The greatest Game 4s in Finals history

Prior to the 2008 NBA Finals, the Celtics and Lakers had played 61 Finals games against each other, so it's little wonder that they are well represented in presenting the greatest Game 4's in Finals history.

Sam Jones' Picket Fence Play -- The Lord's Will Watch
(Celtics 89, Lakers 88 -- April 29, 1969)

It was yet another missed opportunity that undoubtedly would come back to haunt the Lakers. Up 2-1, L.A. was primed to make it 3-1, especially as they held an 88-87 lead and the ball with 15 seconds remaining.

The plan: Inbound the ball and run out the clock. Change of plans: Celtic Emmette Bryant came out of nowhere to produce one of the biggest steals of the series as Sam Jones raced to the other end of the court but missed his field goal attempt.

The Celtics controlled the ball with seven seconds remaining and Jones would get another opportunity. This time, Jones ran off screens (a la the "Hoosiers" Picket Fence play) and got a shooter's roll after launching an off-balance 18-foot jumper over a hard-charging Wilt Chamberlain. The ball hit the rim, bounced upward and hit the back of the rim before going in as Celtics evened the series.

When a reporter asked Jerry West about the shot, he responded, "The Lord's will."

It was another crushing blow for West and the Lakers.

Upset Special: Warriors Sweep Bullets
(Warriors 96, Bullets 95 -- May 25, 1975)

The 1975 Golden State Warriors are hands down the most overlooked championship team in NBA history. No Sports Illustrated cover story or customary White House visit followed the Warriors' unlikely title run. Not even a phone call from the President. And why should anyone from that team be surprised. After all, blatant disrespect greeted the Warriors even before the season started when it came to playoff predictions, especially after trading All-Star center Nate Thurmond. Yet the Warriors rallied, epitomizing total team effort and eventually swept the heavily favored Washington Bullets in the Finals while keeping its All-Stars, Wes Unseld and Elvin Hayes (29 total points in three games), in check.

The '75 series also marked the first time in American professional sports history where the two coaches in the championship series were African-American: K.C. Jones of the Washington Bullets and Al Attles of the Golden State Warriors.

Ironically, Attles ended up watching the clincher from the dressing room after being ejected in the opening minutes of the game for rushing to the defense of Rick Barry. Led by Barry, the Warriors were a resilient bunch, erasing a 14-point deficit. "They simply played sounder, better basketball than we did," said Unseld.

The Warriors' Game 4 victory marked only the third time in NBA history a team won the series in four games as the Warriors joined the 1959 Boston Celtics and 1971 Milwaukee Bucks.

"I still think that what we accomplished was the biggest upset in major sports history in this country and I defy anybody to find anything that's as dramatic an accomplishment as what we pulled off," Barry said. "A team that wasn't supposed to make the playoffs not only makes the playoffs, but we win our division, and then people pick us to lose in the playoff rounds. We get to the Finals, and we're supposed to be swept, and we sweep the people who were supposed to sweep us. Where do you find anything like that in any other sport?"

Dawkins Steals the Thunder From the Lakers
(Sixers 105, Lakers 102 -- May 11, 1980)

The game is forever remembered for Julius Erving's ultimate baseline move (Watch ) but peer closer and you'll realize that it was a 2 1/2-minute performance by an unlikely hero that turned the tide in the Sixers' favor and evened the series.

Darryl Dawkins, the 6-11, earth-shaking, rim-rattling center for the Sixers, laid claim to this game and the series when he scored eight of Philly's 10 points against the Lakers after the Sixers trailed 67-61.

Dawkins was relentless, powering inside and overwhelming Jim Chones of the Lakers.

"The turning point of the game was when Darryl became effective inside," said Erving, who scored 23 points on 9 of 17 shooting. "We struggled until Darryl became the dominant force on the floor. He also was an inspirational leader."

Despite Dawkins' play, the Lakers still had one last chance to tie the game, trailing by three. L.A's last-ditch try was thwarted when Sixers defensive ace Bobby Jones intercepted Norm Nixon's intended pass to Michael Cooper.

Dawkins finished with 26 points and Erving with 23 while Magic Johnson led Lakers with 28.

McHale Clotheslines Rambis
(Celtics 129, Lakers 125 (OT) -- June 6, 1984)

Looking for a momentum shift in the series? Then look no further than the second quarter of Game 4. Kevin McHale heeded the advice of teammate M.L. Carr, who screamed from the bench to his teammates to do something - anything - to stem the Lakers' tide, as they were about to run the Celtics out of the arena.

One way to stop them was to knock them down, which McHale did when he clotheslined Kurt Rambis as he drove for an easy layup. Both benches cleared as the Celtics' intimidation tactics and physical play appeared to be working.

