Originally released in 2023, these Legendary Packs feature 10 Moments from the 2014-19 NBA seasons, including iconic and unforgettable Legendary Moments from NBA history. Each Pack includes 1 Legendary Legacies Moment, 3 Rare Run It Back Moments, and 6 Archive Set Moments.<br><br><b>
<a href="https://nbatopshot.com/listings/pack/pack_5_run_it_back_legacies_2014-19/moments" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Pack Contents</a></b>

Run It Back: Legacies 2014-19

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The long wait came to an end — thanks to Kyrie Irving and one of the biggest shots in NBA Finals history, the Cleveland Cavaliers finally joined the ranks of world champions in 2016, snapping a drought that dated back to the franchise’s inception in 1970. The team’s hopes of pulling off the feat looked bleak after falling into a 3-1 series hole against the 73-win defending champion Golden State Warriors, but Irving and company forced Game 7 thanks to convincing victories in Games 5 and 6. With the game deadlocked at 89 in the fourth quarter, the 2012 Rookie of the Year dribbled around a screen until he was one-on-one with two-time MVP Steph Curry. Keeping Curry at bay with evasive handles until it was his time to strike, Irving pulled up from 25 feet and buried an iconic go-ahead 3-pointer with 53 seconds remaining to silence a stunned home crowd. The shot heard round the NBA world capped an epic night and series for Irving, who shot 10 for 23 for 26 points to go with six rebounds in Cleveland’s unforgettable 93-89 win on June 19, 2016. Irving averaged 27.1 points per game in the series on better than 40 percent shooting from downtown as the Cavs became the first team to rally from a 3-1 deficit and win in the Finals.

Kyrie Irving

First, Russell Westbrook broke the record for most triple-doubles in a single season. Then he shattered the hearts of the Denver Nuggets. When the Oklahoma City Thunder star point guard grabbed a rebound off a missed Nikola Jokić runner, his team trailed by two with only two seconds left on the clock. No matter, as the soon-to-be-named NBA MVP came out of a timeout, corralled a pass from Steven Adams and buried a dagger 3-pointer from 36 feet that won the Thunder the game while eliminating the Nuggets from playoff contention. The clutch game-winner capped a historic day for Westbrook, who notched his NBA-record 42nd triple-double of the season with 50 points, 16 rebounds and 10 assists, breaking a mark that had stood since 1962. Westbrook scored the Thunder’s final 15 points while shooting 17 of 32 from the field, 5 of 12 from downtown and 11 of 11 from the stripe on April 9, 2017. Fittingly, Westbrook averaged a triple-double that season at 31.6 points, 10.7 rebounds and 10.4 assists and would later become the league’s all-time leader in career triple-doubles. 

Russell Westbrook

Down eight points on the road entering the fourth quarter and facing elimination in the Western Conference Finals is not a great place to be — unless you’re Klay Thompson and the Golden State Warriors. A hot-shooting Thompson kept his squad in the fight burying six 3-pointers through three periods in Game 6 against the Oklahoma City Thunder, yet the record-setting, 73-win Warriors still found themselves on the ropes with 12 minutes to play. Then Thompson really started cooking as he hit one big shot after another, shooting 6 of 9 from the field and 5 of 6 from downtown to bring Golden State back from the brink. His final triple of the fourth off an assist from Andre Iguodala was the dagger that broke a 101-101 tie with 1:35 remaining, and the Thunder never scored again as Thompson and company ended the game on a 9-0 run. Thompson shot 11 for 18 from beyond the arc for a playoff career-high of 41 points, and the 11 treys were a single-game postseason record at the time. Golden State kept its season alive thanks to Thompson’s long-range heroics with a 108-101 victory on May 28, 2016, picking up a Game 7 triumph two nights later to advance to the NBA Finals for an unforgettable showdown with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Klay Thompson

For Aaron Gordon, it was one of the most spectacular second-place finishes imaginable. Participating in the Slam Dunk Contest for the first of three times, the Orlando Magic forward went dunk-for-dunk with Zach LaVine of the Minnesota Timberwolves in one of the most memorable iterations of the event. Entering the fray in a tuxedo, Gordon showed he meant business from the start by landing a between-the-legs reverse dunk that scored a 45 from the judging panel. He would only get better from there, unleashing a dunk in his second try that earned a 49 after he threw it down over Stuff, the Magic’s mascot. Sticking with what worked, Gordon went back to the mascot with a little more flair for his next attempt in the finals against LaVine, taking the ball and landing a jaw-dropping 360-degree throwdown. For a third and final time, Gordon enlisted Stuff’s assistance for an under-the-legs one-handed slam that scored a perfect 50. Gordon nailed his third consecutive perfect score as sudden death began by exploding for a double-clutch reverse, and for his final attempt the future NBA champion put the ball behind his head before throwing down another turbulence-inducing reverse slam for a 47. Although LaVine ultimately came out on top with his second straight Slam Dunk Contest title, few have forgotten Gordon’s runner-up effort on February 13, 2016. 

