Ranking NBA Finals: Was Knicks vs. Spurs the Best Five-Game Series Ever?

After 53 long years, the New York Knicks once again NBA champions . The franchise's long-awaited third championship victory came in a thrilling five-game series against the Spurs. Every game came down to the wire, and the Knicks pulled out four victories, including the largest comeback in Finals history in Game 4.

And while it wasn't 29 points, the Knicks once again overcame a sizable deficit in their series-clinching win Saturday night in San Antonio. They trailed by as many as 16 in the game, and were down by 10 with eight minutes remaining.

While five-game series typically aren't remembered as classics, this one is an exception. The Spurs, after all, enjoyed double-digit leads in the first quarter of all five games. San Antonio's early dominance, however, was often undone by the Knicks down the stretch.

The 2026 NBA Finals was a compelling, entertaining series, but where does it rank among the other classic Finals in NBA history? To find that answer, we've compiled a complete ranking of each of the 80 NBA Finals that have been played.

Before we get to the rankings, here's a quick look at the criteria used when making the list.

- Overall competitiveness - Great individual performances - Memorable moments - Lasting legacy

Without further ado, let's get started by naming the greatest series in NBA Finals history.

1. 1984: Celtics over Lakers

- MVP: Larry Bird

After Bird called out his teammates, Kevin McHale changed the tone of the series when he clotheslined Kurt Rambis in Game 4. Down 2-1 at the time, the Celtics evened the series, then took a 3-2 lead following Bird's 34-point, 17-rebound performance in Game 5. The Lakers held serve at home, but they were unable to win on Boston's fabled parquet in Game 7. Robert Parrish crashed the boards for 16 rebounds, while Bird tallied 20 points and 12 boards in Boston's 111-102 win.

> On This Day: Larry Bird and the #Celtics took down the Showtime Lakers in Game 7 of the 1984 NBA Finals 🏆 pic.twitter.com/lF0tekAr6p — Celtics Direct (@CelticsDirect) June 12, 2018

While the series was a rocky one for Lakers star Magic Johnson, the Laker who committed the series' biggest error was James Worthy, whose nonchalant pass at the end of Game 2 (which was intercepted by Gerald Henderson ) prevented the Lakers from taking a commanding 2-0 series lead.

2. 2016: Cavaliers over Warriors

- MVP: LeBron James

Cleveland's 52-year championship drought ended in historic fashion. Down 3-1, the Cavaliers' rally began with 40-point efforts by both James and Kyrie Irving in Game 5. James keyed another win in Game 6 after putting up a stat line of 41 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds.

Like two exhausted boxers who had already thrown their best punches, the teams traded scoreless possessions for several minutes near the end of Game 7 before Irving drained the go-ahead 3-pointer with 53 seconds left. James' iconic block of Andre Iguodala moments earlier proved to be the defining moment of the series.

> Retweet if you remember this legendary block by Lebron James in Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals! 📽: (HouseOfHighlights) pic.twitter.com/sFwnK7d7og — ProCity Hoops (@ProCityHoops) November 21, 2016

The loss prevented the 73-9 Warriors from joining the 1995-96 Bulls in the conversation among the best teams in NBA annals. Golden State fans are probably still not over the NBA's decision to suspend Draymond Green for Game 5 following his on-court altercation with James.

3. 1969: Celtics over Lakers

- MVP: Jerry West

With the dynasty on its last legs, Bill Russell's Celtics had just enough gas left in the tank to defeat the Lakers in the Finals for a seventh time. This one was especially painful for Los Angeles, which had inflated hundreds of balloons prior to tipoff in anticipation of a championship victory.

Trailing 3-2, the Celtics won Game 6 behind Russell's 19 rebounds. Ahead 103-102 late in Game 7, the Celtics received an all-time break when Don Nelson's midrange shot dropped through the net after it kicked high off the rim.

