Personal ESPNMay 16, 2023, 9:45 a.m. ET
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Like this yearNBA conference finalstake place withBoston CelticsoppositeMiami heatin the Eastern Conference and theDenver NuggetsoppositeLos Angeles Lakersin the West, we take a look back at the most impressive outings in this round, and go back in time as wellKareem Abdul-Jabbarup through last year's performances fromJimmy ButlerandLuka Doncic, using Basketball-Reference.com's game results archive.
Game Score, pioneered by John Hollinger, is a measure of a player's value in a single game that takes into account all elements of the box score from scoring efficiency and playmaking to rebounding and defensive impact. While imperfect, it quickly captures a player's baseline performance and allows us to compare conference finals going back to 1978 — the first year the NBA tracked individual turnovers.
Over that 45-year span of conference finals, we've highlighted the top 25 individual performances, 20 of which came in victories for their teams. How did each player fare and what did their heroics mean for the series and the NBA playoffs as a whole? Let's take a closer look at the best conference finals, highlighted by four fromLeBron Jamesand three from Michael Jordan.-- Kevin Pelton
1. Charles Barkley,Phoenix Suns| Spilscore: 47,1
1993 West final: Kamp 5 vs. Seattle SuperSonics
With Phoenix and Seattle tied at two games apiece, the Suns—who won a league-leading 62 games and had the NBA's Most Valuable Player in Barkley—came home for a crucial Game 5. What did Barkley do? He delivered a 43-point, 15-rebound, 10-assist triple-double in just 47 minutes to lead Phoenix to a 120-114 victory, one of two massive games Barkley would have to lead the Suns to his only Finals appearance. Hall of Fame career. It's hard to be more efficient than Barkley was in this game, going 16-for-22 from the field and a perfect 11-for-11 from the foul line while committing just three turnovers and sitting for just one full minute the night.-- Tim Bontemps
2. Dirk Nowitzki,Dallas Mavericks| 46,5
2011 West final: Game 1 vs.Oklahoma City Thunder
No one has ever scored more points with better efficiency in a playoff game than this masterpiece by Dirk Nowitzki during the Mavericks' 2011 title run. He opened the Western Conference Finals by scoring 48 points on 12-of-15 shooting from the floor and 24-of-24 from the line. "I thought we defended him as close as we can -- obviously too close," former Thunder coach Scott Brooks said. The Mavs had nine days off after sweeping the Lakers in the second round. Nowitzki used that time to hone his game, participating in several late-night shooting sessions with his longtime mentor, Holger Geschwindner. Nowitzki was so sharp that he made Kevin Durant's first 40-point playoff performance a mere footnote, setting the tone as Dallas held off Oklahoma City in five games.-- Tim MacMahon
3. Jimmy Butler, Heat | 45,9
East Finals 2022: Game 6 atBoston Celtics
With the season on the line and the Heat trailing 3-2 in the series, Butler stepped up in one of the best performances of his career. Butler finished with a career playoff-high 47 points (only to surpass that this postseason with 56 in Game 4 of the Heat's first-round series against the Bucks) and added nine assists, eight rebounds and four steals in Boston to force a match 7 .-- Andrew Lopez
4. Terry Porter,Portland Trail Blazers| 45,1
1992 West final: Game 2 vs.Utah Jazz
Because of teammateClyde Drexler(almost in MVP voting) and other star point guards in the West (including the opposite noJohn Stockton), Porter was often overlooked, but not tonight. Porter was nearly perfect from the field, making 12 of 14 shots (with four 3s, as many as the Jazz made) and 13 of 14 free throws to score 41 points. It remainsfewest shot attempts ever in a 40-point playoff gamein any round. Porter added seven assists and six boards with just one turnover as the Blazers cruised at home.-- Pelton
5. Charles Barkley, Suns | 45,0
1993 West final: Kamp 7 mod Seattle SuperSonics