Aaron Gordon

The Cleveland Cavaliers were thinking overtime while Derrick Rose was laughing all the way to the bank. After the Cavs had tied Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinals with 10 seconds left in regulation, the stage was set for the 2011 MVP to walk it off with some postseason magic. Despite heavy pressure from his defender Rose got the ball in his hands, dribbled around a screen and pulled the trigger on a 3-pointer over Tristan Thompson that miraculously banked in as time expired. The three-time Chicago Bulls All-Star was tremendous with a game-high 30 points, seven rebounds and seven assists as his squad took a 2-1 series lead in the exhilarating 99-96 victory on May 8, 2015. Rose’s clutch jumper was the first game-winning shot by a Bulls player in the final 10 seconds of a playoff game since the 1998 NBA Finals.

Derrick Rose

Playing with a heavy heart and a newly-reconstructed mouth, Isaiah Thomas responded with the game of his life. The Boston Celtics guard had a tooth knocked out during a Game 1 victory over the Washington Wizards in the Eastern Conference semifinals and spent several hours in a dentist’s chair in the two days leading up to Game 2 — which was played on what would have been his late sister’s 23rd birthday. All that was left to do was go win a playoff game in her memory, and boy, did he ever. In a superhero effort, Thomas carved up the Wizards with a barrage of shifty dribbles and smooth shots: he scored on a driving layup, a catch-and-shoot 3-pointer and thrice victimized defender Markieff Morris with unguardable midrange pull-ups. For his grand finale in overtime, Thomas ran the give-and-go with Jae Crowder before burying an elbow jumper with 15 seconds remaining that gave Boston a 10-point lead and sent the Celtics down to Washington with a 2-0 series advantage. Thomas shot a scintillating 18 for 33 from the field for 53 points, one shy of the postseason franchise record. He scored 24 in the second half and another nine in overtime, with the Celtics needing every last one in an emotional 129-119 win on May 2, 2017. The two-time All-Star also mixed in four rebounds, four assists, three steals and five triples in 12 attempts.  

Isaiah Thomas

Prior to becoming an All-NBA First Team selection with the Oklahoma City Thunder, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander spent his first season with the LA Clippers. Selected 11th overall in the 2018 draft, SGA showed early flashes of his brilliance during his rookie campaign against the Denver Nuggets. Gilgeous-Alexander took a hand-off from Tobias Harris before driving to the basket, showcasing his quickness and shifty handle as he spun his way around a defender and finished with a smooth reverse layup. Gilgeous-Alexander connected on 6 of 10 shots from the floor for 14 points while also mixing in six assists and two steals, helping his squad prevail 132-111 on December 22, 2018. He played in all 82 games as a rookie and averaged 10.8 points per game to earn a nod on the All-Rookie Second Team. 

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Josh Hart saved his best game for last to conclude his rookie campaign. The last pick of the first round in the 2017 NBA Draft finished strong as he was guarded by Tobias Harris at the 3-point line atop the key, retreating a few steps backward to gain some extra space before pulling the trigger on a long triple from way downtown that gave the Los Angeles Lakers a commanding 19-point third quarter lead. Hart posted season-highs of 30 points and seven 3-pointers against the LA Clippers, shooting 9 of 15 overall and a sizzling 7 of 9 from deep to go with five rebounds and five assists in his squad’s 115-100 victory on April 11, 2018. 

Josh Hart

Throwing down a highlight-reel dunk over one of the game’s all-time greats served as a pinch-me moment for rookie Malcolm Brogdon. The Milwaukee Bucks made Brogdon the 36th overall pick of the 2016 NBA Draft, and six months later he found himself throwing one down over none other than LeBron James. Brogdon tried to pass the ball away, but when his teammate bobbled the exchange, Brogdon scooped up the loose ball and attacked the basket. Thanks to a helpful screen, Brogdon gained a step on James, who pursued him all the way to the rim but was late in his attempt to thwart the reverse one-handed jam. Brogdon posted six points and five assists during a 19-minute run off the bench on December 20, 2016, and would later be named the 2017 Rookie of the Year after posting 10.2 points, 4.2 assists and 1.1 steals per game on better than 40 percent shooting from 3-point range.

Malcolm Brogdon

You can game plan for Jimmy Butler but you can’t stop him. Corralling an inbound pass with 12 seconds on the clock in a knotted game between the Chicago Bulls and Brooklyn Nets on December 28, 2016, Butler prods his defender in isolation before stepping back into a deep two as the final horn sounds. Butler’s game-winner, two of the nine points he scored in the last two and a half minutes of the game, put a finishing touch on a 40-point gem that was briefly interrupted in the fourth quarter when the All-Star swingman went down with an ankle injury. Butler finished the 2016-17 campaign with a career-first All-NBA Third Team nod.

