Los Angeles Lakers: Ranking the Top 10 Lakers Playoff Moments Since 2000
Five championships. Seven Finals appearances. 10 trips to the postseason.
Since 2000, the Lakers have been the most successful NBA franchise.
I rank the top 10 memorable playoff moments and include a video for each one.
Do you agree/disagree with the order? Please share your comments below.
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Honorable Mention: Mark Madsen's Dance Moves
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Mark "Mad Dog" Madsen was a relentless basketball player who had tremendous hustle and heart. He will always be remembered by Lakers fans.
Unfortunately for Madsen, he is most remembered for his dance moves at the 2001 Championship parade.
The late Chick Hearn summed it up best—"No wonder they called him the Mad Dog."
10. Kobe Bryant Hits Overtime Game-Winner to Beat the Suns
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There aren't many memorable playoff moments from the post-Shaq/pre-Gasol years, but this one is worth mentioning.
The Lakers matched up with the Suns in Round 1 of the 2006 Playoffs. Following a Smush Parker steal, Kobe made a driving floater that sent the game to OT.
In overtime, the Suns held a one-point lead when Steve Nash turned the ball over with 6.1 seconds remaining. Kobe nailed a fadeaway jumper as the buzzer sounded and the Lake Show took a 3-1 series lead.
This shot would be more memorable had the Lakers not lost the next three games and the series to Phoenix.
9. Ron Artest Saves the Day Against Phoenix
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The Lakers and Suns had won two games apiece heading into Game 5 of the 2010 Western Conference Finals.
With 3.5 seconds left, Jason Richardson banked in a three-point shot to tie the game. Kobe then launched a three and missed badly, but the ball bounced right into the hands of Ron Artest. Ron-Ron was in the right place at the right time and made the game-winner as the buzzer sounded.
The Lakers won the series 4-2 and went on to defeat the Celtics in the NBA Finals.
8. Shaquille O'Neal Dominates the 76ers with Near Quadruple-Double
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28 points. 20 rebounds. 9 assists. 8 blocks. Not bad for a night's work.
L.A. rolled into the 2001 Finals having not lost a game in the playoffs. Despite Shaq's 44-point, 20-rebound performance, Allen Iverson and the Sixers took Game 1 in overtime.
Shaq was a beast in Game 2, falling one assist and two blocks shy of a quadruple-double. The Lakers won the game by nine points and didn't lose another game to Philly.
7. Kobe Bryant's 48-Point, 16-Rebound Explosion Sweeps the Kings
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Following Game 3 of the 2001 Western Conference Semifinals, Kobe flew to L.A. to check on his wife's health. Thankfully he made it back to Sacramento for Game 4, because his performance was memorable.
With Shaq in foul trouble and the Kings refusing to give up, Bryant poured in 48 points and pulled down 16 rebounds. L.A. closed out the Kings and completed a four-game sweep.
Kobe's heroics proved to the world that he was more than a sidekick. The Lakers win proved that nothing was going to stand in the way of another title.
6. Ron Artest Helps Knock off the Celtics
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Game 7 of the 2010 NBA Finals was anything but pretty. The Celtics outplayed the Lakers for most of the game, and led by as many as 13 points in the third quarter.
Lakers fans expected Kobe Bryant to lead them to victory, but he shot a dismal 6-24.
Who stepped up? None other than Mr. Ron Artest. With one minute left and the Lakers up by three points, Artest buried a huge three-pointer to seal the game.
He finished the night with 20 points, 5 steals and the biggest shot of his Lakers career.
L.A. won the title and Ron-Ron's memorable game was followed by an equally memorable press conference. Lakers fans thank Artest—and his psychiatrist—for helping LA defeat Boston.
5. Kobe Bryant Takes over in OT to Defeat the Pacers
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The Lakers squared off against the Indiana Pacers in the 2000 NBA Finals. The Lakers took care of business in the first two games, but lost Game 3 as Kobe sat out with a sprained ankle.
Game 4 went to overtime, and a dominant Shaq fouled out midway through the extra period. Kobe took over from there. Young Mamba delivered three clutch shots in a row and the Lakers won the game 120-118.
"This is the game you dream about as you're growing up," Bryant later said.
The Lakers went on to win the series in six games, clinching their first title since 1988.
4. Derek Fisher Mystifies the Magic
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The Lakers rolled into Game 4 of the 2009 Finals holding a 2-1 series lead, but the Magic would not back down.
Orlando held a three-point lead when Dwight Howard was fouled with 11 seconds left in the game.
Needing to make only one free throw to give his team a two possession lead, Howard missed both.
Derek Fisher played hero in this one. D-Fish nailed a three-pointer over Jameer Nelson and sent the game to overtime.
With the score tied and 31 seconds left in OT, Fisher sunk another triple. The Magic didn't score again and the Lakers won the game.
3. Derek Fisher's 0.4 Miracle Shot Silences the Spurs
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The Lakers and Spurs were tied 2-2 heading into Game 5 of the 2004 Western Conference Semifinals.
San Antonio had it all but won when Tim Duncan sunk an 18-foot jump shot with 0.4 seconds left.
Following two Lakers timeouts and a Spurs timeout, Gary Payton looked to inbound the ball. The pass came to Fisher who managed to take and make a shot as time expired.
The play was reviewed, but the refs confirmed that he beat the buzzer. LA won the series in six games and punched their ticket to the NBA Finals.
2. Robert Horry’s 3-Pointer Dethrones the Kings
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Game 4 of the 2002 Western Conference Finals was critical for the Lakers. The Kings led the series 2-1 and were up by as many as 24 points in Game 4.
The Lakers trimmed the lead and with 11 seconds left were down by only two points. L.A. missed two close shots and Vlade Divac tapped the ball away with little time remaining.
Fortunately for the Lakers, Divac tipped the ball directly to Robert Horry. Horry caught the ball in rhythm and drained the game-winning three-pointer as time expired.
The Lakers won the series in seven games.
1. Lakers Erase 15-Point Fourth Quarter Deficit to Defeat Trailblazers
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The Lakers have had many memorable playoff moments since 2000, but this one takes the cake.
L.A. held a 3-1 series lead in the 2000 Western Conference Finals before losing back-to-back games.
In a crucial Game 7, Portland was on fire and held a 15-point fourth quarter lead. The Lakers refused to lose and fought back with an incredible 15-point run.
With less than a minute left, Kobe connected with Shaq on a perfectly-timed alley-oop to seal a Lakers victory. The win sent the Lakers to the Finals where they beat the Pacers in 6 games.
Prior to this game, the greatest comeback in a Game 7 was six points. This victory made history and laid the foundation for the Lakers dynasty.
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Love the Lakers? Check out my previous Lakers article—Phil Jackson: The Greatest NBA Coach of All Time
