Game 5 heroes: Top 5 individual performances in EuroLeague history / News - Basketnews.com

Shavon Shields holds a Game 5 scoring record, putting up 34 points in 2021.

Credit: AFP/GettyImages/Reuters Credit AFP/GettyImages/Reuters

Game 5s are just around the corner, and the biggest EuroLeague stars are gearing up to deliver iconic performances that will go down in history.

Mike James

Team:AS MonacoPosition:PG, SGAge:32Height:185 cmWeight:84 kgBirth place:Oregon, United States of AmericaProfileNewsStatistics

Wade Baldwin, Lorenzo Brown, Mike James, Sasha Vezenkov, Kostas Sloukas, Tyler Dorsey, and Kevin Punter are just some of the names that will try to earn a spot in the Hall of Fame.

As we count down to the big games, BasketNews looks back at the top 5 highest-scoring Game 5 individual performances in playoff history.

Shavon Shields 34 (vs. Bayern, 2021)

Shavon Shields delivered an exceptional performance that has gone down in basketball history as the greatest elimination game performance of all time.

Shields put on an unforgettable show in the 2021 playoff series against Bayern Munich, scoring an incredible 34 points.

He knocked down 5 out of 6 three-pointers and sank 11 of 12 free throws while also grabbing 5 rebounds, dishing out 2 assists, and stealing 2 balls, earning a remarkable 41 performance index rating.

Shields dominated the game from start to finish, scoring an impressive 30 points in the first three quarters and helping Milan build a commanding lead.

Coach Ettore Messina relied heavily on Shields' leadership as the rest of the starting five had only scored 31 points combined, three fewer than Shields alone.

Thanks to Shields' extraordinary performance, Milan ended their Final Four drought and secured a spot among the top four strongest teams in the tournament for the first time in 29 years.

Chris Singleton 26 (vs. Real Madrid, 2021)

There's a running joke that you can tell the time of the season by looking at Chris Singleton's performance. The best games of Singleton's career for Anadolu Efes usually happen during the crucial stages of the season.

Although Efes has always been known as the team of Vasilije Micic and Shane Larkin, Singleton's performance laid the foundation for the 2021-22 EuroLeague championship title.

Shavon Shields

MIN:21.91PTS:8.2 (50.56%)REB:2.3As:2.2ST:0.7BL:0.1TO:1.1GM:10ProfileEuroLeague2022/2023

Living up to the high stakes against Real Madrid in 2021, Singleton scored 26 points, grabbed 8 rebounds, stole 1 ball, blocked 1 shot, and earned an impressive 38 efficiency rating.

He nearly flawlessly attacked the basket, hitting 8 out of 10 field goals and 7 out of 8 free throws. For comparison, Micic and Larkin together scored 28 points (7/16 FGs).

To this day, this game marks Singleton's career highs in points and efficiency rating.

Coach Ergin Ataman only included Singleton in the starting lineup during the crucial Game 5 of the series, and the veteran did not disappoint.

Symbolically, it was Singleton who grabbed the ball under Anadolu Efes' basket after Sergio Llull's shot that could have saved Real and sealed his team's victory with free throws.

Nicolas Laprovittola 26 (vs. Bayern, 2022)

Nicolas Laprovittola solidified his breakthrough season with FC Barcelona in the fifth match of the series against Bayern Munich.

When the entire FC Barcelona squad struggled, Laprovittola's performance dispelled all doubts about the Final Four.

He scored 26 points, made 5 out of 7 threes, gathered 30 efficiency points, and showed why Juan Carlos Navarro had likened him to "La Bomba" based on his playing style.

Bayern was still leading at the Palau Blaugrana in the second half, but Laprovittola began the rescue.

He hit two 3-pointers, made 7 free throws, and led a game-changing run in the third quarter. One of those triples was and-one, and the other was from 9 meters away.

"Laprovittola really put together an unbelievable performance," said Bayern coach Andrea Trinchieri after the game.

Dimitris Diamantidis 25 (vs. Maccabi, 2012)

Dimitris Diamantidis, a three-time EuroLeague champion, played his best EuroLeague game when Panathinaikos needed it the most.

In one of the most dramatic Game 5s in history, the Panathinaikos legend scored 25 points, grabbed 6 rebounds, dished out 3 assists, made 2 steals, and accumulated 34 PIR, leading PAO to a victory over Maccabi Tel Aviv, 86-85.

The EuroLeague MVP at that time came up clutch, sinking a game-winning free throw with just five seconds left on the clock. To top it off, he made a crucial steal on Maccabi's final possession, securing the victory in front of 18,700 fans.

He also set a single-game playoffs record with an impressive 15 made free throws.

Mike James 24 (vs. Olympiacos, 2022)

One of the best individual performances highlighted one of the most iconic EuroLeague Game 5 playoff matchups.

Just before the Piraeus apocalypse in front of Kevin Durant, Mike James scored 24 points (10/11 FT), grabbed four rebounds, dished out ten assists, and gathered 26 efficiency points.

Mike hit a tough, off-balance late three-pointer. However, it was the only Top 5 performance that failed to secure a victory for his team.

The EuroLeague debutants fell short in a thrilling 88-94 loss.

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