The Most Exciting Playoff Series of All Time

In the final series before his first retirement, Michael Jordan dominated Charles Barkley and the Phoenix Suns, averaging 41 points per game throughout the series. The series was a high-scoring affair and ended with John Paxson hitting a 3-pointer with less than four seconds left to give the Bulls a 99-98 victory in the sixth and final game of the series.

In 1964, the two most successful teams in MLB history squared off in a World Series for the ages. Mickey Mantle hit three home runs in the series and racked up eight RBIs, but it wasn’t enough to knock off the St. Louis Cardinals. The pitching staff, led by Bob Gibson, kept the Yankees lineup at bay and secured a game-seven win.

Going into the 1994 Stanley Cup Finals, the New York Rangers hadn’t won the Cup in over 50 years, and the Vancouver Canucks had never won the title. The first game of the Finals set the tone for the rest of the series. The Canucks won 3-2 in overtime of a hard-fought contest. The teams traded blows until the series evened at three games each, and the teams met for game seven in New York. After taking a 3-1 lead, the Rangers held on for dear life after the Canucks narrowed the margin to 3-2, clinching the Cup.

In the 2013 NBA Finals, LeBron James and the Miami Heat needed an incredible comeback down 10 points at the start of the fourth quarter of game six. Ray Allen hit a clutch 3-pointer to send the game to overtime, which Miami won. James scored 37 points in the decisive game seven to give the Heat their second straight title.

The 2019 Stanley Cup Finals presented an intriguing matchup — the six-time champion Boston Bruins against the St. Louis Blues, still searching for their first Stanley Cup. The teams were incredibly evenly matched, and the series went to game seven, where the Blues pulled away for a 4-1 victory to claim their first ever Stanley Cup.

The 1954 Stanley Cup Finals are notable because it was one of just two Finals series in NHL history in which the decisive game seven went into overtime. The Detroit Red Wings and Montreal Canadiens were the class of the NHL in the 1950s, consistently winning or at least appearing in the Finals. The Habs went down 3-1 in the series, before winning games five and six to force game seven. Tied 1-1 at the end of regulation, Tony Leswick finally ended the game with a goal in overtime to clinch the Cup for Detroit.

The 1987 Stanley Cup Finals between the Edmonton Oilers and the Philadelphia Flyers was one of the highest-scoring Finals in history, with the winning team notching at least three goals in each of the seven games. Rookie goaltender Ron Hextall performed admirably, posting a 15-11 record throughout the playoffs to win the Conn Smythe Trophy as the best player in the NHL playoffs. Unfortunately for him and the rest of the Flyers, they didn’t have Wayne Gretzky. The Great One notched two goals and nine assists in the series to get the Oilers the championship.

The Washington Senators and Pittsburgh Pirates played one of the closest World Series in baseball history in 1925. Three games were decided by just one run, and each contest was decided by four runs or fewer. After six low-scoring games, dominated by great pitching, the Senators shot out to a 6-3 lead in game seven. The Pirates stormed back, tying the game 6-6 in the seventh inning. The Senators retook the lead in the top of the 8th, but Pittsburgh drew a walk and hit three doubles in the bottom of the inning to take a 9-7 lead, which would be the game’s final score.

Down three games to two, the Houston Rockets narrowly survived a tough, physical game six against the New York Knicks, winning 86-84 on the strength of 30 points from Hakeem Olajuwon. The Rockets edged out the Knicks 90-84 in game seven to claim the first title in franchise history.

It’s rare that the intensity of an earlier round series can match or even surpass that of the Finals, but that is exactly what happened in 1994. On their way to the Stanley Cup title, the New York Rangers faced their rivals from across the Hudson River, the New Jersey Devils. The series had six total overtime periods and was bookended by double OT clashes in games one and seven. New York nearly won game seven 1-0 in regulation, but Valeri Zelepukin scored with 7.7 seconds left to force overtime. The Rangers prevailed thanks to a Stephane Matteau goal in the second OT.

The Boston Celtics have played the Lakers franchise in the NBA Finals an astounding 12 times, with Boston winning nine. Many of those clashes have gone down as some of the most thrilling series in NBA history. In 1984, Larry Bird willed the Celtics to victory, leading all players with 27.4 points, 14.0 rebounds, and 2.1 steals during the seven-game series.

With five one-run games, the 1975 World Series had fans on pins and needles. The Boston Red Sox may have thought they were the team of destiny when Carlton Fisk hit his iconic walkoff home run in game six to keep Boston’s hopes alive. Boston took a 3-0 lead in game seven, but Pete Rose and Cincinnati’s Big Red Machine wouldn’t be denied. Joe Morgan’s ninth inning RBI single gave the Reds a 4-3 lead in the game, and the Reds ended up winning the series.

The 1970 NBA Finals will forever be remembered for the heroic effort in game seven of Willis Reed, who played through a torn thigh muscle. Though Walt Frazier dominated that game with 36 points, Reed’s toughness and determination gave the Knicks the emotional boost they needed to win the tightly contested series.