With Phoenix's season on the line, Sir Charles delivered an iconic performance, pouring in 44 points to go with 24 rebounds to lift the Suns to a 123-110 victory over the SuperSonics. What stood out about this game was the sheer number of free throws attempted: 100 overall, including 64 by the Suns. Phoenix held a 57-28 advantage in freebies made in the game, with Barkley going 19-for-22 from the stripe to set up an NBA Finals showdown with Michael Jordan and the eventual championChicago Bulls.-- Good time
6. LeBron James,Cleveland Cavaliers| 44,7
East Finals 2009: Game 1 vs.Orlando Magic
This remains LeBron's best playoff performance by game score. James' 49 points were a playoff career high (not surpassed until 2018) and his third-highest total in a conference finals game. LeBron needed just 30 shots and 10 free throws, shot 67% from the field and dished out eight assists with three steals and two blocks. But after Orlando coach Stan Van Gundy told his players at halftime, "We're all witnesses," referring to James' Nike campaign, the Magic rallied to pull within one on a late Rashard Lewis 3-pointer. It was emblematic of a series Orlando won 4-2 despite LeBron's heroics throughout.-- Pelton
7. Jimmy Butler, Heat | 43,2
East Finals 2022: Kamp 1 mod Celtics
In Game 1 of the 2022 Conference Finals, Butler carried the Heat to a 118–107 victory that set the tone for the rest of the series. Butler had 41 points and nine rebounds, was 17-of-18 from the free throw line and also picked up four blocks and three steals. At the time, it was Butler's second-highest scoring playoff game. Now it's his fifth. -- Lopez
8. Michael Jordan, Bulls | 42,8
East Final 1989: Game 3 vs.Detroit Pistons
Despite trailing by 14 with just over seven minutes remaining, Jordan willed the Bulls to a 99-97 victory over the Detroit Pistons with an epic performance down the stretch, finishing with 46 points, seven rebounds, five assists and five steals . The "Bad Boy" Pistons got the better of Jordan at the end of the series, but this performance highlighted how much of a problem he was to guard, even for Detroit. Jordan scored 10 of his 17 points in the fourth quarter during a three-minute stretch down the stretch, soaring over two defenders includingDennis Rodman, to hit the game winner.-- Jamal Collier
9. Dirk Nowitzki, Mavericks | 42,3
2006 West final: Kamp 5 vs. Suns
Nowitzki's fourth-quarter scoring allowed him to finish with the only 50-point playoff performance of his career and put the Mavericks one win away from advancing to the franchise's first NBA Finals. Nowitzki outscored the Suns by a 22-20 margin in the final quarter, which featured a run of 15 straight points for the Mavs. Phoenix forward Shawn Marion, a standout defender who helped Dallas win the title five years later, was helpless against the sweet 7-footer. This gem came immediately after a Dirk dud as he had just 11 points on 3-of-11 shooting in the Mavs' Game 4 loss. "The last game, I never really found my rhythm," said Nowitzki, who was 14-of-26 from the floor and also grabbed 12 rebounds in the Game 5 win. "Today I just wanted to be aggressive no matter what happens."-- MacMahon
10. Michael Jordan, Bulls | 41,3
East Finals 1993: Game 4 vs.New York Knicks
The Bulls' first three-peat was in jeopardy after Chicago dropped the first two games of the conference finals on the road against the Knicks and with Michael Jordan struggling to start the series. New York's relentless defense had held Jordan to 32.5% shooting in the first three games, but Jordan responded with what has become one of his more underrated clutch playoff performances: a 54-point game on 18-of- 30 (60%) shooting against the best defense in the NBA to tie the series 2-2.-- Collier
11.James Harden, 2015Houston Rockets(41,0 spilscore)
12. Rajon Rondo, 2012 Celtics (41,0)
13.Nikola Jokic, 2023 Nuggets (39,8)
14.Chris Paul, 2021 Suns (39,6)
15. LeBron James, 2018 Cavaliers (38,8)
16. James Harden, 2015 Rockets (38,7)
17.Hakeem Olajuwon, 1994 Rockets (38,6)
18. LeBron James, 2007 Cavaliers (38.1)
19.Russell Westbrook, 2014 Thunder (38.0)
20. Luka Doncic, 2022 Mavericks (37,5)
21.Paul George, 2021LA Clippers(37,3)
22. LeBron James, 2020 Lakers (37,3)
23. Tim Duncan, 2003san antonio tracks(37,1)
24. Michael Jordan, 1998 Bulls (37.1)
25. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, 1980 Lakers (36.8)