After staking his claim as the NBA’s best late-game scorer in the regular season, it was only right that Chicago Bulls star guard DeMar DeRozan have that opportunity in the postseason. Up three with 30 seconds to go in Game 2 of the First Round, the five-time All-Star called his own number, attacking the rim with aggression on the way to a cold-blooded game-clincher over and around the Milwaukee Bucks defense. DeRozan was spectacular, tallying 41 points, seven rebounds, four assists and two blocks in the 114-110 victory to even the series at one game apiece on April 20, 2022.

DeMar DeRozan

DeMar DeRozan puts Bulls on back, pours in 41 points in 2022 Playoff win

Give and you shall receive, or such was the case for Gary Payton II, who happened to be in position for the biggest shot of his professional career in the fourth quarter of Game 5 of the First Round. Following a series of extra passes, Payton finds himself open with the ball, then stabilizes for a three-pointer that extends the Golden State Warriors’ lead to five, effectively sealing the series over the Denver Nuggets. Payton was dependable and excellent, with 15 points on six-of-eight shooting and three triples in a 102-98 victory on April 27, 2022.

Gary Payton II

Gary Payton II triple helps clinch series victory in 2022 Playoffs

To stand any chance against a generational offensive talent like Kevin Durant, a defender must be able to effectively mix fearlessness with quick decision making, and Boston Celtics forward Grant Williams proved up to the challenge in the First Round of the 2022 NBA Playoffs. Defending one-on-one at the elbow, Williams anticipates the shot attempt and swats the ball away, then runs the floor with determination before being rewarded with a pass and two points on the other end. The third-year man stepped up all series long, including seven points and this key block in a 115-114 victory over the Brooklyn Nets in Game 1 of the First Round on April 17, 2022.

Grant Williams

Grant Williams stymies Kevin Durant shot attempt in 2022 Playoff win

Each postseason, there comes a young player or two that thrives on the big stage for the first time, solidifying themselves a star in the process. This year, New Orleans Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram proved to be one of those players. In an effort to even the First Round series with the No. 1-seeded Phoenix Suns at 2-2, Ingram rose up literally and figuratively, calling on his own number after a failed post-entry pass attempt, spinning to the middle of the lane before taking flight with an electric one-handed contact slam to wow the crowd. Ingram finished with a 30-point, four-rebound, five-assist masterpiece in 118-103 win over the Phoenix Suns on April 24, 2022.

Brandon Ingram

Brandon Ingram gets bench hyped with towering slam in 2022 Playoffs

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

Full strength or not, few players can change the climate of a game or series the way Philadelphia 76ers big Joel Embiid can. After missing the first two games against the Miami Heat with an orbital fracture, Embiid returned, masked, and on a mission in Game 3. Operating out of the triple threat position, the 76ers star uses a pump fake and a tight dribble, finding space to drain a difficult and-one jumper to ignite the home crowd. This bucket proved to be one of the clinchers, giving Philadelphia a double-digit lead late in the fourth, on the way to a convincing 99-79 win on May 6, 2022. Embiid’s presence cut the series lead to 2-1, with 18 points, 11 rebounds and one block.

Joel Embiid

Joel Embiid dons mask, drains contested jumper through contact in 2022 Playoffs

The only thing as important as having a generational offensive talent? Having teammates around him that can hit big shots when their number is called. With momentum on their side in Game 3 and a chance to avoid a dreaded 3-0 deficit, Dallas Mavericks guard Reggie Bullock proves he’s up for the challenge, finding an open spot along the right corner, before rising up to hit the game-clinching triple to put the Phoenix Suns away for good. Bullock had the home crowd rocking throughout the 103-94 win on May 6, 2022, with 15 points (nine in a critical fourth quarter), four rebounds, four three-pointers, and three steals. 

Reggie Bullock

Reggie Bullock drains dagger triple in 2022 Playoff victory

When Minnesota Timberwolves big Karl-Anthony Towns is aggressive and in attack mode, every position from 1-through-5 is in danger. With his team holding a one-point advantage in the third, and in need of a big run to steal Game 1, Towns works a quick pick-and-roll, getting a smaller Memphis Grizzlies defender on him before spinning his way to the rim to drop a one-handed hammer in traffic. Towns opened the series with punctuation, dropping in 29 points, 13 rebounds and three assists in the 130-117 win on April 16, 2022.

Karl-Anthony Towns

Karl-Anthony Towns plants one-handed poster on Grizzlies in 2022 Playoffs

Few players across the NBA have been able to elevate their level of play from the regular season to the playoffs quite as effectively as Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell. Exemplifying such, the three-time All-Star takes a high screen, quickly crosses over to split the hedging defense, then catches a body with an explosive one-handed jam in traffic. Mitchell did what he does, pouring in 32 points and six assists in Game 3 of the First Round against the Dallas Mavericks on April 21, 2022.

Donovan Mitchell

Donovan Mitchell splits defenders, leaps through paint for dunk in 2022 Playoffs

On the floor alongside a former league MVP, an MVP candidate, and multiple All-Stars, it was sophomore guard Tyrese Maxey who threw the first haymaker of the First-Round matchup between the Philadelphia 76ers and Toronto Raptors. Striving to hold off another one of the Raptors’ comeback efforts, Maxey excites the crowd once more, this time punishing a hard closeout with a lightning-quick drive on the way to a difficult hanging and-one bucket. Maxey became the youngest 76ers player with a 30-point postseason game (he scored 38), helping draw first blood with a 131-111 triumph in Game 1 on April 16, 2022.

Tyrese Maxey

Tyrese Maxey battles for tough bucket, drops 38 in 2022 Playoff opener

A finalist for the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year award, Phoenix Suns guard Mikal Bridges is capable of making life difficult for any perimeter player across the NBA landscape. Rotating over to contest a shot attempt from a New Orleans Pelicans guard, Bridges uses his 7-foot-1 wingspan to swat a layup attempt, and then again seconds later on a putback try. Taking on a little extra offensive responsibility with teammate Devin Booker out with an injury, Bridges had a night to remember in Game 5 of the First Round dropping a playoff career-high 31 points on just 17 shots, five rebounds, four blocks and four triples in the 112-97 win on April 26, 2022.

Mikal Bridges

Mikal Bridges blocks two shots in midst of career night in 2022 Playoffs

When dealing with the Miami Heat, be prepared to pick your poison: follow their dead-eye shooters on a dribble hand-off or leave All-Star big Bam Adebayo open with a free lane to the basket. Working to help his team keep pace with the Philadelphia 76ers in the first quarter of Game 2, Adebayo calls his own number, speeding to the rim to beat a lax defense on the way to an explosive one-handed jam. This crowd-rocking dunk helped spark a 20-9 lead, a lead they would never again relinquish on the way to a 119-103 win and 2-0 series edge. Adebayo was the catalyst with 23 points, nine rebounds and three assists on May 4, 2022.

Bam Adebayo

Bam Adebayo reaches across paint to throw down one-handed slam in 2022 Playoffs

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