Max Christie

Fighting through the fatigue of playing in their fifth game in seven nights, the Los Angeles Lakers found limitless energy in the form of one player: Max Christie. Hard at work using his defensive energy to limit the Houston Rockets’ highlight reel opportunities, the second-year forward decided to take the chance for himself. Perfectly positioned along the 3-point arc, Christie wins the race against both the now-expired shot clock and the opposition, eluding him with a pump-fake before connecting on a buzzer-beating triple to extend the sizable advantage heading into the fourth quarter. A leader among the Los Angeles Lakers’ second unit, Christie’s impact could be found throughout the box score, with a team-high +19 plus-minus in 27 minutes, alongside 12 points, seven rebounds, two assists, and three 3-pointers in the home victory on December 12, 2023.