Boston took advantage of Wilt Chamberlain's conspicuous absence in the game's final minutes. West, who averaged nearly 38 points during the series, became the only player from a losing team to win Finals MVP. It was the 11th and final championship of Russell's 13-year NBA career.

4. 2013: Heat over Spurs

- MVP: LeBron James

After an exciting Game 1 (won by the Spurs ), both teams traded decisive wins over the next four games. Ahead 3-2 in the series, the Spurs built a 13-point lead late in the third quarter of Game 6. That's when things got interesting.

Led by James, the defending champions mounted a furious comeback, as Miami took the lead on a Ray Allen layup with 6:03 left. Five quick points by Tony Parker, however, gave San Antonio a 93-89 lead with under 40 seconds remaining. San Antonio then tightened its grip on the series when Manu Ginobili made a free throw with 28 seconds to go.

With the sidelines roped off in anticipation of a Spurs celebration, the Heat kept hope alive after James buried a 3-pointer with 22.9 seconds left. After Kawhi Leonard made one of his two free throws, the Heat turned to James to tie the game. James missed, but Chris Bosh , after grabbing a critical rebound, found Allen, who tied the score with one of greatest shots in Finals history. The Heat prevailed in overtime, and took the series in Game 7 behind James' 37-point performance.

> When Ray Allen came up clutch in Game 6 🔥 Tonight, we’re re-airing Games 6 & 7 of the 2013 Finals on ESPN at 7 & 9:30 PM ET. pic.twitter.com/WHLmeHYb4K — ESPN (@espn) April 8, 2020

5. 1962: Celtics over Lakers

Three years after sweeping the Minneapolis Lakers in the Finals, the Celtics faced the Lakers in the Finals for the first time since the franchise moved to Los Angeles in 1960. In an evenly matched series, the Lakers had a chance to win it with seconds remaining in Game 7. But after Frank Selvy's 12-foot shot did not fall for the Lakers, the Celtics pulled ahead in OT and never looked back, winning their fifth title in six seasons.

In defeat, Elgin Baylor put his imprint on the series; he scored 284 points in the series that included his Finals single-game record 61 points in Game 5. Russell also made history by pulling down 189 rebounds for a seven-game series. In Game 7, he also matched his Finals single-game record by recording 40 rebounds in Boston's 110-107 win.

6. 1970: Knicks over Lakers

- MVP: Willis Reed

The iconic scene of an injured Reed coming out of the tunnel for Game 7 is the lasting image of a memorable series. Led by Reed, the emotionally charged Knicks recorded a 113-99 win behind Walt Frazier's 36 points. In a losing effort, the Lakers received a sterling effort by Chamberlain, who averaged 23.3 points and 24.1 rebounds for the series. The Big Dipper struggled at the line, however, as he made just 34.3% of his shots from the charity stripe.

> On this day in 1970... The Captain Returns! Willis Reed fought back from injury to play in Game 7 of the NBA Finals and inspire the Knicks win! #NBA75 pic.twitter.com/xAI4tc1w0n — NBA History (@NBAHistory) May 8, 2022

7. 1998: Bulls over Jazz

- MVP: Michael Jordan

Despite the Bulls' dominance throughout the '90s, many pundits picked the Jazz, who put up a valiant effort in a six-game series against Chicago in the '97 Finals, to win the rematch. Those predictions appeared to be prophetic following Utah's overtime win in Game 1. Chicago, led by Jordan's 37 points, rallied to win Game 2 to salvage an early split in Utah.

No one expected the outcome of Game 3. The Bulls' dominant yet underrated defense allowed a mere 54 points in a 42-point win. Chicago then built 3-1 series lead in Game 4 behind Dennis Rodman's 14 rebounds. Showing their resolve, the Jazz extended the series with a win in Game 5, as Karl Malone led the way with 39 points.

