Golden State Warriors: 15 Greatest NBA playoff moments

4. 1987 Western Conference Semifinals: Sleepy Floyd erupts for 51 points

Sleepy Floyd was traded to the Golden State Warriors halfway through his rookie season. With the Dubs, Floyd transformed into one of the league’s premier scorers. His game was smooth and silky, allowing him to get buckets in a number of different ways.

By the 1986-87 season, Floyd was averaging 18.8 points and a career-high 10.3 assists per game. He was a threat to score or pass the ball, making him a unique player for the Warriors. His performances in this season helped him capture his first and only All-Star selection.

With the help of the second year player Chris Mullin, Floyd led the Dubs to a playoff appearance. When they did the unthinkable and beat the Utah Jazz in round one, the Warriors found themselves stacked against the Los Angeles Lakers.

It isn’t easy for any team to go against the historic duo of Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul Jabaar, but the Warriors had now found themselves tasked with this challenge. Through the first three games of the series, the Lakers were simply too strong for the Dubs, winning each game and taking a 3-0 lead.

Still, Floyd wasn’t ready to submit and give up the series. Instead, he put on the best game of his 13-year career. Floyd dropped an incredible 51 points and 10 assists in Game 4 to avoid elimination.

This game from Floyd made him the second player to ever record 50+ points and 10+ assists in an NBA Playoff game. Russell Westbrook would go on to become the third player to achieve this in 2017.