Golden State Warriors: 15 Greatest NBA playoff moments

15. 1956 Eastern Division Finals: Game 5 victory sends Dubs to NBA Finals

To kick off this list, we are going to head all the way back to Game 5 of the 1956 Eastern Division Finals between the Philadelphia Warriors and the Syracuse Nationals.

This showdown between the one-seed Warriors and the three-seed Nationals was all that stood in the way of a trip to the NBA Finals. Both teams had very strong lineups and were determined to reach the championship round.

Back during this time in the NBA, the first round of the playoffs was a best-of-five matchup. When the Warriors and Nationals traded blows in Games 1-4, everything was riding on a decisive Game 5.

Through the first four games of the series, Paul Arizin had been leading the way for the Warriors. Arizin led the entire league in scoring this postseason and was averaging 29 points per game in this series.

Meanwhile, Neil Johnston led everyone with a total of 143 rebounds and had already recorded a game in which he pulled down 24 rebounds.

Arizin and Johnston had big plans for Game 5, as they both had impressive games. Arizin scored 35 points and grabbed 10 rebounds while his partner chipped in with 25 points, 18 rebounds and 8 assists of his own. The Warriors won the series and went on to win the NBA championship.