Jimmy Butler

Victories can be tough to come by for teams fresh out of the lottery, so Andrew Wiggins of the Minnesota Timberwolves showed the Phoenix Suns that he wasn’t playing around. The No. 1 pick in the 2014 NBA Draft caught a pass from Ricky Rubio behind the 3-point arc and oozed athleticism on a determined drive to the hole as he landed a sleek one-handed throwdown on Markieff Morris. Wiggins shot 9 of 15 from the field for 20 points — already the 17th 20-point game of his rookie season — while also mixing in two rebounds and two assists in a nail-biting 111-109 Minnesota win on February 20, 2015. It was a sign of good things to come for Wiggins, who would later be named the Rookie of the Year after averaging 16.9 points and 4.6 rebounds while starting all 82 games for the Timberwolves. 

Andrew Wiggins

The first start of Anfernee Simons’ career could not have gone any better. The Portland Trail Blazers rookie guard was limited to just 20 games and one start in his first campaign, so he made sure to make it count. Having already locked up a postseason spot, Portland decided to give its young players a longer look, allowing Simons to showcase his passing prowess and sling a perfect bounce pass around two Sacramento Kings defenders to a cutter. Simons filled up the stat sheet while playing all 48 minutes, shooting 13 of 21 from the field and 7 of 11 from downtown for a game-high 37 points while also chipping in six rebounds and nine assists in the 136-131 triumph on April 10, 2019.

Anfernee Simons

Brandon Ingram was the second-youngest player drafted in 2016, but he certainly didn’t look like a rookie once he got onto the court. Resembling an experienced and confident veteran against the New Orleans Pelicans late in his first season, Ingram went to work as he got by Jrue Holiday with a quick crossover and then exploded past his help defender before finishing at the rim with a high-flying slam. Ingram divvied up 15 points, five rebounds and six assists in a solid all-around effort, helping the Los Angeles Lakers pick up a 108-96 victory on April 11, 2017. The second overall pick and future NBA All-Star enjoyed a solid first year in the league, averaging 9.4 points across 79 games to gain a place on the All-Rookie Second Team. 

Brandon Ingram

‘Tis the season for high-flying throwdowns if your name is Domantas Sabonis. Before he blossomed into a three-time All-Star, All-NBA Third Team selection and the league leader in rebounds, Sabonis played his first professional season with the Oklahoma City Thunder. In a Christmas Day showdown against the Minnesota Timberwolves, the 11th overall pick in the 2016 draft flashed early glimpses of his game-changing skill set. After taking a bounce pass from Russell Westbrook atop the key and thinking about a 3-pointer, the versatile big man hit Karl-Anthony Towns with a pump fake and then embarked on a drive to the basket. Despite a congested paint, Sabonis left Towns in the dust and took flight, landing an authoritative one-handed slam on top of Gorgui Dieng. His only field goal of the night was a memorable one as Sabonis posted three points and seven rebounds in the Thunder’s 112-100 victory on December 25, 2016. 

Domantas Sabonis

First year, 10th year, rookie or veteran, reputations are earned in the postseason. Enter Norman Powell. Thrown into the fire of a heated playoff series between the upstart Toronto Raptors and Indiana Pacers, the rookie reserve answered the call to help jumpstart a squad facing a 13-point deficit in the fourth quarter of a pivotal Game 5. With the Air Canada Centre crowd on their feet applauding a resilient effort to draw within two, Powell lunges into a passing lane to pick off a Monta Ellis dish then sprints down the floor for an unforgettable, superhero-esque, game-tying cram. The dunk knotted the game at 92-92, the Raps secured the win shortly thereafter and would go on to win the First Round series in seven, their first series win since 2001. Powell finished with 10 points in 28 minutes of action in the April 26, 2016 battle.

Norman Powell

It was two sweeps in two tries for Kevin Love and the soon-to-be-champion Cleveland Cavaliers. Before the Cavs met the Golden State Warriors in an epic seven-game NBA Finals, they were making short work of the Atlanta Hawks following a first-round sweep over the Detroit Pistons. In a tightly-contested Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals, LeBron James whipped a pass into the corner to a determined Love, who dribbled once to his left before pump-faking his defender and draining a 3-pointer to give the Cavs a three-point advantage late in the third quarter. Love connected on 8 of his 15 attempts from downtown, posting a team-high 27 points and 13 rebounds to go along with four assists in the 100-99 victory on May 8, 2016.

