I would say it is arguably the best finish to a playoff game by an individual player, 48 points 28 of the last 30 points including all the points in both overtimes. But Jordan's 55 points against Cleveland to win the series including that shot over Craig Eloh to end the series is still my favorite playoff performance ever.

Not even in the top 5...Maybe top 10 but even that is generous.

MJ's 63 against the Celtics comes to mind, his last game as a Bull at Utah too. Magics performance against the 76ers as a rookie. Hakeem devouring Robinson in 94. Those are just the top of my head...I'm sure there are many more, so no, not even top 10 for Lebron I'm afraid...

Meftical:

I would say it is arguably the best finish to a playoff game by an individual player, 48 points 28 of the last 30 points including all the points in both overtimes. But Jordan's 55 points against Cleveland to win the series including that shot over Craig Eloh to end the series is still my favorite playoff performance ever.

It all depends on if they end up winning this series. If they win it could be one of the greatest performances in the playoffs, but if they lose it wont matter.

Not to take anything away from his performance, but there were some veeeeeeeeery questionable calls, that went Lebrons way in O.T. I hate bringing up the NBA conspiracy theory, but it doesn't take a genius to see that the NBA has a heavy interest in Lebron going to the finals. He clearly charged on one, and pushed off on another.

But to answer the question, I think it would have to be somewhere in the top 5. I mean making the last 29 of 30, or whatever it was, was amazing.

What I love about Lebron, is the class he represents himself with. Though Kobe, and MJ to an extent, represented the majority of their teams offense, you never heard them give their teammates credit. Lebron is always the first to put his teammates on a pedestal, and I love that.

c3corvette:

Not to take anything away from his performance, but there were some veeeeeeeeery questionable calls, that went Lebrons way in O.T. I hate bringing up the NBA conspiracy theory, but it doesn't take a genius to see that the NBA has a heavy interest in Lebron going to the finals. He clearly charged on one, and pushed off on another.

But to answer the question, I think it would have to be somewhere in the top 5. I mean making the last 29 of 30, or whatever it was, was amazing.

What I love about Lebron, is the class he represents himself with. Though Kobe, and MJ to an extent, represented the majority of their teams offense, you never heard them give their teammates credit. Lebron is always the first to put his teammates on a pedestal, and I love that.

MJ barely gave his teammates credit?

I see the NBA has gotten into people's heads already

MBIII:

c3corvette:

Not to take anything away from his performance, but there were some veeeeeeeeery questionable calls, that went Lebrons way in O.T. I hate bringing up the NBA conspiracy theory, but it doesn't take a genius to see that the NBA has a heavy interest in Lebron going to the finals. He clearly charged on one, and pushed off on another.

But to answer the question, I think it would have to be somewhere in the top 5. I mean making the last 29 of 30, or whatever it was, was amazing.

What I love about Lebron, is the class he represents himself with. Though Kobe, and MJ to an extent, represented the majority of their teams offense, you never heard them give their teammates credit. Lebron is always the first to put his teammates on a pedestal, and I love that.

MJ barely gave his teammates credit?

I see the NBA has gotten into people's heads already

That was more Kobe than MJ. Seriously though, everytime a microphone is put into his face, he talks about his teammates, when it so clearly evident that it's a one man team. Thats just class my friend. Kobe could take a lesson or 2. And no, MJ did not do it to the extent that Lebron does, and MJ also had a lot more help than Lebron.

When Cleveland finds a "Pippen" for Lebron, there won't even be a need for the playoffs...unless everyone just wants to find out who's second best.

c3corvette:

MBIII:

c3corvette:

Not to take anything away from his performance, but there were some veeeeeeeeery questionable calls, that went Lebrons way in O.T. I hate bringing up the NBA conspiracy theory, but it doesn't take a genius to see that the NBA has a heavy interest in Lebron going to the finals. He clearly charged on one, and pushed off on another.

But to answer the question, I think it would have to be somewhere in the top 5. I mean making the last 29 of 30, or whatever it was, was amazing.

What I love about Lebron, is the class he represents himself with. Though Kobe, and MJ to an extent, represented the majority of their teams offense, you never heard them give their teammates credit. Lebron is always the first to put his teammates on a pedestal, and I love that.

MJ barely gave his teammates credit?

I see the NBA has gotten into people's heads already

That was more Kobe than MJ. Seriously though, everytime a microphone is put into his face, he talks about his teammates, when it so clearly evident that it's a one man team. Thats just class my friend. Kobe could take a lesson or 2. And no, MJ did not do it to the extent that Lebron does, and MJ also had a lot more help than Lebron.

Fact that Jordan had more help doesn't make him less of a team player. When Jordan matured into the great player he was, he always gave the ball up when he felt a teammate had a better chance to make a basket, even if it was a last second shot.

Jordan always gave props to Scottie, and he never made it more evident than when he only accepted to receiver his finals MVP in 97 if Pip would hold it up with him. He told him in front of the whole United Center "you're my MVP". The problem was that MJ was such a phenomenon individually that the media always glorified his own masterfull play instead of the way he brought the team together. Dennis Rodman had some of his best days as a pro with Chicago, and MJ always had good things to say about him to the media even though he was such a nutcase.

Lets not demean MJ just to play up Lebron please

BenGone:

When Cleveland finds a "Pippen" for Lebron, there won't even be a need for the playoffs...unless everyone just wants to find out who's second best.

Man, if that ever happens, it will be downright scary.

Starbuck:

BenGone:

When Cleveland finds a "Pippen" for Lebron, there won't even be a need for the playoffs...unless everyone just wants to find out who's second best.

Man, if that ever happens, it will be downright scary.

Just imagine if AI had gone to Cleveland instead of Denver...whoa.

I have thought this over, yes it is friday and I am bored at work. I would have to put this in the top 5 because; 1) It was a road game 2)everyone is riding him about being the next MJ 3) The pistons D is very good and he made them all look bad 4) He also had 9 REBS and 7 assists; the team only had about 13 assists total.

He played a complete game, he knew he had to take over and he did.

Top 5 is a slap in the face to all legends of this game...Put MJ aside. Think of Magic, Kareem, Bird, Wilt, Oscar, Julius, Hakeem, Karl, Moses etc..etc..etc...Take the best playoff game from every one of those guys, you'd have a top 10-20 list.

Calling last night top 5 all time is really disrespectful, and as a massive Bball fan for the past 21 years...I profoundly resent it. Let Lebron grow a little, let him be consistent, let him live up the his ridiculous nickname "king" that was given to him before he set foot in an NBA court...And then lets mention the words "all time" in the same sentence with his name.

It's an outrage!!

Probaly not, but to me it was.  I've only been watching basketball for about 5 years, and in my memory LeBron's performance was the greatest.

It is what it is. I don't care that he is young. I don't care if he's not a legend. We are talking about 1 performance in a playoff game, and that was one of the all time great performances.

The names you mentioned, certainly didn't score 29 of the last 30 team points. I am no Lebron apologist by any means, and barely watch him as a fan. However, I know what I saw last night, and it was "one" of the greats.

I'M NOT GONNA PUT IT IN THE FAV-5 IT MAY MAKE 10 OR 15.....IT WAS A HELL OF A PERFORMANCE....I WOULD PUT IT NUMBER 1 OF THIS DECADE...