A review of the upset games of the bottom teams in NBA history where the big teams lost to the giants

NBA history is full of classic battles in which the "bottom" defeated the wealthy families in a single game. These games are often full of drama and reflect the charm of basketball. Here are some very famous examples:

2001 NBA Finals Game 1: Philadelphia 76ers vs Los Angeles Lakers

Background: The Los Angeles Lakers are an absolute super giant, with a peak "OK combination" (O'Neal and Kobe). They swept the West with a terrifying record of 11 wins and 0 losses in the playoffs and entered the finals, with the goal of defending the title. The Philadelphia 76ers are led by the lone hero Allen Iverson. Although they are the Eastern Conference champion, their overall strength is huge and they are generally considered to be overwhelmed by the Lakers: This game can be regarded as one of the peak masterpieces of Iverson's career. He scored 48 points at Staples Center and scored 7 points alone in overtime. The most classic scene happened in overtime. Iverson knocked Tyron Lu down near the baseline and made a jump shot, then crossed directly from the fallen Lu (this picture becomes a classic NBA moment)

Result: The 76ers defeated the arrogant Lakers 107-101 after overtime, ending the Lakers' 11 consecutive wins in the playoffs.

Meaning: This is one of the greatest single-in-one performances in NBA Finals history and a classic interpretation of "David defeats Goliath". Although the 76ers eventually lost the series 1-4, this victory shattered the Lakers' dream of sweeping, proving Iverson's greatness

2019 NBA Finals Game 5: Toronto Raptors vs Golden State Warriors

Background: The Golden State Warriors are the defending champion, with a luxurious lineup of "Cosmic Brave" (although Durant missed the first four games due to injury), and are an absolute super giant. Although the Toronto Raptors are the Eastern Conference champion, they are not widely optimistic about defeating the Warriors before the finals. More importantly, the Warriors ushered in Durant's comeback in G5, but he was seriously injured again in the second quarter (Achilles tendon rupture) and left the court

Game: Durant's injury and leaving the court strife with a huge blow to the Warriors' morale. The Raptors were steadily under the leadership of Leonard. In the last moment of the game, the Warriors' Klay Thompson also left the court due to a torn cruciate ligament (he scored 30 points before leaving the court). When the Warriors lost the two cores, Curry's courage once pushed the score difference to 1 point

The results: The Raptors withstood the pressure and won 106-105 away.

Meaning: This game is full of tragic due to the successive serious injuries of the Warriors' two superstars. The Raptors seized the opportunity and ended the series at the Warriors' home court (Oracle Stadium), winning the first championship in the team history. For the Raptors, who were injured at the time and had relatively dim starlight in the lineup (compared to the Warriors), winning this key victory at home was definitely a huge upset (especially when Durant made the Warriors' comeback before the G5 game).

March 28, 2014 Regular season: Philadelphia 76ers vs Miami Heat

Background: The Miami Heat is the defending champion, the "Big Three" with the peak (James, Wade, Bosh), and is on the road to three consecutive championships. They carried the terrifying momentum of 27 consecutive victories at the time (the second longest winning streak in NBA history). The Philadelphia 76ers are a well-known "bad" team in the league, with a record of

matches: No one thinks that the 76ers can stop the Heat's winning streak. However, the 76ers team united and played extremely high defensive intensity and offensive efficiency. The game was extremely fierce and stalemate.

Result: The 76ers finally defeated the Heat 105-101 at home.

Meaning: This is one of the greatest finale games in NBA history. A recognized weak team ended the epic 27 consecutive wins of the defending champion and super giants, perfectly interpreting the true

of "NBA no weak team" and "Any Given Night (miracle can happen at any night)" November 28, 2009 Regular season: Charlotte Bobcats vs Cleveland Cavaliers

Background: The Cleveland Cavaliers have the peak LeBron James, one of the favorites to win the championship that season, is strong. The Charlotte Bobcats (now Hornets) are the new league team and have always been the bottom team in the league. They are weak in strength

Match: In this game, the Bobcats played a suffocating defense at home. They successfully limited James' performance (James scored only 13 points, one of the lowest in the season), and the team's offense blossomed in multiple points.

Result: The Bobcats defeated the Cavaliers 94-87.

Meaning: This is one of the most famous victories in the early history of the Bobcats. They proved with their tough defense that even the weakest team can beat the top team led by superstars on a given night.

March 7, 2016 Regular season: Los Angeles Lakers vs Golden State Warriors

Background: The Golden State Warriors are in a historic 73-9 season, and are the well-deserved league overlord and super giants. The Los Angeles Lakers are in a quagmire and are one of the worst teams in the league and are experiencing one of the worst periods in team history.

Match: Kobe Bryant seemed to dream back to his peak in this game, scoring the highest 38 points in the season. Under Kobe's leadership, the Lakers team was full of fighting spirit and fought with the Warriors until the last moment.

Result: The Lakers unexpectedly beat the Warriors 112-95 at home.

Meaning: This may be one of the biggest upsets in the regular season in NBA history. A bottom-ranked team with a winning rate of less than 20%, defeating the super team that is creating the best record in history (73 wins). This victory is full of emotion (Bryant's outbreak) and drama, and is a perfect combination of "the veteran's immortality" and "the upset of a weak brigade".

Summary:

The reason why these single-game upsets are classic is often that:

The huge strength/record contrast: There is a gap like a gap between the bottom and the giants..

Special situation: key playoff games, ending historic record, star milestone/explosion, unexpected injury to the opponent's core, etc.

Dramatic process and results: The game is often extremely fierce and stalemate, and the results are unexpected.

Eternal Memory Point: The birth of iconic images (such as Iverson crossing Lou), events (end 27 consecutive victories, 73 consecutive victories of the Warriors lose to the bottom team) or emotions (Bryant's farewell performance).

These games prove that in the NBA, you should never underestimate the heart of a champion (even in a weak team), and you should never ignore the possibility of "the place where miracles are born".