Jayson Tatum

On the list of ways to judge how poised a championship-caliber team is, how they perform in both clutch and after timeout situations settles somewhere towards the top. Shorthanded, and already aware of the power behind Brooklyn’s strongest punch on November 8, 2024, Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics put such traits to work in crunchtime. Positioned far out, in a free safety-like spot as teammates inbounded on the opposite side, Tatum — in one of 2024-25’s most brilliantly-plotted out-of-bounds actions — hustles free of Dorian Finney-Smith’s reach, just as a teammate catches. Patriot-esque in introducing basketball’s version of a “forward lateral,” Tatum propels his momentum forward, cramming in a go-ahead dunk in the final half-minute. The Brooklyn Nets’ grittiness made overtime inevitable, but, seasoned and well-prepared nevertheless, Tatum helped guide victory through 33 points (on 11-of-25 shooting), nine rebounds, six assists, two steals, one block, and five 3-pointers.