Graphic made by Ryan Drouin

On Wednesday night the Miami Heat made history by becoming the 6th 8 seed ever to beat the one seed and pull off a first-round upset. Miami is also the first 8 seed to only lose a game in their series. Given the history behind this upset it only feels right to examine the six teams to pull off an 8 over 1 seed upset. Each one of these teams has unique identities and has an important role in NBA history. 5 of these teams have stories that have been completed. As Miami’s run and story continues I wonder: how will Miami’s story finish and how will we remember them? 

Heat vs Bucks 2023

Starting with the one we just witnessed, this upset still feels particularly improbable when considering all of the factors. The Bucks were the odds-on favorite to win the title and are just two years removed from winning the title. Giannis is the best basketball player and led the Bucks to a league-best record this year. An early Giannis injury allowed the Heat to go up 2-1. Giannis’ return in games 4 and 5 didn’t scare Miami. Off the heels of Jimmy Butler, the Heat mounted back-to-back late game comebacks to clinch the series. Jimmy Butler put together one of the best individual playoff series of all-time. Butler averaged 37.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 4.8 on the series, including an absurd 56-point performance in game 4 and countless clutch shots. Jimmy Butler’s ability to overcome this large of a talent deficit is remarkable.With this legendary series, Butler proved once again that he’s an all-time playoff performer.

On the flip side, Milwaukee’s collapse can not be ignored. The Bucks blew back-to-back double-digit leads in the 4th quarter to lose the series. In the 4th quarter, the Bucks offense disappeared completely and they flat-out looked scared. The Bucks failed to take advantage of their size throughout the series. Miami struggled offensively all season long and ranked in the bottom 5 in the league but the Bucks defense allowed Miami to shoot an absurd 45% from 3.  Jrue Holiday struggled to guard Butler all series and coach Bud’s refusal to throw different looks at him was questionable. Coach Budenholzer also unexpectedly held onto timeouts and had strange lineups throughout the series. The Bucks front office has some decisions to make both regarding the aging roster and the coach.

Ultimately seeing a team most people believed was washed all year take down the title favorite is unforgettable. This series will forever be marked by: Jimmy’s brilliance and the Bucks collapse.

76ers vs Bulls 2012

Before the series began the Bulls were heavy favorites against Philly. Chicago had built a great team around Derrick Rose, an explosive young point guard, and put together a 50-16 record in the lockout-shortened year. The Bulls defense was elite with Joakim Noah protecting the paint and Loul Deng was an elite wing defender. Carlos Boozer and Richard Hamilton were important complementary scorers. Philly’s core consisted of Andre Igdougla, a very young Jrue Holiday, Lou Williams, Thaddeus Young, and Spencer Hawes. This set them up as a very balanced and deep team. Philly paired this with elite defense which helped them overcome their lack of star power.

However, this series will unfortunately be remembered as the D-rose injury series. In the 4th quarter with a minute to go in a game where the Bulls lead by double digits, Derrick Rose tore his ACL while driving to the basket. Which would begin the series of major Knee injuries that shortened Rose’s prime. If Rose played the entire series the Bulls would win and Rose’s career may look very different. Joakim Noah injured his ankle during game 3 and remained out for the rest of the series. These two key injuries paved the way for a 76ers upset.

Ultimately the 76ers were able to close out the series in 6 hard-fought games. A 21-year-old Jrue Holiday stepped up massively for the 76ers during this series. The 76ers would go on to challenge the Big 3 era Celtics in the second round ultimately losing in a grueling 7-game series. Unfortunately, this upset will never be as iconic as the others due to the injury factor.

Grizzlies vs Spurs 2011

The Spurs first-round exit in 2011 is a forgotten part of their incredible dynasty. The Spurs had elite playoff experience, their core had already won 4 championships together. Before the series, Memphis had never won a playoff series. The Grizzlies were without their top scorer Rudy Gay for the series. These factors make the upset more improbable and impressive.

The Spurs core of Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, and Tony Parker were all beginning to age. But they were coming off a 60-win season and were considered a legitimate contender. The Grizzlies core consisted of Zach Randolph, Marc Gasol, Mike Conley, and Tony Allen. The Grizzlies had a distinct identity centered around defense and hustle. As a result, they were nicknamed the grit and grind Grizzlies. The Grizzlies also had one of the deepest rosters in the league. The Grizzlies defense, depth, and physicality helped them overcome their lack of experience. Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph established themselves as a great interior duo during this series. After stealing the first game in San Antonio the Grizzlies won games 3 and 4 at home before closing out the series at home in game 6.

This upset was a huge moment for basketball in Memphis and kickstarted the grit and grind era. A franchise with no playoff experience knocking out one of the best dynasties is an amazing accomplishment and story. In my eyes, this is the most under-rated 8-seed upset. 

