What Is an NBA Playoff Walk-Off?
For this page, a playoff "walk-off" is a game-winning play at the end
of regulation that also clinches the playoff series. The opposing team
does not get another possession and its season ends immediately.
That makes these plays considerably rarer than ordinary playoff
buzzer-beaters. A buzzer-beater can win any postseason game, but to
qualify for this list the same play must also eliminate the opponent
from the playoffs.
The list includes shots from the first round, conference semifinals
and conference finals, as well as different types of game-winning
plays ranging from layups and jump shots to three-pointers and free throws.
Complete List of Series-Clinching NBA Playoff Walk-Offs
| Player |
Team |
Opponent |
Game |
Year |
Round |
Shot |
Score |
Won Title? |
| Tom Heinsohn |
Celtics |
Warriors |
Game 6 |
1960 |
East Div. Finals |
Jump shot |
119-117 |
Yes |
| Jo Jo White |
Celtics |
Braves |
Game 6 |
1974 |
East Semi Finals |
Free throws |
106-104 |
Yes |
| Ralph Sampson |
Rockets |
Lakers |
Game 5 |
1986 |
West Finals |
Turn around Jump shot |
114-112 |
No |
| Derrick McKey |
Sonics |
Rockets |
Game 4 |
1989 |
West 1st round |
Lay-up |
98-96 |
No |
| Michael Jordan |
Bulls |
Cavaliers |
Game 5 |
1989 |
East 1st round |
Free throw line Jumper |
101-100 |
No |
| Michael Jordan |
Bulls |
Cavaliers |
Game 4 |
1993 |
East Semi Finals |
Free throw line Jumper |
103-101 |
Yes |
| John Stockton |
Jazz |
Rockets |
Game 6 |
1997 |
West Finals |
Corner Three pointer |
103-100 |
No |
| Damian Lillard |
Blazers |
Rockets |
Game 6 |
2014 |
West 1st round |
Corner Three pointer |
99-98 |
No |
| Damian Lillard |
Blazers |
Thunder |
Game 5 |
2019 |
West 1st round |
40 ft three pointer |
118-115 |
No |
| Kawhi Leonard |
Raptors |
76ers |
Game 7 |
2019 |
East Semi Finals |
Corner fall-away jumper |
92-90 |
Yes |
Walk-Off Records and Facts
Most by a Player
Michael Jordan — 2
Damian Lillard — 2
Most by a Franchise
Boston Celtics — 2
Chicago Bulls — 2
Portland Trail Blazers — 2
Only Game 7 Walk-Off
Kawhi Leonard
Raptors vs. 76ers — 2019
Longest Listed Shot
Damian Lillard
40-foot three-pointer — 2019
Earliest on the List
Tom Heinsohn
Boston Celtics — 1960
Most Recent on the List
Kawhi Leonard
Toronto Raptors — 2019
Famous Series-Ending Shots
Michael Jordan — "The Shot" — 1989
Chicago Bulls 101, Cleveland Cavaliers 100 — Game 5
Michael Jordan's jumper over Craig Ehlo became one of the defining
images of his early career. Cleveland had taken a 100-99 lead before
Jordan caught the inbound pass, drove to the foul-line area and hit
the series-ending jumper as time expired. The victory eliminated
Cleveland in the deciding fifth game of the first-round series.
Ralph Sampson — 1986 Western Conference Finals
Houston Rockets 114, Los Angeles Lakers 112 — Game 5
Houston entered the Western Conference Finals against the defending
champion Lakers and eliminated them when Ralph Sampson caught an
inbounds pass and converted a difficult turnaround jumper at the
buzzer. The victory sent Houston to the NBA Finals.
Michael Jordan — Cleveland Again — 1993
Chicago Bulls 103, Cleveland Cavaliers 101 — Game 4
Four years after his famous 1989 shot against Cleveland, Jordan again
ended the Cavaliers' season with a jumper from near the foul-line area.
The basket completed Chicago's sweep of Cleveland in the Eastern
Conference semifinals. The Bulls later won their third consecutive
NBA championship.
John Stockton Sends Utah to the Finals — 1997
Utah Jazz 103, Houston Rockets 100 — Game 6
John Stockton's three-pointer at the buzzer eliminated Houston and
sent the Utah Jazz to the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise
history. Stockton scored Utah's final nine points as the Jazz completed
a fourth-quarter comeback.
Damian Lillard Ends Portland's Long Wait — 2014
Portland Trail Blazers 99, Houston Rockets 98 — Game 6
With Portland trailing by two and less than one second remaining,
Damian Lillard came off a screen, caught the inbound pass and hit a
three-pointer to eliminate Houston. The victory gave Portland its
first playoff-series win since 2000.
