Ray Allen

15 years later, the 2009 opening-round clash between the Boston Celtics and Chicago Bulls remains considered by some to be the NBA’s greatest series, given the seven-game battle that offered seven overtimes and five matchups finishing within a single possession. For some, that’s merely a long-winded way of saying that at some point, Ray Allen’s long-range clutch gene would eventually tilt the scales. With vintage postseason performances becoming a borderline requirement after losing one-third of their All-Star veteran trio, Allen bobbed and weaved through off-ball screens, dealing his heftiest haymaker in Game Six. Fusing his picturesque catch-and-shoot style with an often-underrated handle, Allen left no level of the floor without a highlight during his postseason career-high. The greatest acts arguably came post-regulation, when Allen drifted along that famous right corner for an audacious fallaway over Joakim Noah. Moments later, the Hall of Famer tied the affair with a brake-pumping pull-up 3-pointer, prompting the night’s commentators into a full-on holler. With a box score connoisseur’s dream efficiency and something for the eye test included, Allen erupted for 51 points (on 18-of-32 shooting), five rebounds, three assists, three steals, and nine 3-pointers in a triple OT loss on April 30, 2009.