Biggest Upset Wins in NBA History
Nothing quite encapsulates the allure of sports’ unpredictable nature like a huge upset.
Seeing an underdog defeat a titan creates moments that fans will never forget in the NBA, where talent and star power typically win out.
These unexpected wins serve as a reminder that even the most loaded rosters and stellar regular season records can be overcome with a little bit of luck, strategy, and heart.
While some upsets take place over the course of a series, with the underdog fighting their way to an unlikely victory, others occur in a single game.
This list of 14 of the most stunning upset victories in NBA history demonstrates that anything can happen in basketball when the stakes are high.
2007 Warriors over Mavericks
The 2006-07 Golden State Warriors pulled off what’s widely regarded as the greatest upset in NBA playoff history.
The eighth-seeded Warriors, who finished just 42-40 in the regular season, knocked out the top-seeded Dallas Mavericks who had won 67 games and featured MVP Dirk Nowitzki.
The Warriors won all three home games at Oracle Arena, feeding off one of the loudest and most energetic crowds the league has ever seen, and closed out the series in six games.
Baron Davis averaged 25 points per game while Stephen Jackson dropped 33 in the clinching blowout victory, but it was the deafening home crowd energy and relentless pace that truly overwhelmed Dallas and made the We Believe Warriors era legendary in Bay Area basketball lore.
2016 Cavaliers over Warriors
Cleveland accomplished something that had never been done before by becoming the first team to overcome a 3-1 deficit in the NBA Finals.
The Warriors had just finished with the best regular season record ever at 73-9, making them overwhelming favorites to repeat as champions. LeBron James delivered back-to-back 41-point performances in Games 5 and 6 to force a Game 7, then made one of the most iconic defensive plays in Finals history with a chase-down block on Andre Iguodala in the closing minutes.
Kyrie Irving hit the dagger three-pointer over Curry with under a minute left, giving Cleveland its first championship in franchise history and ending a 52-year title drought for the city.
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1994 Nuggets over SuperSonics
Denver made history by becoming the first eighth seed ever to defeat a top seed in the NBA playoffs.
The Seattle SuperSonics had won 63 games and boasted stars like Gary Payton, Shawn Kemp, and Detlef Schrempf, while the Nuggets barely squeaked into the postseason with just 42 wins.
After losing the first two games by double digits, Denver stormed back to win three straight, including two overtime thrillers, behind incredible performances from Dikembe Mutombo, LaPhonso Ellis, and Reggie Williams.
The image of Mutombo lying on his back clutching the basketball after the final buzzer became one of the most iconic moments in playoff history, cementing this as a watershed moment that proved eighth seeds could actually win.
1969 Celtics over Lakers
The aging Boston Celtics were massive underdogs heading into the 1969 Finals against a Lakers superteam that featured Wilt Chamberlain, Mr. West, and Elgin Baylor. Boston had finished just 48-34 during the regular season as a fourth seed, the worst record of the Bill Russell era, while the Lakers posted the league’s best mark at 55-27.
Russell was 35 years old with bad knees, and many thought the dynasty was over.
The Celtics fell behind 2-0 before rallying to force Game 7 in Los Angeles, where Lakers owner Jack Kent Cooke had already hung thousands of balloons from the rafters for a planned championship celebration.
Boston won 108-106 in hostile territory to capture their 11th title in 13 years in Russell’s final game, making them the first and still the only fourth seed to ever win the Finals.
2011 Mavericks over Heat
LeBron James had just joined Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in Miami, and the entire basketball world expected the new Big Three to cruise to a championship.
The Heat had won 58 games and looked unstoppable heading into the Finals against the 57-win Dallas Mavericks. After Miami took a 2-1 series lead, Dirk Nowitzki took over and willed his team to three straight victories despite playing through illness and injury.
He averaged 26 points in the series while thoroughly outplaying LeBron in the process, and his legendary performance became the defining factor in one of the biggest Finals upsets ever.
The loss left a lasting mark on James’ legacy until he finally won his first ring the following year, while Dallas celebrated their first championship in franchise history.
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2004 Pistons over Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers were overwhelming favorites to win their fourth championship in five years, having added future Hall of Famers Karl Malone and Gary Payton to a roster that already featured Shaq and Kobe.
The Detroit Pistons didn’t have a single superstar but relied on team chemistry, suffocating defense, and contributions from guys like Chauncey Billups, Rip Hamilton, Ben Wallace, and Tayshaun Prince.
Detroit stunned LA by winning the series in five games, holding the Lakers to just 68 points in Game 3 and proving that defensive cohesion and depth could trump individual talent.
The upset effectively ended the Lakers dynasty, with Shaq traded to Miami that summer and Phil Jackson leaving coaching temporarily.
2011 Grizzlies over Spurs
Memphis had never won a single playoff game in franchise history before this series, going 0-12 in postseason contests.
