Top 10 clutch plays in NBA history

#3 Earvin "Magic" Johnson Vs The Boston Celtics - NBA Final, Game 4 (1987)

Magic Johnson's baby hook against the Boston Celtics in Game 4 of the 1987 Finals. (Image courtesy: nba.com)

The 80s was known as the "Golden Era" of basketball mainly because of Larry Bird and Earvin Johnson and their teams dominated in the 80s.

Los Angeles, leading the series 2-1, knowing one win in Boston would make them firm favorites to win the title. Boston led by as many as sixteen points but the Lakers rallied to fight back into the game in the fourth quarter. In the dying moments of the game, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was sent to the line for two free-throws. He made the first and when he missed the second, there was a scramble for possession between Mchale (Celtic) and Thompson (Laker). The ball went out of bounds. The referee ruled that it last touched Mchale. Replays showed that it in fact last touched by Thompson.

With the last ten seconds of the game and a chance to win it, the ball was given to the Lakers' talismanic point guard "Magic" Johnson. He drove to the basket and made one of the most iconic shots in NBA history with two seconds left on the clock. It was called the "Baby Hook". Bird missed the shot on the other end that gave the Lakers the match, and eventually, the championship as well.