Top 10 Moments of the 2019 NBA Postseason

Yeah, I know.  This is already very, very late.  But, hey, as the saying goes: better late than never…

10.) A Strong Kick-Off

The 2019 NBA playoffs opened with three of the four games resulting to upsets: the (E7) Orlando Magic, (E6) Brooklyn Nets, and (W7) San Antono Spurs respectively beat the (E2) Toronto Raptors, (E3) Philadelphia 76ers, and (W2) Denver Nuggers.  None of these teams went to the second round, and in the case of the Magic and the Nets, Game 1 was the only game they won in their respective series.  Nevertheless, the surprising victories of the lower seed teams started off the playoffs on an exciting note.

9.) Drake Massaging Nick Nurse

Rapper and Raptors superfan Drake was pretty hyper during Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals, and his antics earned him the ire of the salty Bucks Nation.  His most notable deed was definitely when he got up behind Raptors head coach Nick Nurse and gave him a shoulder rub.  It was undeniably the weirdest moment in this playoffs.

8.) After Playing Through Injury, Blake Griffin Received an Amazing Standing Ovation

The East’s top-seeded Bucks didn’t break a sweat in dispatching the lowly Detroit Pistons in the first round.  Nevertheless, in an incredible display of heart, the injured Blake Griffin sucked up the pain and proceeded to play, even though there was no way the Pistons were going to win.  In Game 4, with the sweep all but certain, Blake fouled out, and he was sent off to the bench with a thunderous standing ovation from the appreciative Pistons Nation.

I’ve never been much of a Griffin fan.  But that moving moment made me respect him tremendously.

7.) Game 3 of the Nuggets-Blazers Series

Blazers eventually prevailed with a 140-137 victory.  But prior to that, we were treated to an epic slugfest for the ages.  It went through four thrilling overtimes – the first in a playoffs game since 1953 – and Nikola Jokic logged in an insane 65 minutes of playtime.

6.) Kevin Durant Fell to the Dreaded Achilles Injury

Kevin Durant was having a monster playoff run.  Then, in Game 5 of the Western Conference Semis, he suffered a serious calf strain injury.  Nevertheless, the Golden State Warriors still dominated their way toward their fifth straight Western Conference championship.

The Finals, however, was another story.  The Warriors struggled against the Raptors’ defense, and going into Game 5, they found themselves in the brink of elimination at 1-3.  Thus, although he hadn’t healed yet – not even close – KD willed himself to play.  With KD back on the lineup, it seemed for a while that the Warriors were on their way to mounting a legendary Finals comeback.  Then, misfortune struck: after playing for 12 minutes, scoring 11 points as well as freeing up the Splash Brothers for more shooting opportunities, KD went down with an injury again.  This time, the existing injury worsened into an Achilles injury.

It was definitely heartbreaking.  But KD’s willingness to sacrifice his health and future – which are definitely uncertain now, since nobody in the history of the NBA has come back from an Achilles injury and be as good as he was before – in order to help his team in its darkest hour is simply estimable.  Surely, this moment should silence the KD hate for a good while.

5.) Warriors Pulled Off a Gritty Game 5 Win to Extend Season

With KD out, the stage was set up for the Raptors to take advantage and finally deliver the knockout punch.  And it looked that way with only three minutes remaining on the clock, as the Raptors were ahead by six points.

But the defending champions refused to say die.  The Splash Brothers hit three consecutive three-pointers, while the Raptors weren’t able to respond appropriately.  As a result, the Warriors held on to a one-point victory, and sent the series back to Oakland for Game 6.

4.) The Raptors Took Down the Warriors

Unfortunately, the Warriors’ gutsy win in Game 5 wouldn’t translate to a storybook comeback.  Back in Oakland for Game 6, in their last home game in Oracle Arena, the defending champions were unable to overcome another personnel-depleting and morale-deflating injury – this time, a torn ACL for Klay Thompson, who was arguably their best player in that series.  In the end, they were finally overthrown by the Toronto Raptors as NBA champions.

The Raptors got really lucky in this playoff run.  Now, I don’t intend to take anything away from the Raptors.  They earned that title.  They deserved it.  Everyone in the team chipped in solid performances here and there.  But there was no denying that they experienced favorable conditions on their way to the Larry O’Brien trophy – like fluky bounces on the rim (more on this later) and facing an injury-plagued team in the Finals.

Nevertheless, in a sense, their playoff luck was only fitting.  After all, this Raptors season was hinged on high-stakes gambles.  First, they fired head coach Dwane Casey, who awkwardly ended up winning Coach of the Year shortly after; and then promoted assistant coach Nick Nurse, who never had any prior head coaching experience, to the position.  Second, they traded franchise cornerstone and fan favorite DeMar DeRozan to the San Antonio Spurs for Kawhi Leonard – a risky move, since Kawhi only had one more year in his contract, and might likely not resign with them.  And third, at mid-season, before the trade deadline, they gave up some of the depth they built through the years and somewhat imperilled their chemistry by trading for a Marc Gasol out of his prime.

But all bets paid off.  The Raptors gambled audaciously, and Lady Luck smiled on them.  Thus, after almost 128 years since a Canadian invented the sport, a Canadian team finally won the championship of the world’s premiere basketball league for the first time ever.

3.) The Clippers’ Improbable 31-Point Comeback Win over the Warriors

The Warriors were the eventual winners of this first round series.  But in Game 2, the Clippers treated us with the greatest come-from-behind win in NBA playoff history.

2.)  The First Ever Game 7 Buzzer-Beating Gamewinner in NBA Playoff History, Courtesy of Kawhi Leonard

The lucky bounces actually made the whole moment infinitely more exciting than if it was all net.

1.) Damian Lillard Obliterated the Thunder with a Playoff Gamewinner for the Ages

If this isn’t the greatest game-clinching shot in playoff history, then it’s definitely up there among the best.  Consider the incredible layers of this kickass moment:

• It was a buzzer-beating, game-winning dagger.
• It clinched the series for the Blazers, and eliminated the Thunder in savage fashion.
• It was shot over Paul George, one of the league’s most elite perimeter defenders and a Defensive Player of the Year candidate, who wasn’t expecting that Lillard would take the shot from such distance.
• It was shot launched from 37 feet away, which was closer to the half court logo than the three-point line.
• It wasn’t a desperate, Hail Mary heave, but something Lillard intended 100%.
• After hitting the shot, Lillard waved the Thunder goodbye for good measure.  Sassy.
• Then came the icing on top – this smug face: