A look at the biggest first-round upsets in NBA playoffs history

1994 Denver Nuggets (8) vs Seattle Supersonics (1)

Denver won series 3-2

Close to the biggest upset in NBA playoff history, the league-leading Supersonics were expected to wipe the floor off the up-and-coming Nuggets. The Sonics had just completed a 63-win season, which came off the back of a 55-win season. The Nuggets, meanwhile, won 42 games and were competing in the playoffs for the first time in three seasons.

The series started as expected with the Supersonics defending their home court with two comfortable victories over the Nuggets. However, the Nuggets responded in emphatic style, tieing the series and forcing a deciding game back in Seattle.

And despite the raucous Seattle home crowd, the Nuggets were able to utilise their momentum and followed through with a historic series win. Ranked fifth during the regular in scoring with 105.9 points per game, the Sonics were only able to register 100 points on occasion. Led by the league’s shot-block leader in Dikembe Mutombo, the Nuggets were able to withstand the Sonics’ resident all-stars in Gary Payton and Shawn Kemp.

Mutombo was simply dominant, averaging 12.6 points, 12.2 rebounds and an amazing 6.2 blocks per game. This was never more evident than in the deciding game five, where he resisted eight points, 15 rebounds and eight blocks. The image of Mutombo lying on the ground once the game was over, holding the game ball in delight, is the enduring memory of this series.

Despite this amazing achievement, the Nuggets fell short in their semi-final series against the Utah Jazz, 4-3.