Desmond Bane

Happy to be back home for Game 5, Desmond Bane and the Memphis Grizzlies were far from ready to stay there for an entire offseason. Down 3-1 in the First Round to the Los Angeles Lakers, Bane ensured the series would shift back to Southern California with a dominant performance when his team needed it most. The explosive third-year guard kept the Lakers defense guessing all night as he baited them with a head-turning pump fake, passing up his own 3-pointer in favor of a selfless crosscourt dish to Luke Kennard for the open triple. With the season on the line, Bane posted a game-high 33 points to pair with 10 rebounds, five assists and four treys in his squad’s 116-99 win on April 26, 2023.