Despite often being among the biggest players on the court, Bam Adebayo becomes a defensive cheat code through his ability to defend anything 1-through-5. Matching a Boston Celtics guard step-by-step on the way to the basket, the Miami Heat center stretches out and pins a shot attempt in between the backboard and the rim for a demonstrative rejection. Helping propel the 118-107 win in Game 1 on May 17, 2022, Adebayo hosted his very own block party with a game-high four rejections to go along with 10 points and four rebounds.

Bam Adebayo

Bam Adebayo pins a block to the rim for a 2022 Conference Finals wedgie

Hell hath no fury like Jimmy Butler in the NBA playoffs. Fired up in the midst of a dominant third-quarter run in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals, Butler dials in for the postseason battle as only he can. After picking off an errant Boston Celtics pass and converting on the other end for two points, Butler returns down the court only to pick off a second steal and cap off the exchange with a two-handed flush. Butler’s squad would hold on for the first W of the series, while the All-Star swingman himself finished the May 17, 2022 contest with 41 points, nine rebounds, five assists, three blocks and four steals.

Jimmy Butler

Jimmy Butler delivers on both ends, back-to-back in 2022 Conference Finals

Get stuck defending Jalen Brunson in an isolation, and it’s only a matter of time before you’re in the air watching him put the ball through the net. Exploiting an ambitious Golden State Warriors rookie on defense, Brunson pumps the brakes on a hard right-side drive, allowing him a free path to a smooth floater. The third-quarter bucket helped open up a 62-47 halftime edge. With his Dallas Mavericks fighting to keep their season alive in Game 4, the shifty combo guard stepped up to the challenge with 15 points, five rebounds, five assists and one block in a 119-109 victory on May 24, 2022. 

Jalen Brunson

Jalen Brunson changes pace, freezes defender in 2022 Conference Finals

In the pursuit of his first championship, Al Horford has fulfilled almost every role possible for the Boston Celtics. Showing no mercy with his team up 27 in Game 4, the multifaceted big man defends along the perimeter, keeping just enough pace with a slashing Miami Heat guard, before sending his reverse layup into the first row with a crowd-rocking block. The five-time All-Star needed only two shots to put an imprint on the 102-82 victory to tie the series, with five points, 13 rebounds, three assists and four blocks on May 23, 2022.

Al Horford

Al Horford spikes a shot attempt out of bounds in 2022 Conference Finals

Whether it’s in the paint among the giants or along the perimeter against shooters, when it’s postseason basketball, few can quarterback a defense the way Draymond Green can. Setting the tone for a dominant defensive effort in Game 1, the former Defensive Player of the Year shows both athleticism and smarts, flying from one side of the court to the deep corner, blocking away a Dallas Mavericks three-point attempt, helping the Golden State Warriors open a 10-point first-quarter lead. Green’s box score was predictably versatile, with 10 points, nine rebounds, three assists, two steals and one block in a sizable win on May 18, 2022.

Draymond Green

Draymond Green blitzes corner for closeout block in 2022 Conference Finals

When two-way star Jaylen Brown gets a head of steam to the basket, defenses across the league would be smart to heed the advice of the commentators that night: “Nobody moves, nobody gets hurt.” Eyeing a chance to put the finishing touches on a dominant, 93-80 road win in Game 5, Brown finds a free lane to the rim and flies out of a cannon for an explosive one-handed jam. Helping get his team within one game of the NBA Finals, Brown poured in 25 points, five three-pointers, four rebounds, one steal and one block on May 25, 2022. 

Jaylen Brown

Jaylen Brown launches for an off-balance throwdown in 2022 Conference Finals

When Luka Dončić sets out with his mind set on scoring, there isn’t a defensive scheme capable of getting into his way. Dribbling down court with just five seconds remaining, Dončić moves through an obstacle course of Golden State Warriors defenders with behind-the-backs and spins before easing into his shooting motion to calmly drain a 32-foot triple to beat the buzzer. In their first Western Conference Finals appearance since 2011, Dončić put on a show for the Dallas Mavericks home crowd, finishing with 40 points, 11 rebounds, four triples, three assists and two blocks on May 22, 2022.

Luka Dončić

Luka Dončić runs floor for quarter-ending triple in 2022 Conference Finals

Make no mistake, Steph Curry can get it done from anywhere on the court. Identifying a gap in the Dallas Mavericks zone, Curry carves his way straight to the rim, slicing through the paint and finishing through his defender with a clutch up-and-under finger roll off glass. After the whistle, Curry beats his chest in triumph with long-time running mate Klay Thompson. Curry led the Golden State Warriors in the Game 1 victory on May 20, 2022 with 32 points, eight rebounds and five assists.

Steph Curry

Steph Curry hits the deck after acrobatic up-and-under in 2022 Conference Finals

Seeking to put away a top-tier defense in the playoffs on their home floor, you're going to need a scorer who mixes confidence, talent, and creativity. Look no further than Boston Celtics star forward Jayson Tatum. With 1.4 left on the play clock and the Celtics holding an eight-point advantage late in the fourth, Tatum uses a nifty fake pivot and spin, creating enough space for him to rise up for a cold-blooded bucket over the outstretched arms of a Miami Heat defender. Tatum also made good on a past Boston Celtics all-time great forward, becoming the first-ever Larry Bird Eastern Conference MVP winner, with 26 points, 10 rebounds, six assists, four triples and two blocks in a series-clinching 100-96 victory on May 29, 2022.

Jayson Tatum

Jayson Tatum buries turnaround fadeaway down stretch in 2022 Conference Finals

Teach a man to dunk and he’ll put two points on the board; teach a man to fly and he’ll redefine the laws of physics. Eyeing up a gap in the Dallas Mavericks defense after a swing pass from teammate Steph Curry, Andrew Wiggins blows past an aggressive close-out, bee-lines into the paint, then, closer to the free-throw line than basket, launches himself skyward to unfurl a hammer straight from the heavens. Wiggins, monumental in a commanding Game 3 victory, finished the May 22, 2022 contest with 27 points, 11 rebounds and an instantly iconic successful coach’s challenge.

Andrew Wiggins

Andrew Wiggins soars for towering slam on Luka Dončić in 2022 Conference Finals

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