NBA playoff mailbag - Where Heat-Bucks ranks among the biggest upsets in postseason history - ESPN

How does the Miami Heat knocking off the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks compare to all-time NBA playoff upsets?

With Wednesday's come-from-behind Game 5 overtime win in Milwaukee, the Heat became just the sixth No. 8 seed to defeat a No. 1 seed since the playoffs went to a 16-team format in 1984. Miami did so despite securing the No. 8 seed via a must-win play-in tournament game two days before the series started, becoming the first team ever to advance beyond the first round from the play-in.

Let's take a closer look at this improbable Heat win and how it compares to past 1-vs.-8 upsets and other unexpected playoff series results.

Throughout the NBA season, I answer your questions about the latest, most interesting topics in basketball. You can tweet me directly at @kpelton, tweet your questions using the hashtag #peltonmailbag or email them to peltonmailbag@gmail.com.

In addition to the main question, this week's mailbag also answers ones on the New York Knicks and Cleveland Cavaliers taking offense back to the 1990s, teams like the Philadelphia 76ers that pull off regular-season and playoff sweeps of the same opponent and players who tend to excel in losses.

«Where does Bucks-Heat rank among playoff upsets?»

— Jim

In terms of the regular-season performance of the two teams, Miami's win isn't historically notable. The 14-win gap between the two teams in the standings is second-smallest of the six all-time 1-8 upsets, ahead of only the 1999 Heat losing as the No. 1 seed to the Knicks, who had finished the equivalent of just 9.8 games back in the compact post-lockout Eastern Conference.

Predictably, the three biggest differentials are all 1-vs.-8 upsets: the 2007 «We Believe» Golden State Warriors over the Dallas