JR Smith watching the end of the Game 2
That's 2x NBA Champion J.R. Smith (not Scottie Pippen) celebrating Mikal Bridges' defensive play on Jayson Tatum in the final seconds of the Knicks' Game 2 victory.
The range of emotions in this video is how many NBA fans have been feeling over the past couple of weeks, because the 2025 NBA Playoffs have been one of the most entertaining and memorable in recent memory. And we are still in the second round!
A FEW GREAT 2025 PLAYOFF MOMENTS (SO FAR)
- We had a pair of game winners from Aaron Gordon: a photo-finish game-winning dunk vs the Clippers and a game-winning three vs the Thunder.
- Tyrese Haliburton responded to an
anonymous NBA player poll
that voted him "Most Overrated Player In The NBA" by knocking down a game-winner to give the Pacers a 2-0 lead over the Cavs. Hali celebrated the shot and 20-point comeback victory by doing the Sam Cassell Big Ball Dance. And this happened just a week after Haliburton made a layup to eliminate the Bucks, which almost indirectly led to his Dad getting eliminated by Giannis.
- Jalen Brunson reminded us that he's one of the most clutch players in the league. Most of us didn't need a reminder.
- James Harden reminded us that he's not the most clutch person in the NBA Playoffs. Most of us didn't need a reminder.
- Rudy Gobert turned into Wilt Chamberlain and put up 27 points and 24 rebounds in the final game of Luka's first season with the Lakers.
- Draymond Green continues to find ways to hit or kick people accidentally, and he's sick of people thinking he's "angry."
Most of these moments won't be remembered as iconic ones worth recalling decades later. But the joy J.R. Smith and I are having right now has me thinking about the ones we do.
NBA Most ICONIC Playoff Moments Since 2000
Many of the most memorable moments of the past 25 years are featured in this Most Iconic Playoff Play From Each Year Since 2000 compilation video by legendary NBA Mixtape editor Maxamillion711. I'll go through these, as well as mention some additional ones.
- Shaquille O'Neal (2000)
- Allen Iverson (2001)
- Robert Horry (2002)
- Stephon Marbury (2003)
- Derek Fisher (2004)
- Robert Horry (2005)
- Kobe Bryant (2006)
- Baron Davis (2007)
- Paul Pierce (2008)
- LeBron James (2009)
- Ron Artest (2010)
- Dirk Nowitzki (2011)
- Russell Westbrook (2012)
- Ray Allen (2013)
- Damian Lillard (2014)
- Stephen Curry (2015)
- LeBron James (2016)
- Kevin Durant (2017)
- LeBron James (2018)
- Kawhi Leonard (2019)
- Anthony Davis (2020)
- Giannis Antetokounmpo (2021)
- Ja Morant (2022)
- Derrick White (2023)
- Luka Doncic (2024)
KOBE'S OOP TO SHAQ
Kobe Memories: KB to Shaq Alley Oop WCF 2000 NBA Game 7 Blazers vs Lakers
- WHEN:
2000 WCF - GAME 7
- YOUTUBE VIEWS:
5+ million
- THE CALL:
"Rebound O'Neal. Portland has three timeouts left. The Lakers have two. Bryant to Shaq!"
I thought Shaq's MVP season was going to come to an end in Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals. Then the Lakers outscored the Blazers 31-11 in the final 11 minutes. The dagger in the final minute was an alley-oop from Kobe to Shaq, who celebrated by pointing at his son, Shareef, in the crowd. Tyronn Lue then ruined the moment by jumping up and giving Shaq a high five.
BEST QUOTES
Bill Simmons:
“That wasn’t just a lob. It was the greatest alley-oop in NBA history. It was destiny.”
Jalen Rose:
“That was the moment Kobe and Shaq became legends.
Stephen A. Smith:
“When Shaq ran down the court pointing, it was like a declaration to the league. The Lakers were back, and they weren’t going anywhere.”
