Top 3 playoffs games where Shaquille O'Neal had more than 7 blocks
Former Los Angeles Lakers superstar and one of the greatest big men of all time, Shaquille O'Neal, despite his friendly demeanor, is a force of nature unlike ever seen before in the NBA. Shaq played like a man amongst boys and more often than not made easy work of the opposition defense.
En route to winning four championships and being named Finals MVP thrice, Shaquille O'Neal broke many backboards as well as many longstanding NBA records. Big Diesel was the main man on almost all the teams he played for and when the big moments came around, he rose up and delivered big performances.
The NBA playoffs are always a litmus test for a player's greatness. Shaquille O'Neal thrived in such situations offensively and more often than not defensively as well. With that said, we look at the top three playoffs games where Shaquille O'Neal recorded more than 7 blocks.
#3. Vs San Antonio Spurs, 2004 - 8 blocks
During the 2003-04 NBA Playoffs, the Los Angeles Lakers, led by Shaquille O'Neal, were the favorites to win the title. After signing the likes of Gary Peyton and Karl Malone over the summer, albeit well past their prime, the Lakers, with Shaq and Kobe and the aforementioned players were the team to beat. But things didn't quite pan out that way.
🗓 This Day in Stats, 2004: @SHAQ grabs 26 rebounds against Milwaukee, his most in a regular season or playoff game while with the @Lakers. https://t.co/XDJiucThjJ
In the Western Conference Semifinals, the Lakers went up against the San Antonio Spurs and won the series in six games. In Game 3 of that series, Shaquille O'Neal came up with a big performance as he recorded 28 points and 8 blocks along with 15 rebounds as the Lakers won Game 4 105-81. However, the season ended in disappointment as the Lakers lost in the NBA Finals to the Detroit Pistons.
#2. Vs Philadelphia 76ers, 2001 - 8 blocks
After losing the first game of the 2001 NBA Finals thanks to the brilliance of Allen Iverson, the Los Angeles Lakers were in need of a dominant performance in Game 2. Shaquille O'Neal stepped up and delivered. In Game 2, the big man dropped 28 points, collected a whopping 20 rebounds and recorded 8 blocks as the Lakers won the game 98-89.
🗓 This Day in Stats, 2001: The @Lakers beat the 76ers in Game 5 to complete a 15-1 run through the playoffs and @SHAQ joined @DR34M and MJ as the only players at the time to win consecutive #NBAFinals MVPs. https://t.co/IK5eQiv6YS
Shaq and the Lakers proceeded to beat the Philadephia 76ers in five games and captured their second championship in as many seasons. Shaq also won his second Finals MVP award and truly cemented himself as a Los Angeles Lakers legend. It was one of the most dominant postseasons by a team in NBA history as the Lakers swept everyone in the Western Conference and ended up with a 15-1 playoff record.
#1. Vs Seattle Supersonics, 1998 - 8 blocks
This series was played in the early days of the Shaquille O'Neal era with the Lakers. Nevertheless, the big man still made his presence felt, especially in the playoffs. During the 1997-98 NBA season, the Lakers went up against the Seattle Supersonics in the Western Conference Semifinals.
Shaquille O'Neal, in the closeout game, dropped 31 points, collected 9 rebounds and recorded 8 blocks. The Lakers won the game 110-95 as Shaq and co. beat the Sonics in five games and proceeded to the Western Conference Finals against the Utah Jazz. Shaq, over the entire series, had 20 blocks to his name.