Game 6 was a classic. In a back-and-forth duel, the Jazz took a three-point lead on John Stockton's 3-pointer with 41 seconds left. In what was his final sequence with the Bulls, Jordan responded with a quick layup, then stripped Malone on Utah's ensuing possession. With the game clock ticking down, Jordan took his time before driving on Byron Russell, stopping and hitting a 17-foot shot with 5.2 seconds left. Chicago then withstood a final, game-winning attempt by Stockton to win its sixth title of the decade.

Jordan scored 45 points in Game 6, while the Bulls received a herculean effort from Scottie Pippen, who played nearly 26 minutes despite a painful back injury. Chicago was plus-16 with Pippen on the floor in its series-clinching win.

> (1998) Michael Jordan in the last minute of the NBA Finals Game 6: 6 points [2/2 FG + 2/2 FT], 1 steal, 1 game winner. ICONIC. 🎞 pic.twitter.com/IBVGFS19nX — Timeless Sports (@timelesssports_) March 7, 2020

8. 1985: Lakers over Celtics

- MVP: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Of their 17 championships, this one is inarguably the Lakers' sweetest. After eight Finals losses to Boston (including 1984), Los Angeles finally got the better of its longtime rival. In the process, the Lakers became the first visiting team to win a title in the Boston Garden.

Boston picked off where it left off the previous Finals in Game 1, dismantling Los Angeles 148-114 in a game that was dubbed "The Memorial Day Massacre." It was a particularly rough game for Abdul-Jabbar, whose poor outing led to many media members declaring his demise. The 38-year-old center played with rage in Game 2, scoring 30 points and pulling down 17 boards in a 109-102 win.

With the series tied at 2-2, Abdul-Jabbar's 36 points powered Los Angeles to a Game 5 win. Despite McHale's 32-point, 16-rebound effort in Game 6, the Celtics were unable to keep pace with the Showtime Lakers, as Johnson's triple-double and Abdul-Jabbar's 29 points keyed Los Angeles' series-clinching win.

9. 1988: Lakers over Pistons

- MVP: James Worthy

A classic duel between an unstoppable force against an immovable object. While the Lakers still led the West, the Pistons toppled the Celtics as the beasts of the East. The "Bad Boys" strode into Game 1 of the '88 Finals and walked off the court with a convincing 105-93 win. The Lakers responded with back-to-back wins, the second win coming in front of a packed house inside the Pontiac Silverdome.

The Pistons turned up the physicality in Games 4 and 5, and the result was two wins and a 3-2 series lead. Back in L.A. for Game 6, the Pistons received an all-time effort by Isiah Thomas, whose 25 third-quarter points remains an NBA Finals record for one quarter.

Despite Thomas' brilliance, the Lakers took a 103-102 lead with 14 seconds left. Los Angeles forced Game 7 after Joe Dumars missed a short runner in the game's final seconds. The Lakers received big nights from Worthy and Johnson, the latter living up to his nickname with 22 points and 19 assists.

With Thomas dealing with an ankle injury, the Pistons gave the Lakers all they could handle in Game 7. Trailing 88-73 with 10:38 left, Chuck Daly's team rallied to make it a two-point game with 1:16 remaining. Detroit was unable to complete the comeback, however, as Thomas missed a jumper that would have tied the score with just over 30 seconds remaining.

"Big Game" James (36 points, 16 rebounds in Game 7) was the right choice for series MVP, but forward A.C. Green deserves mention as he led both teams in rebounding in four of the seven games. It was the fifth and final title for the Showtime Lakers, whose victory over the Pistons made them the first back-to-back champion since the 1968-69 Celtics.

10. 2026: Knicks over Spurs

- MVP: Jalen Brunson

This was the greatest five-game series in NBA Finals history, and it isn't really close.

The series will mostly be remembered for two things: the Knicks finally ending their championship drought and their historic comeback in Game 4 . But what also shouldn't be forgotten was how competitive and enterta

_Originally reported by [CBS Sports](https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/ranking-every-nba-finals-knicks-spurs/)._