Shaq:
“We finally broke through. That was our moment. I just wanted to run and scream.”
IVERSON STEPS OVER LUE
Greatest Moments in NBA History - Allen Iverson "Step Over" Tyronn Lue NBA Finals 2001
- WHEN:
2001 Finals - Game 1
- YOUTUBE VIEWS:
- THE CALL:
"Bothered by Lue. Iverson. And steps over Tyronn Lue!"
Even though Allen Iverson said he wasn't trying to disrespect his close friend and doesn't even remember stepping over him, it still ranks as one of the most disrespectful plays in the history of the NBA. Before this play, people would reference Scottie Pippen stepping over Patrick Ewing whenever a player disrespected a defender by stepping over him. Since this play, it's Iverson over Lue.
Besides the iconic highlight, Iverson had 48 points in this game, leading the Sixers to victory, giving the Lakers their only loss in the 2001 NBA Playoffs.
Shout out to Lue for always being a good sport about it. He even once
posed with a fan
wearing the image on a shirt.
BEST QUOTES
IVERSON: “I don’t like (the highlight). Because I love him.”
SHAQ:
“That step-over was cold. Like, we all saw it. You can’t even be mad at it. It was iconic.”
TYRONN LUE:
"We had been talking the whole game. I told him, ‘You’re not hitting that one.’ He said, ‘Bet.’ He hit it, then stepped right over me. Can’t do anything but respect it.”
PAUL PIERCE:
"That wasn’t just a shot, that was a statement. Stepping over another grown man? That’s the most disrespectful move in NBA history.”
HORRY'S GAME WINNER VS KINGS
Robert Horry's buzzer-beater lifts Lakers past Kings in 2002 | ESPN Archives
- WHEN:
2002 WCF - Game 4
- YOUTUBE VIEWS:
4+ Million
- THE CALL:
"Bothered by Lue. Iverson. And steps over Tyronn Lue!"
In the 30+ years I've been watching the NBA, no play has made me jump like Vince Carter like this one. The play means so much to me that I have the VHS tape of this game displayed on a Big Shot Bob shelf in my office.
Rewatching it for the millionth time, I still can't believe Kobe missed his shot, Shaq missed the putback, and how perfect Vlade's tip-pass to Horry was. I never doubted Horry would make the shot that Vlade and Hedo called "lucky," and Horry requested to be shown at his funeral.
BEST QUOTES
VLADE DIVAC: “Everybody can make that shot. That’s a lucky shot, that’s all. You don’t need skill in that situation. You just throw it, it goes in, it goes in.”
ROBERT HORRY'S RESPONSE TO VLADE: "I've been doing that my whole career. He better read a paper or something."
SHAQ:
"Thank God for Robert. Thank God his father met his mother, too."
MARBURY'S THREE VS SPURS
Phoenix Suns Since '68: Marbury's Game Winner
- WHEN:
2003 1st Round - Game 1
- YOUTUBE VIEWS:
4+ Million
- THE CALL:
"Marbury for the win. YES! Stephon Marbury with the buzzer-beater!"
If you had told me in 2003 that in 20 years Stephon Marbury would be underrated in the United States and a basketball God in China, I would have looked as confused as I did when I watched that video of Starbury eating vaseline. Or maybe as down as Tim Duncan looked after watching Marbury bank in a running three at the buzzer after his missed free throw in OT.
In case you don't know about Starbury in 2003, the NYC Point God was an All-Star and All-NBA 3rd teamer, averaging 20+ points and 8+ assists during an 8-year streak with those averages.
Also worth mentioning about this game was that Ama're Stoudamire banked in a three-pointer to send the game into overtime.
BEST QUOTES
MARBURY:
"When I made that shot, I saw how everyone reacted, I started running from everybody. They going to jump on me. I"m going to get trampled."
EDDIE JOHNSON:
"He was a guy that was unafraid. What a great ending. I think on the air, I screamed."
