Top 10 individual performances in the NBA Finals from the 21st century

#8 LeBron James - 2013 NBA Finals, Game 7

San Antonio Spurs v Miami Heat - Game 7

Game 7 of the NBA Finals is the biggest stage in basketball. LeBron James lived up to the expectations of a Miami Heat second-straight title with a spectacular shooting performance of the 2013 NBA Finals against the San Antonio Spurs.

After Ray Allen's epic game-tying, season-saving shot with five seconds left in Game 6, James took over in Game 7 seven and sealed the deal. In a series in which the Spurs' defensive philosophy was to prevent James from attacking the basket and forcing him to take long shots, The King found his rhythm in Game 7, hitting five threes on his way to a 37-point night.

His 12 rebounds were also key to the Heat. Also, nine points in the fourth quarter, including a jumper to extend the Heat's lead to four points with 27 seconds on the clock, were essential. James grabbed his second straight NBA Finals MVP award after his extraordinary performance.

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#7 Jimmy Butler - 2020 NBA Finals, Game 3

2020 NBA Finals - Game Three

With the Heat down 0-2 after two harsh defeats and with two of their main players - Bam Adebayo and Goran Dragic - out with injuries, Game 3 was a must-win if Miami were thinking about a miracle in the current NBA Finals.

Jimmy Butler is the 3rd player in NBA History to record a 40+ point triple-double in the NBA Finals, joining LeBron James in 2015 and Jerry West in 1969. pic.twitter.com/73uEtIJ6OD

— NBA History (@NBAHistory) October 5, 2020

Jimmy Butler understood the message and had one of the best NBA Finals performances of the modern era. Butler's 40-point triple-double, including 11 rebounds and 13 assists, allowed the Heat to take their first win of the series.

It was the third 40-point triple-double in NBA Finals history, after Jerry West and LeBron James had done it in the 1969 and 2015 NBA Finals respectively.

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#6 Kobe Bryant - 2009 NBA Finals, Game 1

Bryant led the Lakers to two-straight titles in 2009 and 2010

Coming off triumphs against the reigning champions Boston Celtics in the second round and the LeBron James-led Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals, the 2009 Orlando Magic were an unstoppable force that met with an immovable object in Kobe Bryant and the LA Lakers.

After their defeat in the 2008 NBA Finals, Bryant and the Lakers came out firing on all cylinders in the 2009 NBA Finals. Bryant scored 40 points, assisted his teammates 8 times, and grabbed 8 rebounds to lead his team to an early lead in an NBA Finals they eventually won in five games.

Bryant was named NBA Finals MVP for the first time after averaging 32 points, 6 rebounds, and 7 assists in the series.

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#5 Dwyane Wade - 2006 NBA Finals, Game 3

NBA Finals Game 5: Dallas Mavericks v Miami Heat

After the Heat lost the first two games of the series against the Dallas Mavericks by double digits, their backs were against the wall. The team looked lacklustre in the start of the series, but Dwyane Wade's historic effort in Game 3 put them right back in the series.

In Game 3, Jimmy Butler joined Dwyane Wade as the only players in @MiamiHEAT history to score 40+ points in the NBA Finals. Watch the best of D-Wade's two 40-point games in the 2006 Finals! #NBAVault Game 4 TONIGHT at 9pm/et on ABC pic.twitter.com/Q2i8DSb7QZ

— NBA History (@NBAHistory) October 6, 2020

Wade scored 42 points and grabbed 13 rebounds in the Heat's 2-point win. In the fourth quarter, the Heat scored 30 points, and 15 came from Wade alone. Gary Payton also came up big for the Heat, hitting the go-ahead shot with nine seconds on the clock before Wade sealed the game from the FT line.