NBA Playoffs 2012: Ranking the Best Individual Performances This Postseason

The 2012 NBA playoffs have featured some historic performances that will never be forgotten.

This is the place where basketball’s biggest stars take the sport’s biggest stage, and so far, many have delivered in a big way.

Here, in order, are the four best individual performances in the postseason up to this point.  

1. Rajon Rondo—44 points, 10 assists, 8 rebounds, 3 steals

While this is certainly a jaw-dropping stat line, the most impressive part of Rondo’s performance was the fact that he played every single second of the Boston Celtics’ overtime game against the Miami Heat.

Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals was pivotal for Boston, as they did not want to be in an 0-2 hole. That is where they are now after losing 115-111, but there is nothing else Rondo could have done to prevent it.

He was simply magnificent all the way through. The biggest knock on the Celtics’ point guard throughout his career is that he could not hit outside shots, yet he drained jumper after jumper to keep his team close. As ESPN Stats & Information notes, Rondo had never made more than six shots from 15 feet or farther in a game before this performance.

If not for an inexplicable non-call late in the overtime period, Rondo’s unforgettable night may have been just enough to tie the series.

Few players can impact the game in as many ways as Rondo does, and he was Boston’s lifeline throughout the game. The outing was courageous and historic, and Rondo single-handedly carried the Celtics as far as he could. This performance is unlikely to be topped this year.

2. LeBron James—40 points, 18 rebounds, 9 assists, 2 blocks, 2 steals

The Miami Heat look ready to cruise to a second straight NBA Finals appearance, but spirits were not as high heading into Game 4 of the team’s second-round series against the Indiana Pacers.

After losing Chris Bosh to an abdominal injury in Game 1, the Heat struggled offensively and dropped the next two games. 

Then James unleashed one of the most dominant performances in playoffs history. He filled the void down low by crashing the boards and grabbing a ridiculous 18 rebounds.

He scored from everywhere and played top-class defense. There was nothing he didn’t do in this game.

It was only what Dwyane Wade did do—score 22 points in the second half—that kept this performance from being more impressive than Rondo’s. 

3. Paul Pierce—36 points, 14 rebounds, 4 assists

The Celtics have had to battle this postseason, and it has taken some incredible individual performances to keep them going at times. 

In Round 1, they faced a 2-0 deficit to the Atlanta Hawks, but Paul Pierce refused to let that happen. 

Boston had lost Game 1 of the series, but more importantly, it lost Rajon Rondo for Game 2 after he was suspended for bumping a referee.

Pierce picked up the slack by leading all scorers and by having an incredible night on the glass. 

His two late free throws clinched a victory for his team and a spot on this list. 

4. Dwyane Wade—41 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals

While this list does not have a lot of variety in terms of the teams the individuals represent, credit must given where credit is due. 

With the injuries, suspensions and in-game circumstances the Heat and Celtics have faced, the teams have needed remarkable performances from individuals to win. Their players have stepped up, and it is why both teams are still alive.

Wade closed the door on the Indiana Pacers in Game 6 with a double-double for the ages. It capped off an incredible three-game stretch by Wade and LeBron James, as they won three straight to take the series 4-2.

Wade was unstoppable on the offensive end, and he was all over the glass. As usual, he was fantastic defensively, and his all-around performance led to a decisive victory for his team.