Top 10 Best Individual Performances of the 2021 NBA Playoffs

This list shows the best individual performances of the NBA playoffs, including every round up to the NBA Finals so far.

The Top Ten

  1. Kevin Durant, Game 5, vs Milwaukee Bucks

    Kevin Wayne Durant is an American professional basketball player for the Brooklyn Nets in the NBA. He previously starred with the Seattle SuperSonics/Oklahoma City Thunder and the Golden State Warriors. He was named NBA Finals MVP in both 2017 and 2018 after championship seasons with the Warriors.

    Kevin Durant, in Game 5 against the Bucks, took his talents and abilities to another level, elevating the Nets over the Bucks in a close 114-108 victory. KD combined for 49 points, 17 rebounds, and 10 assists, achieving a triple-double in quite possibly the best game of his illustrious NBA career.

    Even though the Nets did not win the series, mostly due to injuries to key players like James Harden and Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant put on a clinic in this series, especially in this game.

  2. Damian Lillard, Game 5, vs Denver Nuggets

    Damian Lamonte Ollie Lillard is an American professional basketball player for the Milwaukee Bucks of the NBA. He spent the first 11 seasons of his career with the Portland Trail Blazers before being traded to the Bucks in 2023. Lillard is known for his clutch shooting and multiple All-Star selections... read more

    Damian Lillard, with his teammates playing well below their talent levels in the series against the Nuggets, put on a show, especially in Game 5. In Game 5, Dame D.O.L.L.A. put up 55 points, 10 assists, and 6 rebounds, with a total of 12 three-point shots made.

    They still lost, though, as the Trail Blazers' bench was almost nonexistent. Nonetheless, Lillard managed to put up these mind-blowing stats even in a loss, showing that even when they lose, it isn't his fault.

  3. Luka Doncic, Game 7, vs Los Angeles Clippers

    Another man who put up incredible numbers in a loss where his teammates didn't show up, Doncic did everything he could to push the Mavericks over the edge against the Clippers. Scoring a total of 46 points, 14 assists, and 7 rebounds, Doncic was still not able to push through the Clippers, as his supporting cast, like so many others around the league, let him down in a crucial moment.

  4. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Game 7, vs Brooklyn Nets

    Giannis Antetokounmpo is a Greek professional basketball player for the Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Association. He was drafted 15th overall in the 2013 NBA Draft. He is a two-time NBA MVP and led the Bucks to an NBA Championship in 2021.

    Giannis made sure to silence anyone doubting his closing-out ability against the Nets, leading the Bucks to a 115-111 victory. In the win, Giannis put up 40 points, 13 rebounds, and 5 assists in the overtime win.

    Giannis came through big for the Bucks in Game 7 and would go on to come up big for the Bucks again in the beginning of the series against the Hawks before he was injured.

  5. Trae Young, Game 1, vs Milwaukee Bucks

    Trae Young and the Hawks came out quickly against the Bucks, putting up a crazy rout that nobody around the league expected. In Game 1, Young scored a season-high 48 points, 11 assists, and 7 rebounds, shocking the Milwaukee Bucks.

    While Young would eventually get hurt, leading the Hawks to lose the series, his Game 1 performance remained one of the highlights of the series.

  6. Kevin Durant, Game 7, vs Milwaukee Bucks

    Kevin Wayne Durant is an American professional basketball player for the Brooklyn Nets in the NBA. He previously starred with the Seattle SuperSonics/Oklahoma City Thunder and the Golden State Warriors. He was named NBA Finals MVP in both 2017 and 2018 after championship seasons with the Warriors.

    Kevin Durant, on a Brooklyn team hobbled by injuries, gave 100% in the final game of the series against the Bucks. However, he still ended up in the loss column after one of the best performances in a playoff series in recent memory. Scoring 48 points, 9 rebounds, and 6 assists in the overtime loss, Durant came up short of almost single-handedly carrying the beat-up Nets to the conference finals.

  7. Chris Paul, Game 6, vs Los Angeles Clippers

    Christopher Emmanuel Paul is an American professional basketball player and a twelve‑time NBA All‑Star. As of July 2025, he is a free agent after playing the previous season with the San Antonio Spurs, during which he started all 82 games and reached over 23,000 career points and 12,000 assists. He has... read more

    Chris Paul, given his opportunity to shine and advance to the finals for the first time in his historic career, did not pass it up and played like a beast in the final game of the series. Paul ended up scoring 41 points, 8 assists, 4 rebounds, and 3 steals, showcasing leadership abilities and sending the Suns to the NBA finals for the first time since 1993.

  8. Devin Booker, Game 6, vs Los Angeles Lakers.

    Devin Armani Booker, born on October 30, 1996, in Grand Rapids, Michigan, is an American professional basketball player. He plays as a shooting guard for the Phoenix Suns in the NBA. At age 20 in March 2017, he became the youngest player in NBA history to score 70 points in a single game when he scored... read more

    Devin Booker, against LeBron James and the Lakers, was able to put on an impressive performance to lead the Suns to the next round. Booker ended up scoring 47 points, 11 rebounds, and 3 assists in one of his best games of the season.

    When the Suns needed their best scorer most, he showed up and didn't back down from the challenge brought by the Lakers.

  9. Kawhi Leonard, Game 6, vs Utah Jazz

    Kawhi Anthony Leonard is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Clippers of the National Basketball Association. He has previously played for the San Antonio Spurs, with whom he won an NBA championship in 2014, and the Toronto Raptors, leading them to their first title in 2019... read more

    Kawhi Leonard made a splash in the Game 6, 0-2 comeback series against the Utah Jazz, winning the game in style, tying up the series at 3-3, and setting up a final Game 7. Leonard ended up scoring 45 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists in the win, providing the spark for the Clippers to advance to the next round.

  10. Donovan Mitchell, Game 1, vs Los Angeles Clippers

    Donovan Mitchell and the Jazz started off the series with a bang against the Clippers, with Mitchell leading the charge on the offensive end of the floor. In Game 1, Mitchell scored 45 points and totaled 5 rebounds to help lead the Jazz to a victory.

    While the series did not turn out how the Jazz would've liked, Mitchell's performance in the series remained a highlight for his season.

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