Kevin Love

Trae Young may have been a rookie, but he left little doubt as to who would take the final shot with the game on the line. Young and the Atlanta Hawks shook off a 17-point first-half deficit and fought back to force overtime against the Milwaukee Bucks. The fifth overall pick made a go-ahead bucket with 6.8 seconds left in the extra session, but the Bucks answered with one of their own with 1.1 left to set up a dramatic conclusion between East-leading Milwaukee and the underdog Hawks. Kevin Huerter’s inbounds pass was deflected in the paint by Brook Lopez, but Young was in the right place at the right time to snare the loose ball and flick up a game-winning 12-foot runner as time expired. Young had missed all seven of his second-half shots and his first two in overtime before connecting on his last two to help deliver the Hawks a 136-135 win on March 31, 2019. The All-Rookie First Team selection tallied 12 points, five rebounds, 16 assists and two steals and finished his first season with averages of 19.1 points and 8.1 assists per game. 

Trae Young

Play busy, stay busy. O.G. Anunoby has made a career doing just that. Left alone in the corner as his Toronto Raptors teammates create a shot attempt, Anunoby flies under the radar of his defender, leaps along the baseline and throws down an uncontested putback slam. Anunoby’s relentless efforts on both ends of the floor were evident as early as Year 1 and he finished the January 26, 2018 contest with five points and a trio of steals.

OG Anunoby

Malik Monk’s evolution as a spark plug off the bench began during his rookie season with the Charlotte Hornets. The 11th overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft inbounded the ball to Jeremy Lamb before reclaiming it on a quick handoff, splitting a pair of Chicago Bulls defenders with a shrewd spin move and finishing with an open layup for his efforts. Monk scored 16 of his 21 points in the fourth quarter, adding two rebounds, two assists and five 3-pointers in 24 minutes of run off the bench on April 3, 2018. 

Malik Monk

Five years before he became an All-Star and the NBA’s Most Improved Player in 2023, Lauri Markkanen was finding his footing as a lottery pick for the Chicago Bulls. The seventh overall selection in the 2017 draft started all 68 games he suited up in during his rookie campaign, including against the Charlotte Hornets when he trailed a transition attack up the court, caught a pass at the foul line and showed serious hops by rising up and landing a powerful one-handed throwdown. Markkanen tallied 11 points, seven rebounds and two steals on February 27, 2018, and his season averages of 15.2 points and 7.5 rebounds per game landed him a spot on the 2018 NBA All-Rookie First Team. 

Lauri Markkanen

There are few stronger confidence builders for a rookie than a rim-rattling dunk. The Denver Nuggets made Jamal Murray the seventh pick in the 2016 NBA Draft, and the future high-scoring guard and NBA champion found his footing as a reserve on a team also featuring a developing Nikola Jokić. Coming off the bench against the San Antonio Spurs, Murray navigated through traffic on the perimeter as he bypassed multiple defenders with a shifty spin-crossover combination before finishing with a mammoth one-handed slam. The Nuggets fell to the Spurs to slip to 17-25 on January 19, 2017, but the foundation for the future was beginning to take hold as Murray posted 13 points, six rebounds and two assists.

Jamal Murray

Still fighting to find his footing as a rookie, Spencer Dinwiddie snuck up on the Washington Wizards and announced his arrival in style. In the second half of a long season, the 38th overall pick in the 2014 draft flew under the radar in Washington’s game plan but over its defense. After a midrange jumper came up short, the first-year pro immediately sprung into action following his shot, collecting the miss and hammering home a putback slam. Dinwiddie shot 8 of 14 for a season-high 20 points off the bench to go with four rebounds and eight assists for the Detroit Pistons on February 28, 2015. 

Spencer Dinwiddie

Even the most adept perimeter defender struggles to contain Jordan Clarkson, give him the rock with a mismatched big and it’s over. Challenged at the key by a center, the Los Angeles Lakers rookie patiently waits for an opening then darts into the paint for an acrobatic up-and-under finish. Clarkson racked up 20 points and six assists in the April 7, 2015 battle and would finish the season with a Rookie of the Month nod and a spot on the 2014-15 All-Rookie First Team.

Jordan Clarkson

Whether it was inside or outside, Collin Sexton made waves for the Cleveland Cavaliers as a rookie. The eighth overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft showed no fear as he led the transition attack against the Miami Heat, zipping right past Bam Adebayo while going coast-to-coast and finishing with a strong one-handed throwdown. Sexton led the way on offense for Cleveland, shooting 11 for 17 for a game-high 27 points while also mixing in six assists on March 8, 2019. Sexton also made 3 of his 5 3-point attempts in the contest to give him 76 on the season, breaking Kyrie Irving’s rookie franchise record. He was named to the All-Rookie Second Team after averaging 16.7 points and shooting better than 40 percent from downtown while playing in all 82 games for the Cavs. 