FISHER'S 0.4 WITH THE LEFT
This Day in History: Derek Fisher's game-winner vs SAS after Tim Duncan's fadeaway jumper
- WHEN:
2004 WCSF - Game 5
- YOUTUBE VIEWS:
3+ Million
- THE CALL:
"He scores! Derek Fisher scores at the buzzer!"
With 0.4 seconds left in regulation, Tim Duncan knocked down a ridiculous fadeaway shot with Shaquille O'Neal in his face. If he had made this shot just 0.1 seconds later, we would probably be talking about it as one of the greatest game winners in Playoff history. But 0.4 seconds was enough for Derek Fisher to respond with a miracle game winner that ended the Spurs 17-game home winning streak and gave the Lakers a 3-2 lead.
Coach Popovich argued that the shot clock "definitely started late" and even filed a protest to the league. It didn't matter. The only thing that probably made Coach Pop and Duncan feel a little better was that the Lakers lost in the NBA Finals to the Pistons.
BEST QUOTES
SHAQ:
"One lucky shot deserves another."
PHIL JACKSON:
"That was one of the greatest moments I've ever witnessed in basketball."
DEREK FISHER:
"I just wanted to get out of there and not give them an opportunity to think that we didn't believe it went in."
BIG SHOT BOB VS THE PISTONS
Robert Horry Game 5 NBA Finals 2005
- WHEN:
2005 NBA Finals - Game 5
- YOUTUBE VIEWS:
2.4+ Million
- THE CALL:
"Horry for three. Oh my. This guy is off the charts."
The Spurs got their chance at the Pistons a year after Fisher's 0.4 miracle shot.
With the series tied 2-2 going into Game 5, Big Shot Bob came through with 21 2nd-half points off the bench, including an and-1 poster dunk and a game-winning three in OT.
BEST QUOTES
TIM DUNCAN:
"He just has a knack for hitting big shots. That's why they call him 'Big Shot Rob'."
COACH POPOVICH:
"He's been doing this his whole career. It's not surprising anymore."
ROBERT HORRY:
"I made Pistons fans hate me."
KOBE'S "BANG" VS THE SUNS
Kobe Game-Tying + Game Winning Shot vs Suns 06 Play-Offs HD
- WHEN:
2006 1s Round - Game 4
- YOUTUBE VIEWS:
13+ Million
- THE CALL:
"Bryant for the win. BANG!"
We have to go back to the end of regulation before we even get to this OT game winner that happened back when Mike Breen wasn't so loose with the "BANG!" calls. With 7.9 seconds left, the Suns turned the ball over on an inbound pass, and Kobe put the game in overtime with a layup. Kobe was so excited that he hugged Smush Parker, whom Kobe once told not to talk to him because his resume wasn't good enough.
Then, with 6.1 seconds left in OT, Luke Walton tipped a jump ball to Kobe, who knocked down a jumper over Raja Bell and Boris Diaw at the buzzer.
Kobe didn't have much time to celebrate because the Lakers actually lost the series despite being up 3-1 (a first for Phil Jackson). Game 7 is most known for Kobe only attempting three 2nd half shots.
BEST QUOTES
PHIL JACKSON:
"Kobe has a knack for rising to the occasion. That shot was a testament to his will and determination."
KOBE BRYANT:
"I just wanted to get to a spot where I could get a good look. Once I got there, it was just about rising up and knocking it down."
BARON DAVIS ON AK-47
11th anniversary of Baron Davis’ playoff dunk vs. the Jazz (2007) | ESPN Archives
- WHEN:
2007 WCSF - Game 3
- YOUTUBE VIEWS:
3+ Million
- THE CALL:
"OH MAN! Hello."
The We Believe Warriors only won a single game in this series, but it was memorable. They won by 20 and Baron Davis had 32 points, 9 assists, 6 steals, 1 unforgettable dunk, and 1 tech for pulling up his shirt during an awkward celebration.