Damian Lillard From Deep — 2019
Portland Trail Blazers 118, Oklahoma City Thunder 115 — Game 5
Lillard produced one of the longest and most memorable series-ending
shots in playoff history. With the score tied, he held the ball near
the center-court logo before launching a deep three-pointer over
Paul George as the clock expired. Lillard finished the game with
50 points and immediately waved goodbye to the Thunder after the shot.
Kawhi Leonard's Four-Bounce Game 7 Winner — 2019
Toronto Raptors 92, Philadelphia 76ers 90 — Game 7
With Game 7 tied at 90, Kawhi Leonard received the inbound pass,
dribbled toward the right corner and launched a high-arcing fadeaway
over Joel Embiid. The ball bounced around the rim before falling
through at the buzzer. The shot sent Toronto to the Eastern Conference
Finals and became the first Game 7 winning buzzer-beater in NBA history.
Players With Multiple Series-Clinching Walk-Offs
| Player |
Total |
Years |
Opponents |
| Michael Jordan |
2 |
1989, 1993 |
Cleveland Cavaliers, Cleveland Cavaliers |
| Damian Lillard |
2 |
2014, 2019 |
Houston Rockets, Oklahoma City Thunder |
Michael Jordan and Damian Lillard are the only players represented more
than once on this list. Jordan's two shots both eliminated Cleveland,
while Lillard ended series against Houston and Oklahoma City.
The similarity between their achievements is especially notable because
each player's walk-offs came several years apart. Jordan's came in 1989
and 1993, while Lillard's came in 2014 and 2019.
Game 7 Series-Clinching Buzzer-Beater
Kawhi Leonard's shot against Philadelphia in 2019 occupies a unique
place in NBA playoff history. It came in a winner-take-all Game 7,
meaning the shot simultaneously won the game, won the series and
eliminated Philadelphia from the postseason.
Toronto went on to defeat Milwaukee in the Eastern Conference Finals
and Golden State in the NBA Finals, giving the Raptors the first NBA
championship in franchise history.
Walk-Offs Followed by an NBA Championship
| Player |
Team |
Year |
Opponent Eliminated |
| Tom Heinsohn |
Boston Celtics |
1960 |
Warriors |
| Jo Jo White |
Boston Celtics |
1974 |
Braves |
| Michael Jordan |
Chicago Bulls |
1993 |
Cavaliers |
| Kawhi Leonard |
Toronto Raptors |
2019 |
76ers |
Four of the series-clinching plays on this page occurred during a
postseason that ultimately ended with the shooter's team winning the
NBA championship.
For the other six, the dramatic series-ending victory was followed by
elimination later in the postseason or a loss in the NBA Finals.
Series-Clinching Walk-Offs by Round
| Round |
Walk-Offs |
| First Round |
4 |
| Conference Semifinals |
3 |
| Conference / Division Finals |
3 |
Series-Clinching Walk-Offs by Decade
| Decade |
Total |
| 1960s | 1 |
| 1970s | 1 |
| 1980s | 3 |
| 1990s | 2 |
| 2000s | 0 |
| 2010s | 3 |
Series-Clinching Three-Pointers
| Player |
Team |
Opponent |
Year |
Shot |
| John Stockton |
Jazz |
Rockets |
1997 |
Corner three-pointer |
| Damian Lillard |
Blazers |
Rockets |
2014 |
Corner three-pointer |
| Damian Lillard |
Blazers |
Thunder |
2019 |
40-foot three-pointer |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a series-clinching buzzer-beater?
It is a game-winning play at the buzzer that also gives the winning
team the required number of victories to win the playoff series.
Who has the most series-clinching playoff buzzer-beaters?
Michael Jordan and Damian Lillard each have two on the list.
Has an NBA Game 7 ever ended on a buzzer-beater?
Yes. Kawhi Leonard's shot against Philadelphia in the 2019 Eastern
Conference semifinals won Game 7 and eliminated the 76ers.
Who hit the longest series-ending shot on this list?
Damian Lillard's 2019 shot against Oklahoma City is listed as a
40-foot three-pointer.
Has a player ended more than one playoff series against the same team?
Yes. Michael Jordan ended Cleveland's season at the buzzer in both
1989 and 1993.
Has an NBA Finals series ended on a buzzer-beater?
None of the series-clinching walk-offs listed on this page occurred
in the NBA Finals.
Related NBA Playoff History