Collin Sexton

The Miami Heat called upon their rookie center to help snap a five-game losing skid. With Khris Middleton pushing the transition attack for the Milwaukee Bucks, he made an error in judgment to attack the rim with future All-Star Bam Adebayo on duty. Snatching the ball out of the air with one hand, the 14th overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft displayed early flashes of his defensive brilliance that would see him develop into a four-time All-Defensive Second Team selection. For the game, he posted 15 points, 10 rebounds, three assists and two blocks off the bench as the Heat picked up a much-needed 91-85 victory on February 9, 2018. 

Bam Adebayo

As a 6-foot-10 rookie point guard, Ben Simmons was a truly unique talent every time he stepped on the court for the Philadelphia 76ers. Playing against the Miami Heat in Game 3 of the first round, Simmons put his special skill set on display as he brought the ball up the floor and split a double team with a slick behind-the-back dribble that gave him the necessary space to finish with a contested layup. Simmons was a key contributor in the Game 3 victory, filling up the box score to the tune of 19 points, 12 rebounds, seven assists and four steals as he helped Philly prevail 128-108 on April 19, 2018. Simmons stuffing the stat sheet was a common occurrence that season, and the first overall pick in the draft won the 2018 Rookie of the Year award after averaging 15.8 points, 8.1 rebounds, 8.2 assists and 1.7 steals in 81 games. 

Ben Simmons

Karl-Anthony Towns cared very little about the Golden State Warriors’ pursuit of the best regular season in NBA history. In his rookie campaign for the Minnesota Timberwolves, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2015 draft arrived in Oakland to square off against a Warriors squad that had produced a 69-8 record to that point, including 37 wins in 38 tries on their home court. Towns got Klay Thompson to jump out of his sneakers with a deceptive fake before encountering Steph Curry and Harrison Barnes on a drive and flicking a contested layup into the bucket with his right hand. The clutch shot in a pressure-cooker situation gave the underdog Timberwolves a four-point lead with under a minute to play in overtime, and Golden State never got closer than that the rest of the way. Towns logged 20 points, 12 rebounds, four assists and two blocks in the stunning 124-117 triumph on April 5, 2016 in Golden State’s final loss of its record-setting 73-win season. Towns would be named NBA Rookie of the Year not long after, finishing his first season with averages of 18.3 points, 10.5 rebounds and 1.7 blocks while starting all 82 games for Minnesota.

Karl-Anthony Towns

An ankle injury sustained in a game two days earlier sure didn’t prevent Giannis Antetokounmpo from flying. The Greek Freak’s pure athleticism and jumping ability left jaws on the floor in the Big Apple as Khris Middleton picked off a pass and motored the other way with Antetokounmpo in a 2-on-1 fast break. Tim Hardaway Jr. did his best while giving chase, but it didn’t matter as Middleton flicked up a lob pass that Antetokounmpo plucked from the air with one hand and hammered home while hurdling completely over the unwitting defender. It was a sign of things to come for the rapidly improving Antetokounmpo in his fifth NBA season, and he would go on to win the MVP in each of the next two years. Until then, he would have to settle for 23 points, 11 rebounds, six assists, two blocks and one awe-inspiring dunk in his squad’s 103-89 victory on February 6, 2018. 

Giannis Antetokounmpo

Zach LaVine was not playing around when it came to defending his Slam Dunk Contest crown. After winning the event as a rookie in 2015, the talented Minnesota Timberwolves dunk artist was back the next year in Toronto to participate in one of the most memorable iterations of the event featuring a showdown between he and Aaron Gordon. LaVine kicked things off in the first round with a lobbed, behind-the-back, reverse one-handed throwdown that earned the first of several perfect scores from the judges. Thanks to a helpful teammate who threw him the next lob, LaVine landed a one-handed alley-oop from the free throw line that fell short of a perfect 50 by one point. Once he advanced to the finals against Gordon, LaVine reached further into his bag of tricks and pulled out a one-handed 360-degree slam that scored him another flawless score. LaVine was far from finished as he also stuck a windmill dunk from the foul line that earned him another 50 and forced sudden death. In overtime, LaVine shifted to behind the basket on the baseline and threw down a sensational between-the-legs slam, much to the delight of his NBA peers watching from the sidelines. LaVine clinched his repeat championship with a through-the-legs dunk from near the free-throw line that registered as his fourth perfect dunk in five attempts on February 13, 2016. 

Zach LaVine

Desperate heaves aren’t so desperate if they hit the bottom of the net. With his Memphis Grizzlies down a pair in the final seconds against the Detroit Pistons, Matt Barnes collected a late-game rebound off the rim and set out to make a miracle. In his backcourt with only five seconds to play, the veteran forward took three dribbles and pulled the trigger on a halfcourt prayer that fell through with one second left on the clock. Barnes racked up eight points, 11 rebounds and three assists during a 30-minute run off the bench as the Grizzlies shocked the host Pistons 93-92 on December 9, 2015. 