Another interesting thing about Davis' dunk on Kirilenko is that it made the shot blocker stop blocking shots; He had 16 blocks in Game 1-3 and 0 blocks in the series' final two games.
BEST QUOTES
BARON DAVIS:
"He asked for it because he winked at me the play before."
"When I dunked, I just pulled my jersey. I didn't know what the f**K to do."
PAUL PIERCE'S "POOP" MOMENT
TNT guys make fun of WheelChair Pierce (LMFAO!!!)
- WHEN:
2008 NBA Finals - Game 1
- YOUTUBE VIEWS:
3+ Million
- THE CALL:
"Pierce is hurt. He’s holding his knee. And the Celtics fans holding their breath right now."
Long before The Truth was fired from ESPN for live-streaming a party with some friends and strippers, Pierce had this memorable/funny/head-scratching moment in the first game of the 2008 NBA Finals.
After colliding with current ESPN employee Kendrick Perkins, Pierce was taken off the court in a wheelchair. Minutes later, a healthy-looking Pierce returned to the court, hit a pair of clutch threes, and led the team to a victory.
NBA fans analyzed the footage like the Zapruder film of JFK and concluded that he "pooped on himself." Pierce later confirmed the conclusion: "I have a confession to make. I just had to go to the bathroom."
Unfortunately, Pierce stopped running with the joke during another interview: "If you poop your pants, does it make sense to sit down and mush it in a wheelchair? I would walk back there and go straight to the bathroom. Why would I need a wheelchair if I pooped my pants?"
BEST QUOTE
DOC RIVERS:
"When he came back, it was like a boxer coming off the mat. It gave us a huge lift."
PAUL PIERCE:
"I sprained my MCL, don't believe all them rumors."
LEBRON'S GAME WINNER VS THE MAGIC
LeBron James Breaks Down His Iconic Game Winner From the 2009 NBA Playoffs
- WHEN:
2009 ECF - Game 2
- YOUTUBE VIEWS:
3.5+ Million
- THE CALL:
"Lewis gets it to LeBron. LeBron for three for the win. YES! LeBron James at the buzzer."
It was LeBron's first memorable playoff shot and I knew it would be a topic with his Podcast co-host/current Lakers coach JJ Redick.
JJ and the Magic won the series despite some impressive scoring performances from LeBron: 49, 35, 41, 44, 37, 25.
BEST QUOTE
MIKE BROWN:
"He was phenomenal. That’s why he’s the MVP."
KOBE PASSED THE BALL TO ARTEST
Clutch "3" by Ron Artest (2010 NBA Finals, Celtics @ Lakers Game 7 (79:83)
- WHEN:
2011 NBA Finals - Game 7
- YOUTUBE VIEWS:
3.5+ Million
- THE CALL:
"Lewis gets it to LeBron. LeBron for three for the win. YES! LeBron James at the buzzer."
The Lakers had a 76-73 lead with a minute left in regulation when Kobe Bryant decided to pass the ball to Ron Artest, who launched and knocked down a three over Paul Pierce. As one YouTube user perfectly said, "It was one of the most epic no, no, no, Yes, moments in my life."
As great as the shot was,
Artest's postgame press conference
with his family and a Wheaties box was just as memorable.
BEST QUOTE
RON ARTEST:
"Kobe passed me the ball! Kobe never passes me the ball, and he passed me the ball."
PHIL JACKSON:
"He brought life to our team. He was the most valuable player tonight."
DIRK'S GAME WINNER VS THE HEATLES
Final 4:05 WILD ENDING Mavericks vs Heat 2011 NBA Finals 🔥🏆
- WHEN:
2011 NBA Finals - Game 2
- YOUTUBE VIEWS:
1 Million
- THE CALL:
"Put the ball on the floor and I guess we can say that left finger is OK."