The Montreal Canadiens had their backs against the wall several times during the 1971 Stanley Cup Finals. The Canadiens were down twice in the series, 2-0 and 3-2, to the Chicago Blackhawks, but they battled back each time to force a decisive game seven. Habs goaltender Ken Dryden saved 210 shots in the series for a 92.1% save percentage, earning the Conn Smythe honors. Montreal edged out Chicago 3-2 in game seven to win the Stanley Cup.

The 1966 NBA Finals were another classic Lakers-Celtics matchup that helped make the cross-country rivalry what it is today. Though Jerry West played brilliantly, averaging 33.9 points per game in the series, his Lakers were no match for the physical play of Bill Russell and the Celtics. In game seven, Russell scored 25 points and grabbed 32 rebounds to boost Boston to a 95-93 victory.

The Astros and Dodgers both won over 100 games in the 2017 regular season, so they came into the World Series evenly matched. That was evident on the field as five games were decided by one or two runs, including the now-legendary 10-inning game five shootout the Astros won 13-12. The Astros got to Dodgers pitcher Yu Darvish early in game seven, scoring five in the first two innings, and Houston’s bullpen shut the door to earn the franchise its first title.

The 2004 American League Championship Series is perhaps the greatest comeback in professional sports history. Down 3-0 in the series to their archrival New York Yankees, with the weight of an 86-year championship drought on their minds, the Boston Red Sox reeled off four straight wins to propel them to the World Series. Boston won game four in 12 innings and took 14 innings to win game five. By game seven, the Sox were scoring early and often, winning the clincher 10-3. The 2004 World Series was a snooze by comparison, with the Red Sox sweeping St. Louis to break their title drought.

The 1962 NBA Finals — the first ever Finals matchup between the Celtics and Lakers after the team moved to Los Angeles — was a thrilling offensive slugfest. Both teams topped 100 points in each of the seven games. The Lakers’ attack was spurred by Elgin Baylor and Jerry West, who averaged 40.6 and 31.1 points, respectively. But the Celtics carried a more balanced attack, with five players averaging double figures, helping Boston secure the NBA title with a 110-107 game seven win.

The Detroit Red Wings were heavily favored against the New York Rangers in the 1950 Stanley Cup Finals. But the Rangers showed toughness and tenacity, winning games four and five in overtime to earn a 3-2 lead in the series. But the Wings battled for a 5-4 win in game six. Game seven proved to be another high-scoring affair, and regulation ended at a 3-3 tie. After a scoreless first OT, George Gee assisted Pete Babando’s shot that beat Rangers goalie Charlie Rayner to win the Cup. It remains the only double OT game seven in Stanley Cup Finals history.

In 1969, Jerry West became the first ever NBA Finals MVP, even though his L.A. Lakers ended up losing in seven games to the Boston Celtics. This would be the sixth time the Lakers and Celtics faced off in the NBA Finals in the 1960s alone. The Celtics triumphed for their 10th title in 11 seasons thanks to a 108-106 game seven victory.

The Syracuse Nationals (now the Philadelphia 76ers) and the Ft. Wayne Pistons (now located in Detroit) played seven incredibly close games, all decided by no more than seven points, to settle the 1955 NBA Finals. The first title series of the shot clock era, the 1955 Finals featured high-scoring offenses and defense so tough it led to fights between players. Game seven was tied at 91 near the end of regulation, so the Pistons fouled George King, one of the Nats worst shooters. Still, he was able to hit a free throw to give Syracuse a 92-91 lead, then stole the ball to ice the victory.

The Atlanta Braves had the Minnesota Twins on the ropes in the 1991 World Series, leading three games to two. But the Twins narrowly edged out Atlanta in games six and seven to clinch the title. The 1991 World Series ended with just the second-ever extra inning game seven walkoff hit in World Series history. After nine scoreless innings, Gene Larkin hit an RBI single in the bottom of the 10th to win the World Series.

Going into the 1997 MLB postseason, few expected a Miami-Cleveland World Series. But the series proved to be thrilling, and the final game of the series went down as one of the most exciting in baseball history. The Indians took a 2-0 lead, but the Marlins were able to score one run in the seventh inning and another in the ninth to send the game to extra innings. Edgar Renteria hit an RBI single in the 11th inning — the third-ever walkoff in extra innings of game seven — to give the Marlins their first championship.

Decades later, the 1957 NBA Finals still ranks among the most thrilling contests in sports history. The Boston Celtics defeated the St. Louis Hawks in seven games to win their first title and launch a legendary dynasty. Four of the games were decided by just two points, including games six and seven. Game seven went to double overtime, which the Hawks nearly won several times, but they failed to hit their shots. Boston would go on to win 125-123.

Nearly a century later, the 1924 World Series ranks as the most exciting playoff series of all time. The series featured a dozen players who would go on to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. The Washington Senators and New York Giants played seven hard-fought, white-knuckle contests, each within four runs of each other. Such a close series required a game seven. Tied at three after nine innings, the Giants and Senators went into extras. Finally, in the bottom of the 12th inning, Earl McNeely lined a double into left, driving home Muddy Ruel and clinching the World Series.