Matt Barnes

There’s court vision, and then there’s Ricky Rubio court vision. The Minnesota Timberwolves point guard flashed his elite passing ability against the Los Angeles Lakers after a teammate jarred the ball loose from D’Angelo Russell and into the hands of Rubio underneath the opponents’ basket. Before anybody else even realized what had transpired, Rubio flicked a behind-the-back pass half the court’s length to an in-stride Brandon Rush, who traversed the rest of the way for a fastbreak throwdown. Rubio produced 19 points, three rebounds, a game-high 15 assists and three steals on March 24, 2017, and his 9.1 assists per game average during the 2016-17 season represented a career high. 

Ricky Rubio

A Christmas Day game in the Big Apple was the perfect stage for a showman like John Wall. The Washington Wizards star was a thorn in the side of the New York Knicks all game long as evidenced by when he split a pair of defenders with the help of a screen from Marcin Gortat before driving hard into the lane and finishing with a 360-degree layup. In the midst of his second of five consecutive All-Star seasons, Wall shot 10 of 17 for a team-high 24 points, adding six rebounds and 11 assists in Washington’s wire-to-wire 102-91 victory on December 25, 2014. 

John Wall

After 21 legendary Hall of Fame seasons, Dirk Nowitzki had reached the end of the road — but not before one final unforgettable performance in front of an adoring home crowd. Despite averaging a shade over seven points per game in his final season, the 14-time All-Star turned back the clock in his last home game with the Dallas Mavericks. The 40-year-old showcased his iconic shooting touch against the Phoenix Suns as he scored on a long two-pointer from the top of the key and then kept on firing. Nowitzki connected on five 3-pointers, as well as multiple midrange fadeaways. He even threw down a two-handed slam for good measure, delighting the Mavericks faithful with a season-high 30 points to go with eight rebounds and three assists in a 33-minute swan song. Nowitzki took the first eight Dallas shots and scored the team’s first 10 points of the game  — one final night where everything ran through him. He officially announced his retirement to the fans after the 120-109 triumph on April 9, 2019, spending an NBA-record 21 seasons with the same franchise. The 2007 MVP played in more than 1,500 games with the Mavericks, scoring 31,560 career points, and delivered the organization its first and only title in 2011. 

Dirk Nowitzki

Before he was an NBA champion and two-time league MVP, Nikola Jokić was hard at work becoming a triple-double savant. Although he had yet to begin his reign as annual league leader in triple-doubles, the Joker was starting to show flashes of his all-around brilliance on a nightly basis. Against the Milwaukee Bucks in his third season, Jokić did his standard little bit of everything, but what stuck out was the speed in which he compiled his 10th triple-double of the season. Jokić’s versatility was on full display in the first half as he connected on a midrange pull-up and a catch-and-shoot 3-pointer while also spinning his way to a driving layup in traffic. He facilitated for his teammates in a variety of ways, whipping a pass down low for an easy layup, dishing a swing pass for an open triple and making a no-look, behind-the-back pass look effortless. Just over a year after recording his first career triple-double in Milwaukee, Jokić logged the fastest triple-double in NBA history, achieving the feat with 1:54 to go before halftime in 14 minutes, 33 seconds of game time. He broke the previous record of 17 minutes that had stood since 1955, and ended up with 30 points, 15 rebounds and 17 assists in Denver’s 134-123 win on February 15, 2018.

Nikola Jokić

On a night when his teammates needed extra support on the offensive end, Nenê provided. The veteran big man, who averaged a shade over nine points per game in the regular season, erupted with a perfect night at the most opportune time for the Houston Rockets. Holding a 2-1 series lead and playing before a raucous Oklahoma City Thunder crowd late in a one-point game, Steven Adams drifted out to the 3-point line to guard the ball and left Nenê all alone underneath the basket. Trevor Ariza found his teammate for an open and-1 layup, and the subsequent free-throw conversion gave the Rockets a four-point lead with 11 seconds to play. Nenê went nuclear to the tune of a team-high 28 points on a flawless 12-for-12 from the field, adding 10 rebounds in the 113-109 win on April 23, 2017 to take a commanding lead in the series.

Nenê

Kyle Lowry scored almost half of his team’s points, and the Toronto Raptors needed every one of them. The six-time All-Star was in the zone all night long as he produced arguably the best game of his decorated career against LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers. With the game tied in the closing seconds, there was little doubt who would take Toronto’s final shot as Lowry bided his time in an isolation matchup with Matthew Dellavedova before dribbling to his left and rising up for the go-ahead bucket from just inside the 3-point arc. Lowry shot a sizzling 15 of 20 from the field for a career-best 43 points to pair with five rebounds, nine assists and four steals in the 99-97 win on February 26, 2016. After the season, Lowry was named to the only All-NBA squad of his career, earning a spot on the Third Team.