The Mavs were down by 15 with seven minutes left in Game 2, and they ended up winning by two on a game-winning layup from Dirk Nowitzki.
My favorite story from this series happened after Game 4, when Dirk scored 10 of his 21 points in the 4th quarter with the flu. LeBron and Wade
mocked Dirk's sickness
before Game 5 and ended up losing that game and Game 6.
LeBron then gave one of his
most disliked post-game conferences: "All the people that were rooting on me to fail, at the end of the day, they gotta wake up tomorrow, have the same life that they had before they woke up today. Same personal problems that they had today. I'm gonna continue to live the way I wanna live."
BEST QUOTE
CHARLES BARKLEY TO LEBRON:
“You think it’s that easy huh? Look where your a** at right now. You at the bottom of the barrel again just like everybody else.”
RAY ALLEN TIES THE GAME
Ray Allen's AMAZING game-tying 3-pointer in Game 6!
- WHEN:
2013 NBA Finals - Game 6
- YOUTUBE VIEWS:
11+ Million
- THE CALL:
"Rebound Bosh. Back out to Allen. His three-pointer. Bang!"
Ray Allen deserves all the praise in the world for hitting the three that forced OT and "saved Bron's legacy," but Chris Bosh deserves equal praise. He had the offensive rebound and pass to Allen in regulation, blocked Tony Parker with 32 seconds left in OT, and then blocked Danny Green at the buzzer in OT.
With that said, Ray is the player that LeBron and Coach Spo continue to thank.
BEST QUOTES
RAY ALLEN ON SPO AND BRON:
There hasn't been a year that's gone by where either one of them hasn't mentioned 2013 to me. They're always grateful for my input."
LEBRON:
"Ray backpedals, doesn't even look at the line. What if he steps on the line or steps on the baseline? What if his toe's on the line? There's a lot of preparation because I watch Ray do that every day, prep like that, but I believe there's some luck to that, too."
RAY ALLEN:
“For anybody that says I saved his career, we can make the same case for him saving ours.”
DAME TIME VS THE ROCKETS
Damian Lillard's Ridiculous Game Winner Lifts Blazers Over Rockets: Taco Bell Buzzer Beater
- WHEN:
2014 First Round - Game 6
- YOUTUBE VIEWS:
5+ Million
- THE CALL:
"It's Lillard. He got the shot off! Lillard got it! Good!"
Years before Damian Lillard had his "Dame Time" celebration, a second-year Dame had this game-winning three that gave the Blazers their first Playoff series win in 14 years.
This 6-game series had three overtimes and ended with an iconic game winner.
BEST QUOTES
DAME:
"The play was actually for me and the other two guards to take off and go to the other side of the court and make our defenders react that way and then try to throw the lob to LaMarcus to force overtime."
DWIGHT HOWARD:
"I was on LaMarcus Aldridge. I was focused on not letting him score. I was locked in, so I didn’t even know what was happening until it happened."
LEBRON BLOCKS IGUODALA
LeBron James' Historic Block on Andre Iguodala From All Angles
- WHEN:
2016 Finals - Game 7
- YOUTUBE VIEWS:
31 Million
- THE CALL:
“Blocked by James! LeBron James with the rejection!”
LeBron has played in an NBA record 292 Playoff games. He's also played more than 2,600 more minutes than any other player. During those minutes, he accumulated more highlights than most greats will collect during their regular season and Playoff career. And out of all of those fabulous highlights, the one most people will think of first is his block against Andre Iguodala in the final two minutes of Game 7 of the 2016 Finals.
BEST QUOTES
Kyrie Irving: “I saw Iggy going up and I saw Bron coming like a bat out of hell. I was like, ‘Oh s**t, he got that?’”
Magic Johnson:
“That block was better than any dunk I’ve ever seen. It was pure hustle, heart, and championship-level defense.”
Jalen Rose:
“The block was biblical. If there’s a Mount Rushmore of Finals moments, that one is carved in stone.”
