It started off with a 51-point effort by LeBron James in Game 1 of the NBA Finals. That was an eye-opening performance for the Cleveland Cavaliers, but it was not one that would lead to a victory.
Perhaps it would have if JR Smith had not had a brain freeze and thought the Cavaliers had the lead in the final seconds when the score was tied. The Golden State Warriors rolled in the overtime, and LeBron was anguished as a result of the near-miss that turned into a 124-114 loss.
In addition to his big scoring night, the King also had eight rebounds and eight assists.
By comparison, Kevin Durant's performance was quite mundane in the series opener. He scored 26 points with nine rebounds and six assists, and Durant made just eight of 22 shots.
Both players were relatively equal in Game 2 as James scored 29 points while Durant had 24, but both men were dynamic in Game 3 when the series moved to Cleveland.
While teammates Stephen Curry (3-of-16) and Klay Thomas (4-of-11) were struggling with their shooting, Durant was in spectacular form. He scored 43 points (15-of-23 from the field) with 13 rebounds and seven assists. James did his part as well, scoring 33 points and reaching triple-double status with 10 rebounds and 11 assists.
It was Durant's turn to get a triple-double in Game 4 as he scored 20 points with 12 rebounds and 10 assists in Golden State's 108-85 rout to complete the four-game sweep. James tallied 23 points with seven rebounds and eight assists, but his teammates offered little in support as the Warriors rolled to their third title in four years.
Both men were brilliant in the championship series, and Durant earned his second consecutive Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award. Durant averaged 28.8 points, 10.8 rebounds and 7.5 assists. James averaged 34.0 points, 10.0 assists and 8.5 rebounds.
Add Durant and James to a list of memorable and historic performances. Here's a look at five other series performances that have stood the test of time.
Walt Frazier, 1970 New York Knicks
Frazier had his biggest moment in Game 7 of the Knicks' series against the Los Angeles Lakers. That game is famous because Willis Reed started the game despite a torn thigh muscle and he scored New York's first two baskets as he limped up and down the court because of the injury.
But it was Frazier who did the heavy lifting as he scored 36 points and handed out 19 assists in the 113-99 victory, giving the Knicks their first NBA championship.
Bill Russell, 1962 Boston Celtics
Elgin Baylor, 1962 Los Angeles Lakers
There are a number of brilliant performances by Russell in the playoffs, but his focus was on the Celtics winning championships and not individual stats. He led them to 11 titles during a 13-year span, and his 1962 performance in Game 7 against the Lakers has stood the test of time.
The Celtics trailed the Lakers 3-2 after dropping Game 5 at home 126-121 as Baylor scored an NBA Finals-record 61 points. The Celtics rebounded with a 119-105 win in Los Angeles to square the series.
Game 7 was an epic contest that saw Baylor (41 points) and Jerry West (35) throwing bombs for the Lakers against Russell, Sam Jones (27) and Frank Ramsay (23). Russell scored 30 points, but it was his remarkable 40 rebounds that helped the Celtics win the game by a 110-107 margin in overtime and take the series.
Michael Jordan, 1997 Chicago Bulls
Just as there were several options with Russell, the same holds true for Jordan. However, his flu-ridden performance against the Utah Jazz in the pivotal Game 5 of the series.
He was battling dehydration and exhaustion, yet he scored 38 points and added seven rebounds as the Bulls won 90-88 at Utah. Two days later, the Bulls returned to Chicago and clinched the title with a 90-86 triumph as Jordan poured in 39 points.
Magic Johnson, 1980 Los Angeles Lakers
The Lakers led the Philadelphia 76ers by a 3-2 margin, but Los Angeles did not have star center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar available because of a severe ankle sprain.
Exuberant rookie Magic Johnson went to Abdul-Jabbar's spot at center and was simply magnificent. He scored 42 points, had 15 rebounds and handed out seven assists in the 123-107 victory.
It was the first of five NBA titles the Lakers won in the 1980s, and it may have the best overall performance in any NBA Finals game.
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