Kyle Lowry

Even when the Cleveland Cavaliers built a 26-point lead through three quarters, Paul Millsap and the Atlanta Hawks kept pushing. The Hawks mounted a furious fourth-quarter comeback that saw them creep within two points of Cleveland following three Millsap free throws with eight seconds remaining. Then, after an ensuing jump ball with four seconds left resulted in a late scramble, Millsap capitalized on the chaos with an overtime-forcing fade. In his fourth straight All-Star season for the Hawks, Millsap scored 14 of his team-high 22 points in the fourth quarter and overtime while also mixing in nine rebounds and two assists in the exciting 126-125 victory on April 9, 2017. Millsap averaged a career-high 18.1 points per game during the 2016-17 season.

Paul Millsap

The Utah Jazz wouldn’t let the Indiana Pacers defeat them — not when Derrick Favors was in the midst of a career night. After logging a game-tying three-point play with 10 seconds remaining in regulation, Favors followed up the act with some additional overtime heroics working out of the two-man game for a supremely difficult layup against double coverage. Those were the final two points of the game, as Favors converted 14 of 24 field goals for a career-best 35 points to go with 13 rebounds on December 5, 2015, allowing the Jazz to win 122-119. Favors went on to average a career-high 16.4 points and 1.2 steals per game during the 2015-16 campaign.

Derrick Favors

To beat the mighty Golden State Warriors squads from the 2010s, you had to show up on defense. This was no issue for Tony Allen, who reminded the soon-to-be-champions of his stifling defensive prowess. The Memphis Grizzlies guard helped turn the potent Warriors into a cold-shooting, turnover-prone offense in Game 2 of the Western Conference semifinals. Following a miss on the offensive end, Klay Thompson’s transition attack was quickly thwarted by Allen, who picked the All-Star guard’s pocket to start a Memphis counterattack before twice affirming his First Team All-Defense status. Allen made his third and final appearance on the First Team squad in 2015 and also boasted three Second Team selections to his resume, all of which came during his seven seasons with the Grizzlies. Although the Warriors would win the first of four titles in the Thompson and Steph Curry era the following month, Allen helped hold the sharpshooting duo to a 3 of 17 showing from downtown in the 97-90 Memphis win on May 5, 2015. Allen contributed nine points, four rebounds, two assists and four steals as the Grizzlies tied the series 1-1.

Tony Allen

Unchecked in transition, future 2020 Slam Dunk Contest champion Derrick Jones Jr. had to give the Toronto Raptors an appetizer of the next All-Star break's main course. The Miami Heat reserve forward left jaws dropped in the arena when his squad came up with a steal on defense and set out in transition. Heat big man Bam Adebayo waited for the 2-on-1 fast break to develop and then tossed a lob in the air that saw Jones Jr. rise to stratospheric heights and throw down a gravity-defying one-handed slam. Jones Jr. only scored four points, but two of them were all anybody was left talking about after the game on March 10, 2019. 

Derrick Jones Jr.

Serge Ibaka and the Oklahoma City Thunder announced their arrival to the 2016 postseason with an iron fist. Ibaka summarized the Thunder’s pure dominance on both ends of the floor with one impressive sequence — first, the seventh-year center met Dirk Nowitzki at the rim and blocked the future Hall of Famer’s layup attempt. After grabbing the defensive board, Ibaka gave the ball to Kevin Durant before Durant quickly found his teammate for a catch-and-shoot 3-pointer that gave the Thunder a 26-point lead with 3:41 to play in the first half. Ibaka shot 7 of 8 from the field and made all three of his treys for 17 points to go along with nine rebounds and three blocks in Oklahoma City’s runaway 108-70 victory in Game 1 of the first round on April 16, 2016. The Thunder forced Dallas to shoot less than 30 percent from the field, and the Mavs’ 70 points were an Oklahoma City franchise record for fewest points allowed in a playoff game.

Serge Ibaka

It took Bojan Bogdanović more than three years from the time he was drafted until he played in an NBA game, so he wasted little time making a strong impression on the Brooklyn Nets. After playing overseas in Turkey, Bogdanović signed a contract with the Nets ahead of the 2014-15 season. In his third professional game against the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Croatian forward made an early impact grabbing a defensive board with time rapidly diminishing in the first half and then initiating an urgent transition attack. Bogdanović evaded Reggie Jackson’s defense with a slick behind-the-back dribble before lobbing a picture-perfect alley-oop to Mason Plumlee for a quarter-ending dunk. The highlight-reel sequence gave the Nets a 19-point halftime lead and they never let up, cruising to a 116-85 victory behind 12 points, two rebounds, two assists and two steals from Bogdanović on November 3, 2014.

