Kyrie Irving

As every defender to step in his path can attest to, the list of scenarios in which Kyrie Irving becomes unguardable runs long; from “Uncle Drew” to “untucked jersey Kyrie,” the man of many moves is also one of many alter egos. Locked in on a goal of advancing to the second round, the eight-time All-Star introduced the L.A. Clippers to yet another unstoppable version: “Closeout Game Kyrie.” Settled into a 20-point lead in the fourth quarter and a chance to reset the offense, Irving isolates along one of his favorite spots, challenging P.J. Tucker for a tango along the right wing. Immediately shaking the veteran defender’s equilibrium with a pair of between-the-leg dribbles, Irving keeps the pressure on with a snatch-back dribble and then a crossover before finally putting him out of his misery with a four-point play, bringing the arena’s entirety to its feet. The Dallas Mavericks star left the city with plenty to celebrate on the way to a 30-point masterpiece — 28 of which occurring during a 28-point avalanche in the second half — along with six rebounds, four assists, two steals, two blocks, and five 3-pointers. Equally noteworthy on the defensive end, Irving held opposing scorers to a 4-of-20 finish as the primary defender in the Game Six win on May 3, 2024. With the victory, Irving also remained perfect in win-and-advance games, moving to 13-0 in such scenarios.