Best Performances in a Finals Loss, Pre-2000

[Stringer Bell]

Since there was another thread for post-2000, might as well do one for before.

Obviously, Jerry West in 1969, winning FMVP, averaging 38 PPG.

Kareem in 1974, putting up 32, 12, and 5 a game and hitting the game winner in game 6.

Dr. J played very well in the 77' Finals against Portland. 30, 7, 5 on 54% FG. Unfortunately, Philly had too many ballhogs and had 1% of the team chemistry of Portland.

Isiah Thomas's famous game 6 in 1988 was pretty amazing.

Elgin Baylor averaged 41 and 18 in the 1962 Finals, including a 61 pt performance that put the Lakers up 3-2. Still the postseason scoring record for a non-overtime game. It must have been torturous to have been a Laker fan in the 60s with all the finals defeats, including game 7 defeats to Boston in 1962 (3 points), 1966 (2 points), 1969 (2 points). They also had HCA, 2-0 and 3-2 leads in 1969, and lost game 4 on a last second game winner by Sam Jones.

Rick Barry averaging 41 and 9 in the 6-game loss to Philly in 1967.

Kevin McHale put up 26 and 11 on 60% FG in the 1985 loss to the Lakers. He was having a monster game 6, keeping them in the game, but fouled out on a rather ticky-tack foul.

Kemp in 96' and Sprewell in 99' played very well. Spree was so explosive in the open court.

Despite the Magic being swept by Houston in 95', Shaq actually put up stats that were just as impressive as Hakeem. Unlike most of his team, Shaq did have a good series

[ImKobe]

Since there was another thread for post-2000, might as well do one for before.

Obviously, Jerry West in 1969, winning FMVP, averaging 38 PPG.

Kareem in 1974, putting up 32, 12, and 5 a game and hitting the game winner in game 6.

Dr. J played very well in the 77' Finals against Portland. 30, 7, 5 on 54% FG. Unfortunately, Philly had too many ballhogs and had 1% of the team chemistry of Portland.

Isiah Thomas's famous game 6 in 1988 was pretty amazing.

Elgin Baylor averaged 41 and 18 in the 1962 Finals, including a 61 pt performance that put the Lakers up 3-2. Still the postseason scoring record for a non-overtime game. It must have been torturous to have been a Laker fan in the 60s with all the finals defeats, including game 7 defeats to Boston in 1962 (3 points), 1966 (2 points), 1969 (2 points). They also had HCA, 2-0 and 3-2 leads in 1969, and lost game 4 on a last second game winner by Sam Jones.

Rick Barry averaging 41 and 9 in the 6-game loss to Philly in 1967.

Kevin McHale put up 26 and 11 on 60% FG in the 1985 loss to the Lakers. He was having a monster game 6, keeping them in the game, but fouled out on a rather ticky-tack foul.

Kemp in 96' and Sprewell in 99' played very well. Spree was so explosive in the open court.

Despite the Magic being swept by Houston in 95', Shaq actually put up stats that were just as impressive as Hakeem. Unlike most of his team, Shaq did have a good series

Dude

Hakeem:

33/12/6 with 2 spg 2 bpg (2.8 TOV) on 51%TS

Shaq:

28/13/6 with 2.5 bpg (5.3 TOV) on 61% TS

Shaq was a little more efficient at getting his points, but he turned the ball over way too much in that series and didn't play that well on the defensive end

And if you're saying that his teammates didn't play well, Penny averaged 26/5/8 on 50/46/91 shooting (64%TS)

Horace Grant averaged 14/12 on 55% TS

It's not like the team outside Shaq played like garbage, it's that they couldn't win the close games (Game 1 at home lost by 2, Game 3 at Houston lost by 3). Other games lost by 11 and 12 points. The series wasn't that lopsided, but Orlando just couldn't do it in the clutch, Houston had Horry, Cassell and Drexler to go to in crunch time, Magic basically only had Penny.