Warriors vs Mavericks 2007 

This is the most iconic 8-1 upset in NBA history. The Mavericks had a franchise-best 67 wins and Dirk was named MVP this season. Additionally, the Mavericks were coming off a finals loss in 2006 and were eager to break through to win their franchise’s first championship. The Warriors season got off to a slow start and were out of the playoffs for most of the regular season. After acquiring Stephen Jackson and Al Harrington at the trade deadline the Warriors were able to turn their season around, closing out the year with a 16-5 record. This earned the Warriors their first playoff spot in 13 years. This gave the Warriors a ton of energy going into the playoffs as a result they adopted the slogan “we believe.” The Warriors core consisted of Baron Davis, Al Harrington, Stephen Jackson, Monta Ellis, and Jason Richardson. All these players had been consistently doubted throughout their career which perfectly suits the team’s nickname.

The Warriors played with the fastest in the league and had an explosive offense. Baron Davis was the highlight of game one; he put up an absurd 33 points, 14 rebounds, and 8 assists en route to the Warriors stealing game one. Game 3 was the first home playoff game in 13 years, the Warriors triumphed over the Mavericks winning by 20 points. They would go on to win close game 4 to take a commanding 3-1 lead. The Warriors fast pace and high scoring continued to cause problems for Dallas. Baron Davis continued to be a great scorer and playmaker. Jason Richarson and Stephen Jackson also had impressive games.

The Warriors closed out the series in front of their home crowd. In game 6, the Warriors would destroy the Mavericks by 25 points. Stephen Jackson put together a huge 33-point performance, Baron Davis also had a huge 20 points and 10 assists. Dirk had a shaky series which culminated in an awful game 6. Dirk shot 2-13 from the field and scored just 8 points. This awful performance resulted in a ton of criticism and doubt around Dirk that never truly went away until he got his ring in 2011. This series will forever be marked by Warriors improbable run and the collapse of Dirk and Dallas. The Warriors would lose to the Jazz in the next round. However, the ‘we believe’ Warriors are the best underdog team in NBA history. 

Knicks vs Heat 1999 

Ironically we have this same matchup in the Eastern Conference finals. In 1999 this was one of the biggest rivalries in basketball. They had faced each other in the previous two playoffs. The Heat won in 1997 and the Knicks won in 1998. During game four of the 1998 series, a famous fight broke out between Alonzo Mourning and Larry Johnson. The fight was somewhat of a punch-off between the two who were former Hornets teammates. The center matchup between Alonzo Mourning in his prime vs an older Patrick Ewing is also intriguing. This all set the stage for a great 1999 series. 1999 was notably the lockout year in which a record low 50 games were played. The Heat finished 33-17 and Alonzo Mourning had an MVP-caliber season. The Knicks just finished 27-23 but their experience set this as a somewhat tough series.

The NBA had 5 game series in the first round back then. The Knicks stole game one in Miami in a 95-75 beatdown. The Knicks received an all-around team effort from Latrewll Sprewell, Patrick Ewing, and Allan Houston. The Heat tied the series up in game two. Given the nature of both teams, the series was a defensive battle. The Knicks would blow the heat out again in game 3. The Heat were once again able to tie up the series forcing a do-or-die game 5.

Game 5 delivered on all the build-up and became an iconic game. With two seconds left and the Knicks down 1, Allan Houston hit a clutch floater to win the game. The Knicks beat their rival and became just the 2nd 8 seed to pull off an upset. The Knicks would continue their underdog run and make it all the way to the finals. Additionally, they impressively overcame a key injury to Patrick Ewing in the conference finals. The Knicks playoff run in 99 remains one of the most improbable and amazing feats in NBA history. I believe there are some similarities between the 1999 Knicks and the 2023 Heat.

Nuggets vs Supersonics 1994 

The first 8-1 upset is iconic in every possible way. The Nuggets were the league’s youngest team. They were led by the elite interior defense of Dikembe Mutombo and the crafty perimeter scoring of Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf. The Nuggets had snuck into the playoffs with a 42-40 record.

Well, the Supersonics had a league-best 63 wins. Seattle was a well-seasoned playoff team led by the iconic duo of Gary Payton and Shawn Kemp, setting up a difficult matchup for a young Nuggets squad. The Sonics took care of business in the first two games, all signs pointed to a typical 1-8 matchup. The tide turned when the series went back to Denver. The Nuggets won both game 3 in a blowout and game 4 in a close overtime game forcing a win-or-go-home game 5. Mutombo had 19, 13, and 6 block game in 3 followed by a 10, 16, and 8 block game in game 4. Mutombo’s defensive presence had changed the series and deterred Seattle’s offense from attacking.

Game 5 was fittingly the best game of the series and was the second straight overtime game. Mutumbo once again had a huge game for Denver putting up 8, 15, and 8 blocks. In the final moments of overtime, Mutumbo grabbed a rebound securing a 4-point Denver win, Mutombo fell onto the court, holding the ball with triumph this created one of the most iconic moments in NBA history. The Nuggets winning 3 straight against the one-seeded Sonics is one of the best comebacks and upsets in NBA history. The Nuggets would go on to lose a hard-fought 7 game series in the next round. Ultimately the improbability of the upset and the iconic moments in the series make the 94 Nuggets forever memorable.