Ranking the Best NBA Playoff Series Since 2000

From 2007 forward, the NBA used regular-season records for its seeding, rather than saving seeds 1, 2 and 3 for division winners.San Antonio triumphed in Game 1 of the series, and then Dallas countered with three straight wins. But the Mavericks fought back, winning three straight games to give Dirk Nowitzki the first and only championship of his Hall of Fame career.Before upending the Indiana Pacers in the NBA Finals, the Lakers first survived the Portland Trail Blazers.Los Angeles took a 3-1 series lead, but Portland stormed back and forced a winner-take-all Game 7. Shaquille O'Neal provided the exclamation point in the closing minute, slamming home what is now a legendary alley-oop from Kobe Bryant."That was the defining moment of our dominant run," Shaq said.Kobe and Shaq then propelled the Lakers past Indiana and repeated as NBA champions in 2001 and 2002.After alternating wins through four games—a back-and-forth that featured Ray Allen's then-NBA Finals-record eight threes in Game 2—Boston took a 3-2 series lead with a 92-86 victory in Game 5.But in Game 6, Kobe scored 26 points and Pau Gasol finished one assist shy of a triple-double to set up a Game 7 showdown.As the clock neared about a minute left in regulation, the Lakers held a 76-73 edge with possession. Tim Duncan's 25-point, 11-rebound day carried San Antonio to an 81-74 victory, and Duncan won his third Finals MVP honor.In 2015-16, the Warriors set an NBA record with 73 regular-season wins. They walked away with a 106-102 win and forced a Game 7.And even the final showdown need an extra period.Shaq scored 35 points, Kobe added 30 and the Lakers outlasted the Chris Webber-led Kings 112-106.They advanced to the NBA Finals, swept Jason Kidd and the New Jersey Nets and won a third straight NBA title.When the Warriors stunned OKC, it was the 10th time in NBA history a team overcame a 3-1 deficit.