Bojan Bogdanović

The Portland Trail Blazers thought they had stolen one on the road against the Boston Celtics after a four-point Damian Lillard play with seven seconds remaining. Turns out they left too much time on the clock for Al Horford. In the midst of his fifth All-Star season, Horford played the role of late-game savior as he took a pass from Jaylen Brown and buried a 15-foot fadeaway as time expired to help Boston win its fourth consecutive game. Horford shot 8 for 12 for a team-high 22 points while also chipping in 10 rebounds, five assists and two blocks in the 97-96 victory on February 4, 2018. 

Al Horford

Following a 38-point loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 1 of the first round, Raymond Felton and the Dallas Mavericks had to dig deep. As soon as Russell Westbrook’s missed 3-pointer with the game tied in the closing minute of the fourth quarter landed in Felton’s hands, the veteran guard was laser-focused on delivering his squad a much-needed win. Felton gained a step on Westbrook on a strong drive to the basket and managed to score a contested, go-ahead layup over Steven Adams with 28 seconds to play. The Thunder never led again, and Felton’s 21 points, 11 rebounds and three assists were critical in Dallas tying the series with an 85-84 Game 2 triumph on April 18, 2016. The 21 points were more than double Felton’s regular season average, and he averaged a playoff career-high 15.0 points per game that postseason.

Raymond Felton

After four quarters and two overtimes, Deron Williams was ready to go home — but not until he experienced the joy of hitting a game-winner for his hometown team. The suburban Dallas native gave the sellout Dallas Mavericks crowd a taste of what made him a three-time NBA All-Star as he grabbed the inbound pass on the final play of the second overtime and pump faked his Sacramento Kings defender before draining a fadeaway 3-pointer at the buzzer. The heroic shot sent the crowd into a delirium and turned a would-be gutting two-point loss into a thrilling 117-116 victory on January 5, 2016. Williams shot 10 of 18 for a team-high 25 points to go with four assists and two steals in the Mavericks’ 22nd consecutive home victory over the Kings.

Deron Williams

Even when everybody in the building knew he was taking the final shot, there was no stopping James Harden. In what would become the highest-scoring NBA season in over 30 years, the Houston Rockets superstar was already coming off a 2017-18 MVP campaign and had posted four consecutive games of at least 40 points by the time he arrived in Oakland to do battle with the defending-champion Golden State Warriors. Having already forced overtime with a game-tying 3-pointer in regulation, Harden’s Rockets trailed the Warriors by two in the final seconds of the extra session when Harden dribbled searching for an open sliver. He managed to get off the game-winning trey despite the best defensive efforts of Klay Thompson and Draymond Green to thwart the attempt, bringing Houston all the way back from down 20 in the process. In the 2018 Western Conference Finals rematch, Harden posted 44 points, 10 rebounds, 15 assists, plus 10 triples in 23 tries, for his second straight triple-double in a breathtaking 135-134 victory on January 3, 2019. In addition to it being the Beard’s fifth consecutive 40-point game, the performance also came during a stretch of 32 consecutive games with at least 30 points — a run that included three 50-point outbursts as well as a career-high 61. Harden averaged 36.1 points per game in 2018-19, the highest-scoring campaign since 1987.

James Harden

Devin Booker’s sophomore season saw him accomplish a feat that only a handful before him in NBA history had ever done. At just 20 years old, the Phoenix Suns guard reached rarified air against the Boston Celtics with a signature sizzling shooting touch that would ultimately turn him into a three-time All-Star. Booker torched the Celtics all over their home court, wowing the crowd with a dazzling array of shots — a driving floater, midrange pull-ups, a post-up turnaround jumper, a driving pull-up from the foul line, a baseline fade off the glass and a spot-up 3-pointer from way downtown. With the poise of a 10-year veteran, the young but smooth guard shot 21 of 40 from the field and 24 of 26 at the stripe for a staggering 70 points to go with eight rebounds, six assists and three steals. Booker became just the sixth player in league history to put up 70 in a game, and it was the most points the Celtics had ever allowed to an opposing player. He scored 51 of his 70 after halftime, including 28 in the final period as his teammates fed him the rock virtually every possession in the March 24, 2017 contest. Booker broke a 27-year-old record for most points in a single game in Suns history and also shattered his previous career-high of 39. 

Devin Booker

It didn’t matter what the Detroit Pistons did defensively — almost everything Anthony Davis put up found the bottom of the net. The New Orleans Pelicans star stuffed the stat sheet like never before, scoring in every way imaginable: Davis threw down dunks on a putback follow and off a pick-and-roll, showed off his impressive range by burying a spot-up 3-pointer and even canned a spectacularly difficult midrange fadeaway. The future NBA champion shot a staggering 24 of 34 from the field — making both of his attempts from downtown — and 9 of 10 from the line for a career-high 59 points, 20 rebounds and four assists in a 111-106 New Orleans win on February 21, 2016. Davis shattered the franchise record of 50 points set exactly 13 years earlier and also became the third player in league history to register a 55-point, 20-rebound game. 

Run It Back: Legacies 2014-19

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