How Many Times Has a No. 8 Seed Upset a No. 1 Seed in NBA Playoffs

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There are 6 No. 8 NBA teams that have won over No. 1 seed teams in the history of NBA Playoffs since it was expanded to the current 16-team size in 1984. The first one occurred in 1994 when the Nuggets beat the Super Sonics in 5 games. Miami is on this list twice, once as the losing team and once as the winning team.

1994: Denver Nuggets d. Seattle Super Sonics 3–2
1999: New York Knicks d. Miami Heat 3–2
2007: Golden State Warriors d. Dallas Mavericks 4–2
2011: Memphis Grizzlies d. San Antonio Spurs 4–2
2012: Philadelphia 76ers d. Chicago Bulls 4–2
2023: Miami Heat d. Milwaukee Bucks 4–1

Has an 8th seed ever made the NBA Finals?
Yes, there have been two eighth seeds that have made the Finals. The 1998-1999 New York Knicks lost to the Spurs in 5 games. The 2022-2023 Miami Heat also made it to the NBA Finals.