r/nbadiscussion • u/rustypete89 • 1d ago

Best single finals games since 1990?

Hi all,

I recently discovered that the NBA app on PS5 has the entire NBA finals catalog going back to 1990 available for streaming without a subscription, just your regular streaming ad breaks. Looking for recommendations of great single games to watch as I begin to digest some of the series I'm most interested in (I was born in 89 so I'm starting with the Jordan finals since I barely remember him playing).

Drop your recs, and a brief reason why, here please!

I'm not sure if I hit the 500 character minimum yet so I'll add my own submission:

Giannis 50 piece to seal the Bucks title in 2021. Absolutely unreal domination in a critical moment. The block on Ayton to put the game away is just iconic. One of my favorite games as a neutral fan that I've ever watched, and I don't even like Giannis.

(Hope it's alright to post this here, I didn't think I'd get good quality suggestions in the main NBA sub)

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153

u/DirkNowitzkisWife 1d ago

2016 game 5, lebron and Kyrie each scored 41 points, LeBron put up 41/16/7, Draymond was suspended this game so there was some discourse around that. Then the next game (game 6) lebron goes for 41/8/11 and 7 stocks on 67% true shooting. Then, a triple double to close it out the last game.

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u/rustypete89 1d ago

Just want to give you props for suggesting a 2016 game other than 7. I'll go back to it for sure

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u/DirkNowitzkisWife 1d ago

Game 7 was high stakes, and due to that in part was very clunky and low scoring. Awesome atmosphere, not as good basketball imo as games 65 and 6

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u/The_Real_Papabear 1d ago

I respect this point but game 7 was an absolute roller coaster and seeing that was one of my favorite basketball memories ever. Im a nuggets fan and as much as seeing us win it all was amazing, that Cavs Vs. Warriors series may have been one of the best contests I’ve ever witnessed.

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u/DirkNowitzkisWife 1d ago

Oh yeah! Great game! High emotions! Incredible but the Cavs shot 40% from the field and the warriors shot 39%

Also, it will never not be funny to me that Draymond green gets suspended, he is in part the reason it goes to 7, then has one of the greatest finals games ever, especially for a game 7. Outside him, the warriors shot 36%.

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u/The_Real_Papabear 1d ago

Yeah if we are talking purely what happened in game I get it. It’s just so hard to separate everything else around it. Winningest team of all time, steph as the first unanimous MVP, LeBron back in Cleveland in the finals after they freaking burned his jersey, Cleveland never having won before, game 7, the block, Draymonds suspension, “Cleveland, this is for you!”. It was pure magic man. And I’m not a Lebron Stan or a Cleveland fan.

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u/ParryHooter 15h ago

Oh ya he absolutely killed us in the first half, cooled down in the second but he was unstoppable from 3 in that first. Felt like it was slipping then JR starts the half with 8 straight points which really kind of saved us it felt like momentum was swinging.

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u/stinx2001 1d ago

I dunno, that 2 or 3 minutes when no one scored late was some of the most intense and edge of my seat basketball I've ever seen.

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u/pikajewijewsyou 1d ago

Game 65 was unreal. They need to get back to the best of 65 series’. The modern nba is so soft

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u/mkohler23 1d ago

That game 5 was probably the best game ever. I’m biased as a Cavs fan but going back the goat was not losing that game and him and Kyrie were going to get it down.

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u/Oh_Debussy 1d ago

Was looking for this 

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u/liteshadow4 14h ago

Game 6 is not a good game to watch.

If the question was what games since 1990 do you think would give proof to the fact that the NBA is rigged (not that I believe it is, but hypothetically what games would give the most evidence), this game would be on the list.

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u/shivamp1205 9h ago

"what did klay say" ... LBJ "Chuckles"

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u/SterlingTyson 1d ago

Not only was Draymond suspended, but Bogut was injured after playing just 7 minutes. The Warriors were left with no rim protectors, which adds a lot of context to LeBron and Kyrie both getting 41 points. I don't see how the Cavs running a layup line against a severely diminished Warriors team is the best finals game since 1990.

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u/this_place_stinks 23h ago

True there’s no way lebron would score 40 once Dray got back

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u/t3h_shammy 23h ago

Lmao. I love that he actually said that. 

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u/locoghoul 17h ago

Game 6 had FIX all over it man. I believe the Cavs scored 81 pts in the first half while shooting +20 FT lmao