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

2007 Golden State Warriors (8) vs Dallas Mavericks (1)

Golden State won series 4-2

This series ranks alongside the aforementioned Nuggets victory over the Supersonics as the biggest upset in NBA playoff history. The Mavericks had just led the league with 67 wins, topped off with their superstar Dirk Nowitzki being named the league’s Most Valuable Player. On the other hand, the Warriors won just 42 games for the season and were clear underdogs.

However, there was one ominous warning sign entering the series – the eighth-placed Warriors had defeated the Mavericks in all three of their regular season meetings. It was to be a matchup of contrasts, with the Mavericks ranked fourth in opposition points allowed (92.8 per game), and the Warriors ranking second in scoring with 106.5 per game. The Warriors, however, were ranked last in points allowed at 106.9 per game.

As it turned out, the Warriors left the Mavericks in their wake. With offensive-minded head coach Don Nelson at the helm, the Warriors blew Dallas off the floor. The Warriors were led by point-guard Baron Davis, who averaged 25.0 points, 6.2 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 1.8 steals per game for the series.

Further, it was their mid-season acquisition in Stephen Jackson who turned out to be their ‘x-factor’. Jackson averaged 22.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 2.0 steals per game. And in the series deciding game six, Jackson notched 33 points, which included 7-of-8 from downtown, as the Warriors blew out the Mavericks, 111-86. As Davis noted after the series:

"“He played with his soul.”"

However the Warriors couldn’t maintain their form, losing their semi-final battle against the Utah Jazz, 4-1.