Kevin Durant

Ask defenders across the NBA, and they’ll likely agree that the only thing more difficult than defending Kevin Durant is defending him in a big-time possession in one of his sweet spots just left of the top of the key. Locked and loaded with a chance to deliver a sour note on the Utah Jazz’s In-Season Tournament plans, the former Most Valuable Player sizes up Ochai Agbaji, forcing just enough of a backpedal to ease his way into a 27-foot dagger from one of his favorite locations. In describing the game as one in which neither team played defense, the four-time scoring champion, predictably, parlayed the environment into one of his season’s best games on the way to a win on November 17, 2023. The Phoenix Suns superstar exploded for 38 points — on a remarkable 15 of 22 from the field — with nine rebounds, nine assists, and six 3-pointers along the way.