3. 1980-81 Houston Rockets
The last sub-.500 team to reach the Finals, the ’81 Rockets went 40-42 in the regular season before upsetting the 54-win Lakers in the first round of the playoffs. Hall of Fame center led the league in rebounding for the second of six times in his career, snagging 14.8 boards per game to go with 27.8 points.