Inventory: Top 10 Most Heartbreaking Knockouts in the NBA Playoffs

Losing in the NBA playoffs is always unacceptable for teams and fans, but here are the top 10 most heartbreaking knockouts rankings. The NBA playoffs are the most difficult stage in the team's battle for the championship. It contains many critical moments of success or failure that may change the pattern. Unfortunately, even the best teams in the league failed to win the championship. Here are the top 10 most heartbreaking knockout match rankings in the NBA playoffs.

1. As the defending NBA champion in the 2015-16 season, the Golden State Warriors achieved a historic 73 wins and 9 losses in the regular season. They beat opponents in the West, including a 3-1 back-off win over the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference Finals.

In the NBA Finals rematch with the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Warriors once led 3-1. Unfortunately, the Warriors eventually handed over the lead to the Cavaliers. In Game 7, the Cavaliers narrowly won 93-89 with key performances from LeBron James and Kyrie Irving. This is the first time in NBA history that a team led 3-1 in the Finals but was reversed.

2. The San Antonio Spurs

As the second strongest team in the Western Conference entered the playoffs, the San Antonio Spurs were unstoppable, enough to prevent the Miami Heat from defending their title. In fact, in the 2013 NBA Finals, the Spurs once led 3-2. However, it was heartbreaking that Ray Allen made a 3-pointer to equalize the score in the regular season, dragging the game into overtime, laying the groundwork for Game 7. Ultimately, the San Antonio Spurs lost all momentum and the Miami Heat defended the NBA championship at their cost.

3. 2018-19 Philadelphia 76ers

The Philadelphia 76ers have been on the verge of winning the championship since the “Process” era was announced. In the 2018-19 season, the Sixers seemed to be heading towards their goal. However, in Game 7, Philadelphia played against the Toronto Raptors, they made Kawhi Leonard shoot a notorious winning goal that bounced four times on the rim, breaking Philadelphia fans and star Joel Embiid burst into tears.

4. In the 2001-02 season, the Sacramento Kings and the Los Angeles Lakers fought fiercely. The series hit seven tough games, and the Kings were closer to entering the NBA Finals than ever before. Unfortunately, this playoff showdown is also full of controversy, and the poor referee penalty is an important reason why the Sacramento Kings ultimately missed the championship ring.

5. The Portland Trail Blazers in the 1999-2000 season

Lakers met again in the Western Conference Finals, which happened in the 2000 NBA playoffs. At that time, the Portland Trail Blazers led by Avidas Sabonis led by the Portland Trail Blazers at one point led by 15 points before the fourth quarter of Game 7. However, Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal teamed up to stage a miraculous reversal, breaking the hearts of the "Tear City" fans, and they eventually joined hands with the Lakers to win the first championship in three consecutive championships.

6. The Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2015-16 season has been eager to return to the NBA Finals since 2012. In the 2016 Western Conference Finals, they led the 73-9 Warriors with an absolute advantage of 3-1 and nearly won the championship. But the Warriors dragged the game into Game 7, before Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson joined forces to complete the reversal with a hot shot, ending Kevin Durant's career at Oklahoma City.

7. 1986-87 The Detroit Pistons

In the 1987 Eastern Conference Finals, the two teams tied 2-2, and the competition in the NBA Finals between the Detroit Pistons and the Boston Celtics was extremely fierce. The Pistons were one point ahead in the fourth quarter, but Larry Bird's key steal created one of the iconic steals, helping the Celtics win Game 5 with a score of 108-107. Ultimately, the Boston Celtics defeated the Pistons in seven games.

8. After the Seattle Supersonics

After the Chicago Bulls completed three consecutive championships and Michael Jordan temporarily retired, under the leadership of Sean Camp, the Seattle Supersonics made rapid progress in the playoffs and became one of the favorites to win the championship. The 63-19-lost Supersonics look unstoppable, at least after the first two games of the playoffs.

They led 2-0 in the first round of the playoffs, but then the No. 8 seed Denver Nuggets fought back with three consecutive wins, preventing the Seattle Supersonics from entering the playoffs in a shocking way. This is the first time in NBA history that the No. 8 seed team eliminated the No. 1 seed team in the first round.

9. After the Golden State Warriors joined the 2018-19 season, the Warriors established a dynasty and won the NBA championship for two consecutive years. In another dominant season, the Golden State Warriors are in a great position to complete three consecutive championships. Unfortunately, the Raptors blocked their way. Under Kawhi Leonard, the Warriors were completely defeated in six games. Klay Thompson and Durant both suffered career-threatening injuries that changed the Warriors' record in the series, and the Warriors failed to recover from injuries.

10. In the 2011-12 season, the Chicago Bulls

After becoming the youngest MVP in NBA history, Derek Ross is expected to lead the Chicago Bulls to achieve new glory. In fact, he just led the Bulls to win the title of the top seed in the East with a record of 50 wins and 16 losses. However, in the first game of the first round, the Chicago Bulls were a long way ahead, but Rose was absent due to a serious knee injury and his career came to an abrupt end. Since then, the Bulls are in a much worse form, with the eighth seed Philadelphia 76ers seizing Rose's absence and eliminating the top seed in the East.