LeBron James:
“I saw him drive. I saw Steph on the left wing and Draymond trailing. I had to get it.”
Not as "iconic" but just as important was Kyrie Irving's shot over Steph Curry that gave the Cavs a three-point lead with 53 seconds left in regulation.
LEBRONTO
All Angles Of LeBron James' Game 3 Buzzer Beater vs Toronto
- WHEN:
2018 ECSF - Game 3
- YOUTUBE VIEWS:
1+ Million
- THE CALL:
"Throws up the floater. Goodnight, Cleveland! That is for you."
Toronto fans are very familiar with the term "LeBronto." It stands for LeBron's years of dominance over the Raptors and often conjures images of this off-one-foot, game-winning bank shot.
The Raptors were so defeated after this game that the Cavs completed the sweep in Game 4 with a 35-point beatdown.
BEST QUOTES
LEBRON:
"Tie game, down one. I live for those moments."
KAWHI'S FRIENDLY BOUNCE
Kawhi Leonard Wins The Series At The Buzzer! | May 12, 2019
- WHEN:
2019 ECSF - Game 7
- YOUTUBE VIEWS:
5+ Million
- THE CALL:
"Leonard defended by Simmons. Is this the dagger?"
The summer after getting swept by the Cavs, the Raptors made a trade for Kawhi Leonard. Kawhi was just a 1-year rental, but it was well worth it since it resulted in the franchise's only NBA Championship.
On the way to that championship was the first Game 7 buzzer-beater in NBA Playoff history. The incredible shot with the friendly bounce also resulted in one of the
greatest NBA photos ever
(no, it's not the meme of Joel Embiid crying).
I can't remember another shot that felt like slow motion in real time. Despite having 41 points in this game, Kawhi had missed 15 of his previous 38(!) shots before this one bounced on the rim three times before eventually falling. Every one of those bounces felt like seconds in time while hearing a voice say, "You're the only power." And when it fell through the net, I heard, "Beautiful morning, you're the sun in my morning, babe."
BEST QUOTES
KAWHI:
"I'm enjoying every game. I've been on the sidelines the last couple years in the playoffs. So I don't take it for granted."
JOEL EMBIID:
"Losing the game that way. Last shot. After a hard-fought game. I feel like we had a chance. A lot of things go through your mind. And it sucks. I don't know. I can't explain it. It just sucks."
DAME WAVES GOODBYE TO OKC
ALL REACTIONS to Damian Lillard's Game Winner! (Thunder Feed, Blazers Feed, TNT)
- WHEN:
2019 First Round - Game 5
- YOUTUBE VIEWS:
12+ Million
- THE CALL:
"A deep threeeeee...WHAT?!"
Lillard's game-winning three vs the Rockets is iconic just because of the shot. He didn't have a cool celebration, and other than Dwight Howard looking physically ill, none of the reactions were that memorable.
His game-winning three vs the Thunder is iconic for many reasons other than being an incredible 37-foot series ender.
You have him waving goodbye to the crowd. There's the blank-faced stare into the camera as his screaming teammates pile on top of him. You even had his sister running on the court while yelling, "That's my motherf***g brother" on her IG live. The three also gave him 50 points and the franchise Playoff record for threes in a single game (10).
BEST QUOTES
DAME BEFORE THE GAME:
"I'm getting rid of these motherf*****s tomorrow."
PAUL GEORGE:
"That's a bad shot. I don't care what anybody says. That's a bad shot."
AD YELLS "KOBE" IN THE BUBBLE
Anthony Davis Hits EPIC Game Winner vs the Nuggets Game 2
- WHEN:
2020 WCF - Game 2
- YOUTUBE VIEWS:
5+ Million
- THE CALL:
"Here's Davis for three and the win. Oh, it's good! Anthony Davis has won it for the Lakers!"
