Derrick Jones Jr.

Eyeing their chance to both finally silence the Oklahoma City Thunder and capture lightning in a bottle with a second Western Conference Finals appearance in three seasons, the Dallas Mavericks decided it only made sense to consult the advice of a player with a high enough vertical to see into the clouds. With the suspense of a back-and-forth Game Six arriving at its pinnacle and the Mavericks clinging to a three-point lead, Derrick Jones Jr. positions himself for an everlasting memory in the franchise’s history books, first hunting down his teammate’s deflected shot for a rebound. Left with just three seconds left on the play clock and a contested midrange attempt — a shot he took just eight times throughout the regular season — as his only option, the talented forward elevates as only he can, burying a jaw-dropping bucket to bring the home crowd to its feet. One of the 2023-24 season’s true feel-good stories as Dallas’ final roster addition, Jones penned another thrilling chapter, helping Dallas to a come-from-behind, series-deciding Game Six victory. Locked into arguably his career’s most remarkable scoring run, the veteran was again brilliant, with 22 points, four rebounds, one steal, one block, and four 3-pointers on May 18, 2024.