The Celtics got under the Lakers' skin so much that the usually reserved Kareem Abdul-Jabbar went after Larry Bird in the third quarter.

Carr was up to his old tricks in overtime, when he yelled from the sideline to James Worthy that he was going to miss a free throw. When he did, Cedric Maxwell stepped into the lane and flashed Worthy the choking sign. It was the third crucial missed free throw by the Lakers down the stretch. Magic Johnson missed a pair toward the end of regulation.

The Celtics went on to win in overtime, 129-125, thanks to Bird's fadeaway jumper with 16 seconds remaining and Carr's steal to seal the victory.

The tone was set in the second quarter and no doubt heightened the intensity of the series.

"Before Kevin McHale hit Kurt Rambis, the Lakers were just running across the street whenever they wanted," said Maxwell. "Now they stop at the corner, push the button, wait for the light, and look both ways."

D.J. Saves the Day (and Game 4)
(Celtics 107, Lakers 105 -- June 5, 1985)

Despite blowing out the Lakers in Game 1 by 34 points, the Celtics found themselves staring at a 2-1 deficit and on the verge of possibly trailing 3-1. With only seconds remaining, Larry Bird had the ball and ultimately the fate of the Celtics in his hands. What would he do? Facing a double-team, Bird found a cutting Dennis Johnson above the foul line who calmly drained the game-winner with only two seconds remaining. Celtics 107, Lakers 105.

"I saw Byron [Scott] coming so I decided to arc it a little higher and the buzzer went off and ... we didn't come out messing around tonight," said Johnson, who finished with 27 points and 12 assists.

While the Celtics celebrated the victory as if they won the title that night, the Lakers were once again filled with feelings of helplessness. "Those are the games where you see the heart of a good ball team," said Lakers forward Michael Cooper. "We've just gotta buckle down and win one of these."

Magic's "Junior, Junior, Junior" Skyhook
(Lakers 107, Celtics 106 -- June 9, 1987)

Like so many Celtics-Lakers classic Finals matchups, this game came down to the final minute, and like so many other instances, a hero emerged. But there were several candidates vying for the role. First it was Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who took a Magic Johnson pass as he rolled to the basket for two. Larry Bird quickly answered with a three-pointer at the 12-second mark as Boston reclaimed the lead, 106-104.

After Abdul-Jabbar went to the line and made one of two free throws, missing the second, Boston looked to be in good shape as Kevin McHale retrieved the miss. But he coughed the ball up as Mychal Thompson gave him a push.

What ensued was one of the all-time classic playoff moments as Magic received the inbound pass, sized up the defense and a possible 20-footer, only to change his mind and penetrate the lane, lofting a hook shot with three seconds remaining over the outstretched hands of McHale and Robert Parish. The shot stunned the sold-out Garden crowd. Lakers 107, Celtics 106.

Postgame, Magic enthusiastically labeled his game winner "my junior, junior, junior skyhook."

Unamused was Bird when asked about the game-winner.

"You expect to lose on a skyhook. You don't expect it to be from Magic."

Two games later, the Lakers won the series and Bird was effusive in his praise of Magic and the Lakers.

"Magic is a great, great basketball player. The best I've ever seen. ... I guess this is the best team I've ever played against."

Kobe's Second Half Masterpiece
(Lakers 120, Pacers 118 (OT) -- June 14, 2000)

His first-half point total was uncharacteristically low, especially for Kobe Bryant. Six points. A gimpy ankle, which sidelined Bryant for much of Game 2 and all of Game 3, was largely attributed to the un-Kobe-like scoring output.

In the waning moments of the first half, Bryant's brilliant blind behind-the-back pass to Shaquille O'Neal - who finished with a thunderous dunk - gave a strong indication that something extraordinary might be in the works for the second half.

Like one of the most mesmerizing performances in Finals history.

The stage was set after O'Neal fouled out, taking his 36 points and 21 rebounds to the bench.

Exit O'Neal, enter Bryant, who took over the game, scoring eight points, including three of the Lakers' final four baskets. The game-winner was a gem as Bryant twisted free underneath the basket and grabbed the rebound before putting in the clinching bucket with 5.6 seconds remaining.

"I actually dreamed about hitting the game-winning shot at the top of the key," said Bryant. "When it was 2.3 seconds left [in regulation], I was like, 'Oh, my God, this might happen.'

The second-half point total breakdown went like this for Bryant: 22 points, 14 in the fourth, when the Lakers went from a five-point deficit to a five-point lead in a span of four minutes.

The Pacers' Reggie Miller almost evened the series at two games apiece when his three-pointer just missed from going down in OT.

"I was watching what he did tonight and I was thinking about those old NBA classic films, Magic and Kareem and others just taking over games in the Finals," said teammate Derek Fisher. "Tonight, he took a chapter right out of their book."