So fresh and so clean! Indiana Pacers forward Domantas Sabonis gets the best of Derrick Favors at the rim, swatting away the Utah Jazz center’s dunk attempt in a February 7, 2021 matchup. Sabonis finished the contest with 20 points and nine boards.

Domantas Sabonis

Domantas Sabonis nonchalantly swats dunk attempt off glass

Nikola Jokic can do it all on the offensive end. The Denver Nuggets All-Star bangs up against two-time Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert as he gets himself into position, then gracefully spins past the Utah Jazz center and finishes the play with an acrobatic reverse layup on January 31, 2021.

Nikola Jokić

Nikola Jokić grinds for unstoppable reverse layup in 47-point game

Chris Paul makes hitting the roll man look easy. The crafty veteran rolls off a Frank Kaminsky screen then splits a pair of Chicago Bulls defenders with a perfectly targeted bounce pass to the Phoenix Suns center for a wide-open layup on February 26, 2021.

Chris Paul

Chris Paul hits screener with behind-back dime out of pick-and-roll

Jrue Holiday’s spatial awareness is first class. The Milwaukee Bucks guard gets out in front of the pack in transition, flags down a lead pass and manages to deftly bank in an off-balance reverse layup before the Washington Wizards can adjust on March 13, 2021.

Jrue Holiday

Jrue Holiday beats defense down floor, sinks off-balance layup

When you can change lanes on a dime, the floor opens up for you. Atlanta Hawks wing Bogdan Bogdanovic pushes the ball up the floor, loses his Oklahoma City Thunder defender with a behind-the-back move and drives into the paint for a floater on March 18, 2021.

Bogdan Bogdanović

Bogdan Bogdanović slashes way to paint for floater

Gordon Hayward has a way of getting to the rim. The Charlotte Hornets wing attacks around a screen then flexes his length and footwork to spin past a secondary defender for a seamless bucket.  Hayward put up 34 points in the January 22, 2021 game against the Chicago Bulls.

Gordon Hayward

Gordon Hayward spins through paint for tough layup

Twelve years of buckets sure add up quick. As his teammates set up their offense in the first quarter of an April 12, 2021 win over the Denver Nuggets, Golden State Warriors star Steph Curry pushes the pace and attacks the paint for an historic layup. With the bucket, Curry supplanted mythically dominant big man Wilt Chamberlain as the iconic franchise’s all-time leading scorer.

Steph Curry

Steph Curry becomes Warriors' all-time leading scorer in 53-point game

Ben Simmons makes running the point at 6-foot-11 look so natural that it’s easy to overlook his impact in the paint. With time ticking down in a tied overtime frame against the San Antonio Spurs on May 2, 2021, the Philadelphia 76ers point forward crashes the glass after a late miss and tips in the winning bucket as the buzzer sounds.

Ben Simmons

Ben Simmons emerges from traffic to tip in buzzer-beating game-winner vs. Spurs

Textbook unguardable. Between Kristaps Porzingis' length and range, the 7-foot-3 Dallas Mavericks center’s jump shot is untouchable. Porzingis leverages exactly that as he drains a last-second triple in the first half of a win over the New Orleans Pelicans. Porzingis went 8-13 from beyond the arc in the February 12, 2021 contest.

Kristaps Porziņģis

Kristaps Porziņģis buries deep three to beat buzzer at end of half

When Christian Wood is on the floor, playmakers have options. The Houston Rockets big man knows exactly when and where to go as teammate Kevin Porter Jr. drives to the baseline, then puts the finishing touches on a wide-open alley-oop. Wood finished with 21 points in the March 17, 2021 game against the Golden State Warriors.

Christian Wood

Christian Wood leaps to throw down alley-oop off lob

Elite scorers make it look easy. Phoenix Suns star Devin Booker uses his handle to create space from his defender then steps back into the smooth, uncontestable triple. These were three of Booker’s 25 against the LA Clippers on January 3, 2021

Devin Booker

Devin Booker clears space with handle, steps back into three-pointer

Natural scorers put the ball in the hoop, no matter what. Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro works his Milwaukee Bucks defender in the corner, penetrates baseline and pulls up for a running floater as he fades behind the backboard on December 30, 2020.

Tyler Herro

Tyler Herro buries runner while floating sideways out of bounds

Marketplace