Luguentz Dort

Experience is often deemed “the greatest teacher,” and after being tested by twice as crunchtime minutes as the Oklahoma City Thunder during regular-season play, the Denver Nuggets likely felt confident in their ability to ace any late-game postseason exam. That is, until Lu Dort entered Game Five’s final frame with an answer key of his own. Unbothered by a nine-point deficit in the last eight minutes, Dort metamorphosed into the literal definition of “3-and-D,” burying back-to-back, much-needed trifectas over a 30-second span to inject life into Oklahoma City’s comeback bid. Finding all great things to come in threes during May 13, 2025’s high-stakes stretch, Dort holds steady along the right wing, capping off his “hat trick” by turning his teammate’s drive-and-kick into yet another trifecta. It proved eerily reminiscent of Dort's memorable long-range takeover against the NBA’s then-defending champions in early-January. Reasonably described as a big-game wild card, Dort closed the must-win with 12 points, three rebounds, one assist, four treys, seven shot contests, and four deflections.

Championship Year