The NBA playoffs so far have been nothing short of entertaining. The drama has been relentless from the Timberwolves’ demolition of the Lakers to the Pacers’ clutch comebacks. With Indiana’s Eastern Conference final series against the New York Knicks continuing tonight, fans are gearing up for another rollercoaster.
In game one, Indiana mounted yet another late comeback. Tyrese Haliburton hit a clutch two-pointer as the shot clock expired, sending the game to overtime after his side trailed by nine with less than a minute remaining.
Haliburton grabbed his neck in a mock choking celebration, highlighting the Knicks’ late collapse. Indiana then sealed the win in overtime.
Suppose that game is anything to go by. In that case, the remainder of the series promises to be special, but whilst we count the hours down before the sides tussle again, in honour of Haliburton’s celebration, let’s look back at some of the biggest choke moments in NBA history.
Golden State Warriors Blow a 3-1 Lead (2016)
Warriors’ fans may have recovered quickly thanks to two NBA titles that followed, but even that can’t erase the sting of the 2016 finals collapse.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe Golden State Warriors faced LeBron James’ Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2016 finals and looked set to cruise to the ring after an incredible 73-9 regular-season campaign. They breezed past the Rockets and the Trail Blazers, winning both 4-1, and even overcame a 3-1 deficit to OKC in the Western Conference Finals, which was a choke in its own right.
But in the finals, it was their turn to falter. Steph Curry and the Warriors led 3-1 against LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers, but they lost three straight and handed Cleveland its first NBA championship.
Nick Anderson’s Free-Throw Nightmare (1995)
It was only game one, but it set the tone for the remainder of the series.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe 1995 NBA finals between the Orlando Magic and the Houston Rockets saw a closely contested game where the Magic was up by three with limited time on the clock. Nick Anderson had the chance to extend the lead after being fouled, a 70% or better free-throw shooter in his career, but he missed both.
However, after Anderson managed to grab the rebound, he was fouled again, but history repeated itself as he missed his free throws again.
Houston capitalised, with Kenny Smith bagging a clutch three-pointer to force overtime, where the Rockets went on to win and sweep the series 4-0. Those four missed free throws probably still haunt Magic fans to this day.
LeBron’s 2011 Finals Struggles
The Miami Heat became the villains of the NBA when Lebron made the move to join Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in Florida. Unsurprisingly, they were favourites to win the finals in 2011.
Embed from Getty ImagesAfter storming through the Eastern Conference, winning each series 4-1, the Heat met the Dallas Mavericks in the final. Even though they had star players like Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Kidd, the Heat were still heavy favourites.
But LeBron struggled. After a solid start, his confidence began to fade. Though the Heat took a 2-1 series lead, game four exposed LeBron’s worst, as he dropped one of the poorest performances of his career, just eight points.
He averaged only 17.8 points per game in the series, well below the superstar standards he had previously set.
The Mavericks took advantage, winning their first and only NBA ring to date, raising questions about LeBron’s ability to deliver in the big moments.
Credit to him, he has silenced the doubters since.
Clippers Collapse in The Bubble (2020)
The Clippers looked destined for a showdown with the Lakers in the 2020 Western Conference finals after taking a 3-1 lead against the Denver Nuggets.
Embed from Getty ImagesThen came the collapse.
In three straight games, the Clippers blew double-digit second-half leads to a team that, at the time, had no finals experience, but Denver completed the turnaround.
The Clippers became the poster child for blown leads–and now unlike the Nuggets, still don’t have a ring to their name.
Could things have been different if they hadn’t blown this series?
Spurs 2013 Heartbreaker
The 2013 NBA Finals saw the San Antonio Spurs and Miami Heat give us one of the most incredible moments in basketball history.
Embed from Getty ImagesUp 3-2 up in the series and leading by double digits in the fourth quarter of game six, the Spurs looked poised to clinch another title. Tim Duncan was playing at his brilliant best, and San Antonio seemed in control.
Then it all unravelled. Mistakes crept into the Spurs, and costly turnovers, missed free throws, and poor decision-making let Miami back in.
Still up 94-92 in the final seconds, Kawhi Leonard had two free throws, bagging the first but missing the second.
Up the other end, Lebron missed a three to tie the game, but crucially, Chris Bosh collected the rebound and kicked it out to Ray Allen, who nailed a game-tying three with five seconds left.
The Heat would go on to win in overtime, 103-100, before winning game seven, 95-88.
These moments are a reminder that no matter how dominant a team or player looks, the game is never over until the final buzzer. Even the best can stumble under pressure, and for the sake of Tyrese Haliburton, let’s hope his celebration doesn’t come back to haunt him.
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