providing significant scoring beyond their leader. For Toronto, at least, the sweep paved the way for a turnover in personnel, with Kawhi Leonard coming in and leading them to an NBA championship. Meanwhile, the Cavaliers themselves got swept in the 2018 Finals.
#6 Denver Nuggets vs Seattle Supersonics, 1994
One of the greatest-ever NBA playoff upsets came in the first-round of the 1994 postseason. With a 9.3% chance of victory, there was no reason to suspect the Denver Nuggets were capable of progressing past the Supersonics. The latter had led the league with 63 wins in the regular season. In the end, it became one of the great upsets, with the Nuggets prevailing 3-2 in the series.
Denver finished the campaign 21 games behind the Supersonics and duly lost the opening two games of the matchup in double figures. However, with an incredible defensive effort, they held one of the best offenses in the league to under 100 points in every game after the first. The Nuggets prevailed through two overtime matchups in games 4 and 5 to take the series.
#5 Detroit Pistons vs LA Lakers, 2004
Even with the likes of Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal, the LA Lakers were unable to overcome the underdog Detroit Pistons in the 2004 NBA Finals. Returning to their 'Bad Boy' style of play from the 80s and 90s, the Pistons were utterly dominant on defense. They held the Lakers under 100 points in every matchup and under 90 in four of them.
Future Hall of Fame inductee Ben Wallace led the Pistons, along with point guard Chauncey Billups and Tayshaun Prince, all elite defenders. The 4-1 series win was so dominant in fact that it later became known as the 'Five-game sweep'.
#4 LA Lakers vs Seattle Supersonics, 1995
The Seattle Supersonics appear again on our list after they were humbled by the Lakers in 1995 who had an 8% chance of success in the four-game series. After asserting their dominance in game one, the Sonics were then humbled by the Lakers, who won their remaining three games in a row behind Nick Van Exel's scoring.
After dominating in the regular season, the Sonics came into the playoffs as the fourth seed, despite winning 57 matches. The Lakers, meanwhile, won nine fewer and were the underdogs heading into the series. However, they were able to hold a normally prolific offense to under 100 points in two of the matchups. They outscored the Sonics by four points in the last two games of the series.
#3 Atlanta Hawks vs Orlando Magic, 2011
The Orlando Magic finished eight games ahead of the Atlanta Hawks prior to their first-round matchup in 2011. They boasted one of the superstars of the NBA, Dwight Howard. Despite the Magic center pouring in 46 points and grabbing 19 rebounds in game one, the Hawks managed to steal a win on the road and continued to let their depth lead the way.
Just a year after losing to the Boston Celtics in what was also regarded as an upset, the Magic lost again and have not won a playoff series since. Their role players in 2011 struggled to shoot the ball in support of Howard. The team as a whole shot at just 26% from downtown during the series. The Hawks advanced as 4-2 winners, emerging victorious in three close battles on home court.
#2 New Jersey Nets vs Philadelphia 76ers, 1984
Back in 1984, the Nets couldn't buy a playoff series victory, despite being in the league for seven years. In the opening round of the postseason that year, though, they upset the reigning champions, Philadelphia 76ers, in an enthralling five-game series.
The Sixers were led at the time by NBA legends Moses Malone and Julius Erving. However, neither were able to stop Darryl Dawkins leading the Nets to their first ever series victory and an upset for the ages.
#1 Golden State Warriors vs Dallas Mavericks, 2007
Long before Steph Curry and co. created a dynasty for the Golden State Warriors, the franchise was struggling to make the playoffs. In the 2007 season, they finished in the West's eighth seed, 25 games behind the dominant Dallas Mavericks, who were coming off an NBA Finals appearance the previous year.
Dallas was led by league MVP Dirk Nowitzki but was outclassed by the Warriors' stifling defensive tactics. They used physicality on the wings to guard the German and Baron Davis at point guard. The Warriors used the home crowd to their advantage, winning all three in San Francisco and stealing game one on the road by 12 points behind Davis' 33 points on the night.
By losing the series 4-2, the Dallas Mavericks became the first NBA team since the '72-'73 Boston Celtics to win 65+ regular season games and not win a title.