One of the many, many crazy events that happened during the pandemic was The Bubble Playoffs. Some players hated the experience so much they couldn't wait to lose, leave, and enjoy lemon pepper wings whenever they wanted. Others loved the absence of crowds, which made the games feel like summer runs, which explained the lights-out shooting from so many players. Anthony Davis was one of those players. He scored 30+ 8 times during this Championship run, including a 43-point game on 14-of-18 shooting.
His most memorable bucket from the run was a game-winning three over the hands of Jokic while yelling, "Kobe!" with the Black Mamba edition jersey on.
AD celebrated the shot (and final 10 points for the Lakers) by jumping to chest bump 6'4" Talen Horton-Tucker, who hilariously got knocked backwards and slammed to the floor.
BEST QUOTE
AD:
"That's the biggest shot of my career."
GIANNIS' BLOCK ON AYTON
Giannis UNREAL BLOCK with 1:15 left in CLUTCH Time! 🤯
- WHEN:
2021 NBA Finals - Game 4
- YOUTUBE VIEWS:
5+ Million
- THE CALL:
"Booker throws it up to Ayton. Blocked by Antetokounmpo"
Holiday's steal in Game 5 that led to the Giannis "Valley Oop" over CP3 is the more exciting highlight, but I think Giannis' block on Ayton near the end of Game 4 was the highlight of the 2021 Finals. Andre Iguodala, who knows better than anyone how impactful a block is in the NBA Finals, called it "King James-esque."
Besides having one of the greatest Finals blocks ever in Game 4 and Finals dunks ever in Game 5, he had one of the greatest Finals performances in Game 6: 50 points (16/25 FG, 17/19 FT), 14 rebounds, and 5 blocks.
BEST QUOTES
GIANNIS:
"Just a hustle play. I thought I was going to get dunked on, to be honest. But going down the stretch, do whatever it takes to win the game."
KHRIS MIDDLETON:
"One of those ‘Oh s--t’ moments. We gave up on a layup, and next thing you know he's blocking it.”
JEFF VAN GUNDY:
"That's one of the great recovery plays you'll ever see."
KENDRICK PERKINS:
"That was mind-boggling. That was one of the best defensive plays I've seen in NBA Finals history."
LUKA DANCING WITH GOBERT
Luka Doncic GAME WINNER 3! ALL ANGLES from Game 2 of Western Conference Finals NBA Playoffs
- WHEN:
2024 WCF - Game 2
- YOUTUBE VIEWS:
5+ Million
- THE CALL:
"He had him on skates. Dancing With The Stars or whatever you want to call it. Rudy Gobert had zero chance."
I'm sure one of the many reasons Gobert felt so satisfied after his dominating performance that eliminated Luka and the Lakers in this year's Playoffs is that he was sick of seeing this game-winner from last year.
Down by two with 10 seconds left in regulation, Luka received Gobert as a dance partner, taught him the Cupid Shuffle, knocked down a three, and then screamed, "You can't f****g guard me" at him.
Luka finished the game with 32 points, 13 assists, 10 boards, and his fourth triple-double in five games. He then led the Mavs to the NBA Finals. They didn't win the chip, but I remember thinking how lucky that franchise was to have a player this good for the foreseeable future.
BEST QUOTES
RUDY GOBERT:
"He hit a big shot. I let my team down on the last play."
JASON KIDD:
"The play was to get Luka the ball, and let Luka do what Luka does in those moments."
MORE ICONIC MOMENTS
The compilation video just featured one moment from each year since 2000 so a lot of other great moments weren't featured. Here are a few of those.
- Tayshaun Prince blocks Reggie Miller (2004)
- Paul George dunking on Birdman (2013)
- Manu dunks on Bosh (2014)
- CP3's Game 7 game winner vs the Spurs (2015)
- Game 6 Klay hits 11 3PTS (2016)
- Manu blocks Harden (2017)
- Scoreless Steph drops 33 in the 2nd half (2019)
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