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Rank 123Up 3
#12 in Greatest Playoff Performers
of 16 ranked entries
Isiah Thomas
Detroit Pistons
Scored 25 points in a single third quarter of Game 6 of the 1988 Finals on a severely sprained ankle, still the Finals record for points in a quarter, even though the Pistons lost that game. Recorded specifics: team Detroit Pistons, signature run 1990, finals mvps 1. Panel highlighted finals-record 25 points in a single quarter, played on a badly sprained ankle, 1990 Finals MVP leading the “Bad Boy” Pistons to a title and back-to-back championships in 1989 and 1990. The reservation on record is the 1988 quarter, his signature moment, still ended in a series loss.
Iconic single moment
Score breakdown
How Isiah Thomas earned 77.6
Each criterion is scored independently, then combined using the weights published on Greatest Playoff Performers.
- Big-stage productionweight 30%
- 75.6
- Signature moment magnitudeweight 25%
- 77.1
- Team success deliveredweight 25%
- 78.5
- Poise under elimination pressureweight 20%
- 79.9
On the record
Recorded detail
| Team | Detroit Pistons |
|---|---|
| Signature run | 1990 |
| Finals MVPs | 1 |
| Rating | 8.3 |
Panel verdict
Strengths and reservations
What it gets right
- Finals-record 25 points in a single quarter, played on a badly sprained ankle
- 1990 Finals MVP leading the “Bad Boy” Pistons to a title
- Back-to-back championships in 1989 and 1990
Where it gives ground
- The 1988 quarter, his signature moment, still ended in a series loss
1 appearance
Where this entry ranks
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