The eighth-seeded Grizzlies faced a battle-tested San Antonio squad that had won 61 games and featured Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobili.
The young Grizzlies core of Marc Gasol, Zach Randolph, Mike Conley, and Tony Allen used their size and grit to overwhelm the Spurs in six games.
Randolph averaged 21.5 points and 9.2 rebounds per game, and the upset not only broke Memphis’ playoff curse but sparked an eight-year playoff run that established the franchise as a legitimate Western Conference contender built on toughness and defense.
1999 Knicks over Heat
The lockout-shortened season created plenty of chaos, but the eighth-seeded New York Knicks shocking the top-seeded Miami Heat still ranks among the great upsets.
With only a 50-game regular season, questions remained about whether these seeds truly reflected team quality, but the rivalry between these teams was undeniably at its peak.
Pat Riley coached against his former team led by his ex-assistant Jeff Van Gundy in a series dripping with animosity.
Allan Houston sealed the five-game series with a running floater in the lane that bounced off the front of the rim, caromed off the glass, and finally dropped through, sending the Knicks to the second round and eventually all the way to the Finals.
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1987 SuperSonics over Mavericks
Seattle barely made the playoffs with a losing record of 39-43, sneaking in as the eighth seed in the West.
The second-seeded Dallas Mavericks had won 55 games and looked ready to make a deep playoff run.
After losing Game 1, the Sonics rattled off three straight wins to complete the upset, catching Dallas completely off guard with their speed and energy.
Seattle continued their improbable run by knocking off Hakeem Olajuwon and the Houston Rockets in the second round before eventually losing to the Lakers in the conference finals.
1975 Warriors over Bullets
Golden State swept the heavily favored Washington Bullets in one of the most shocking NBA Finals upsets ever.
The Bullets had the better regular season record and home court advantage, but Rick Barry and the Warriors dominated from start to finish.
Game 4 at the Capital Center featured chaos when a brawl erupted, but once order was restored, Barry hit the decisive shots as Golden State prevailed 96-95 to claim an unlikely championship.
The sweep remains one of the most lopsided Finals upsets in league history.
1995 Rockets over Spurs
The sixth-seeded Houston Rockets were defending champions but entered the playoffs as underdogs against the top-seeded San Antonio Spurs who had won 62 games behind MVP David Robinson.
The Spurs had only lost two games combined in the first two rounds and looked unstoppable heading into the conference finals. Instead, Hakeem Olajuwon absolutely dominated Robinson in their head-to-head matchup, averaging 35.3 points and 12.5 rebounds per game in the series.
Houston went on to become the lowest seed ever to win an NBA championship, knocking off multiple elite teams along the way in one of the most improbable title runs ever.
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1984 Nets over 76ers
The defending champion Philadelphia 76ers were expected to roll through the playoffs again, but the New Jersey Nets pulled off a stunning first-round upset.
In one of the strangest series in playoff history, the road team won every single game, with neither squad able to protect home court.
The Nets closed it out with a 101-98 victory in Game 5, shocking the basketball world by eliminating the reigning champs, though they were bounced in the next round.
1989 Bulls over Cavaliers
Michael Jordan delivered one of the most iconic moments in NBA history even though his Bulls were clear underdogs against Cleveland.
Chicago had finished 10 games behind the Cavs in the standings, and Cleveland had gone a perfect 6-0 against the Bulls during the regular season.
The teams alternated wins through four games before Jordan hit The Shot over Craig Ehlo at the buzzer in Game 5, capping a 44-point performance with one of the most famous jumpers ever.
While this was more about a single legendary moment than a drawn-out series upset, it marked a crucial turning point for Jordan and the Bulls dynasty that would dominate the 1990s.
2023 Heat over Bucks
With a 44-38 record, Miami narrowly missed out on the playoffs as the eighth seed, while Milwaukee, led by Giannis Antetokounmpo, had the best record in the league (58-24).
Though it’s important to remember that Giannis missed several games due to injury, which had a big impact on Milwaukee’s chances, the Heat shocked the Bucks in five games during the first round.
A deep Miami roster led by Jimmy Butler reached its zenith at the ideal moment, demonstrating once more that chemistry and playoff experience can occasionally be more important than dominance in the regular season.
Before losing to Denver, the Heat rode that momentum all the way to the Finals.
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When Underdogs Bite Back
These upsets are particularly noteworthy because the NBA has always been a star-driven league where the best teams typically win.
Regular season records do not ensure postseason success, as demonstrated by the Warriors’ We Believe magic and LeBron’s historic comeback against the 73-win Warriors.
When everything is on the line, momentum, matchup advantages, home court energy, injuries, and clutch performances can all work together to level the playing field.
These 14 upsets altered franchise paths, established legacies, and served as a reminder to all onlookers that the underdog always has a chance when the chips are down.
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