NBA superstars dominate the game, legends change it. Scorching in the midst of a legacy-defining playoff series, Golden State Warriors guard Steph Curry keeps his foot on the gas in a decisive Game 6 matchup on June 16, 2022. With the Boston Celtics on their heels in a pivotal third quarter, Curry sprints down the court to free up a sliver of airspace then pulls up for a soul-crushing deep triple just seconds into the shot clock. In the contest, Curry racked up 34 points, seven rebounds, seven assists, the first Finals MVP of his illustrious career, and a fourth ring that he knows just what to do with.

Steph Curry

Steph Curry points to ring finger in title-clinching 2022 Finals matchup

Series after series, the Golden State Warriors entrusted Andrew Wiggins with the challenge of guarding the opposition's brightest perimeter scorer and he consistently delivered. In need of razor-sharp focus to close out Game 6 and walk out as NBA champions, Wiggins again showcases his defensive vigor, matching Boston Celtics All-Star Jayson Tatum step-for-step on a drive attempt before finishing with a well-timed swat. The rejection helped the Warriors maintain an 11-point advantage with six minutes to go on the way to a 103-90 victory on June 16, 2022. As with the block, Wiggins' fingerprints were all over the Warriors win, as he collected 18 points, six rebounds, five assists, four three-pointers, four steals and three blocks. 

Andrew Wiggins

Andrew Wiggins hounds Jayson Tatum in decisive Game 6 of 2022 Finals

You know what Robert Williams III is capable of on the glass, on defense or on the receiving end of an alley-oop but that’s not the only way the Boston Celtics big can impact a ball game. Working his way down the lane in a pick-and-roll, Williams III forces a Golden State Warriors defender to collapse from the corner before timing up a precise touch pass out to a teammate just in time for a buzzer-beating triple. Williams III did a little bit of everything on June 10, 2022, finishing with seven points, 12 rebounds, four assists, two blocks and a steal.

Robert Williams III

Robert Williams III touch pass finds teammate open for triple in 2022 Finals

As plenty of NBA teams have learned over the years, when one Golden State Warriors shooter starts to heat up, the fire tends to spread. Helping his team erase a double-digit third-quarter deficit, Otto Porter Jr. shows up with his number called, providing a desperation outlet for a teammate before raising up for a contested three-pointer against a stingy Boston Celtics defense. The off-balance bucket helped the Warriors roar back in a hard-fought game, cutting a 13-point deficit to just two. Porter contributed six points, four assists and two three-pointers in Game 3 on June 8, 2022.

Otto Porter Jr.

Otto Porter Jr. drains off-balance triple in 2022 Finals

Playing in the first NBA Finals of his decorated career, Boston Celtics big Al Horford had his eyes firmly set on an NBA championship. Noticing a teammate leaking down the floor behind the Golden State Warriors defense during a routine inbound, Horford put that vision to good use, slinging a touchdown dime on-target from the other side of the court to set up a wide-open score. The 15-year veteran's pass helped push the Celtics' Game 3 lead to 13 on their way to a 116-100 win that provided them a 2-1 series edge. The do-it-all big did just that, finishing with 11 points, eight rebounds, six assists, a block and a steal on June 8, 2022.

Al Horford

Al Horford hits Jaylen Brown with quarterback pass from sideline in 2022 Finals

Never afraid to answer the call, Boston Celtics guard Derrick White knows just how to make his presence felt in the postseason. Seizing a lane to the basket, White gets the defense off balance with a quick pump fake from the corner, then drives hard along the baseline before absorbing contact and throwing up a high-arching floater that somehow finds its way into the bottom of the net. White feeds off the home crowd's energy and lets out a resounding cry to highlight a well-fought, 22-point performance on May 27, 2022.

Derrick White

Derrick White drives baseline for tough floater in 2022 Conference Finals

If you’re gonna make a run at the Golden State Warriors, you’d better at least come equipped with a generational scorer capable of hitting any shot. Working off a drag screen near half court, Dallas Mavericks star guard Luka Dončić proves to be that guy, blowing by a defender on a pick-and-roll switch before hitting an off-balanced, high-arching leaner. Though ultimately for naught, Dončić’s efforts helped provide a small comeback scare. The All-Star finished his most successful season with 28 points, nine rebounds, six assists, three triples and one steal on May 26, 2022. 

