Top 3 playoffs series where Shaquille O'Neal shot higher than 65% from the field
Unarguably the most dominant player in the history of the NBA, Shaquille O'Neal was a true freak of nature. During his illustrious career, Shaquille O'Neal played for the Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat and Orlando Magic among others. Shaq's peak years were with the Lakers as he achieved a three-peat together with Kobe Bryant and Phil Jackson.
A four-time champion and three-time Finals MVP, Shaquille O'Neal essentially had no chink in his armor except for free throws. Shaq's ability to dominate opposing big men was second to none and he truly made his presence known in the paint.
Shaq recorded some of the most absurd stat lines in the history of the game. A lot of that has been attributed to his ability to be efficient with the ball. With that said, we look at the top three playoffs series where Shaquille O'Neal shot higher than 65% from the field.
#3. Vs Portland Trail Blazers, 1998 - 65.3%
During the 1998 NBA Playoffs, Shaquille O'Neal and the Los Angeles Lakers went up against the Portland Trail Blazers in the Western Conference First Round. Shaq averaged 29 points, 11.8 rebounds and 3.5 assists while shooting 65.3% from the field in 40 minutes. The Lakers won the series 3-1 and proceeded to the next round of the playoffs.
Along with Shaq & Wilt, Giannis Antetokounmpo is 1 of 3 players to score 115+ PTS on 65+% FG through their team's first 3 games of a season. https://t.co/PuDR0pPwPL
Shaq's best performance of the series came in the closeout game where the big man dropped 31 points and collected 15 rebounds while shooting the ball better than 76% from the field. He played almost 40 minutes that night as the Lakers won the game 110-99. The Lakers went on to reach the Western Conference Finals, where they were swept by the Utah Jazz.
#2. Vs Detroit Pistons, 2006 - 65.5%
In his third season with the Miami Heat, Shaquille O'Neal ended up winning his fourth and final championship. En route to winning his final ring, the Miami Heat were up against the Detroit Pistons in the Eastern Conference Finals. Shaq averaged 21.7 points and 10.5 rebounds in that series against the Pistons as the Heat won the series in six games.
Ben Simmons:
First player since Shaq (11) with four straight double-doubles to start their career. #NBARooks https://t.co/xFv8SvVKZ7
Led by Dwyane Wade, Shaquille O'Neal wasn't the primary option on offense, unlike his years with the Lakers. This meant that Shaq had to contribute in other ways and that is exactly what he did. Once again, Shaq's best performance came in the closeout game of the series as the big man dropped 28 points, collected 16 rebounds and had 5 blocks, all the while shooting better than a whopping 85% from the field.
#1. Vs Indiana Pacers, 1995 - 66.1%
In his penultimate season with the Orlando Magic, Shaquille O'Neal, in desperate search of a championship, went up against the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals during the 1995-96 season. Shaquille O'Neal played 35 minutes a night in that series, averaging 27.3 points and 9.6 rebounds while shooting the ball better than 66.1% from the field.
Shaq's best performance of the series came in Game 2 where the Diesel had 39 points and 10 rebounds while shooting better than 71% from the floor. He made nine of his 15 free throws that night as the Orlando-based team beat the Pacers 119-114 to take a 2-0 lead in their matchup. Unfortunately, the series ended in disappointment as the Magic won only one game thanks to Shaq's Game 2 exploits, resulting in the Indiana Pacers winning the series in seven games and advancing to the NBA Finals.