Bam Adebayo

Mettlesome and resilient enough to force an unlikely overtime — even after trailing by double figures in regulation’s final three minutes — the Miami Heat found that step No. 1 in their comeback attempt had been accomplished. With their victory aspirations still up in the air, then came time for step No. 2: designing plays to get their athletically-gifted All-Star center in the skies right along with it. Energetic, even after already logging a 38-minute contribution against the Detroit Pistons’ physical defense, Bam Adebayo works Miami’s “5-Out” offense atop the 3-point arc, dealing a pass before immediately recognizing an opportunity through his teammate’s back screen. Perfectly in-sync with a different teammate on a well-schemed alley-oop, Adebayo levitates through the air, powering in a jaw-dropping lob jam, securing both an old-fashioned and-one and Miami’s late two-point lead. Time management errors, and Detroit’s similarly-patterned alley-oop ultimately dealt Miami a loss on November 12, 2024, though Adebayo’s 2024 NBA Cup debut remained excellent as he tallied 20 points (on 8-of-13 shooting), 12 rebounds, three assists, one block, and a 3-pointer.