Luka Dončić

Luka Dončić sinks high-arching push shot from baseline in 2022 Conference Finals

Spencer Dinwiddie shares the floor with stepback specialists, three-point snipers and isolation bucket-getters. On this possession, with his team fighting to keep its season alive, no player could do it better. Late in the third quarter with the Dallas Mavericks trailing 3-0 in the Western Conference Finals, the talented combo guard lulls a Golden State Warriors defender to sleep with a series of between-the-legs dribbles, easing to his spot before slicing him with an inspired stepback triple. Shots of that degree helped the Mavericks hold off a thunderous rally on the way to a 119-109 win on May 24, 2022. Dinwiddie provided offensive balance with 10 points, eight assists, three rebounds, two three-pointers and one steal.

Spencer Dinwiddie

Spencer Dinwiddie pulls up for triple in 2022 Conference Finals

Even when you’ve covered Steph Curry perfectly, sometimes, you still haven’t defended him well enough. With his eyes set on a commanding 3-0 lead in the Western Conference Finals, the former multi-time Most Valuable Player moves just enough out of a Dallas Mavericks defender’s line of sight, faking a dribble handoff and drifting to the left corner for a signature triple, walking off before the shot hits the net. Curry was in playoff mode in the 109-100 win on May 22, 2022, with 31 points, 11 assists, five rebounds and five three-pointers.

Steph Curry fires lookaway triple from corner in 2022 Conference Finals

Even when he’s battling injuries, count on Kyle Lowry to bring energy and heart in a must-win postseason game. Ever the gritty veteran, the Miami Heat guard shows one of the ways he can impact a game, creeping into an inbound pass for a feisty steal, and then dropping in a precise dime to a teammate for an easy score. A hamstring injury forced him to miss eight of his team’s first 10 postseason games but Lowry’s timing, in more ways than one, couldn't have been better. This steal helped close the door on a potential Celtics rally, pushing the lead to nine with 40 seconds to go. The six-time All-Star was versatile with 11 points, six assists, four steals and two three-pointers in the 109-103 win on May 21, 2022, helping give his team a 2-1 series lead over the Boston Celtics.

Kyle Lowry

Kyle Lowry breaks up inbound pass, finds teammate in 2022 Conference Finals

It takes a special defender to take on the opposition’s No. 1 scorer each night and still find time to roam as an elite help defender as well. In pursuit of a second NBA championship in as many years, Miami Heat forward P.J. Tucker proved he could be that guy, finding a way to contest three shots in 10 seconds. Tucker starts by rotating up to defend a floater against a Boston Celtics big, then follows it up by blocking a putback attempt. Tucker completes a trifecta, stripping the ball away on a drive attempt, helping the Heat keep their lead in double-figures late in the third quarter. By game’s end, he’d found time to chip in 17 points, seven rebounds, three steals, three triples and a block in the 109-103 victory to take a 2-1 series edge on May 21, 2022. 

P.J. Tucker

P.J. Tucker disrupts trio of shots in one 2022 Conference Finals possession

When defending the Golden State Warriors’ talented offense, prepare to be attacked from every angle. Dazzling as a scorer in his first postseason, Jordan Poole shows off his playmaking skills, splitting through a double drag screen before shipping a smooth delivery to his cutting teammate for a jam. Poole proved instrumental in erasing a 19-point first half deficit. The brilliant two-guard needed just 10 shots for 23 points, adding five assists and two steals in a 126-117 win on May 20, 2022.

Jordan Poole

Jordan Poole feeds Kevon Looney with underhanded dime in 2022 Conference Finals

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Steph Curry

Andrew Wiggins

Robert Williams III

Otto Porter Jr.

Al Horford

Derrick White

Luka Dončić

Spencer Dinwiddie

Steph Curry

Kyle Lowry

P.J. Tucker

Jordan Poole