With the basketball postseason heating up, Onion Sports looks back at the greatest individual performances in NBA playoff history.
Shaquille O’Neal: During the 2001 NBA Finals, O’Neal was absolutely dominant while tearing apart teammate Kobe Bryant during halftime of Game 3
Toni Kukoc: The Bulls’ sixth man put in a largely unheralded performance during Michael Jordan’s legendary “flu game,” going three-for-four from beyond the arc despite Jordan loudly coughing throughout the evening
John Stockton: The Utah Jazz point guard assisted his little heart out in Game 5 of the 1998 Western Conference semifinals
Bill Russell: Russell scored 38 points for the Celtics in a November game back when the regular season always had a playoff-like atmosphere
Elston Turner: Turner’s eight-point, five-rebound game in the first round of the 1985 playoffs was recently voted the best postseason performance in Denver Nuggets history
Dirk Nowitzki: In his famous “sprained knee game,” Nowitzki sprained his knee in Game 3 of the 2003 Western Conference finals and did not return
Jerry West: Just sort of assumed he needed to appear somewhere on this list
Grant Hill: In 1996, Hill put up an incredible 43 somersault dunks against Jalen Rose and Dikembe Mutombo in one of the greatest games in NBA Hangtime history
Bryon Russell: His seven points and four rebounds are likely how he will be most remembered for his performance in Game 6 of the 1998 NBA Finals
