SUMMARY
- The NBA is currently about to move into the final stage of the season.
- The top 5 plays of the post-season include Kyrie Irving's finisher against Clippers defenders as well as insane game-winners from Jaylen Brown and Jamal Murray.
It has been an exciting 2023-24 season and the NBA was blessed with a ton of great plays, exciting sequences, and much more. Obviously, we also witnessed multiple upsets along the way but nothing is better than seeing two of the most deserving teams battle it out in the NBA Finals.
Right now, the Dallas Mavericks are making their first NBA Finals appearance since 2011. They will be taking on the dominant Boston Celtics, who have remained atop the league’s rankings since the get-go. For the Mavericks, they’re a young and hungry team eager to win the title with Kyrie Irving who formerly played for the Celtics. Boston has its roster’s legacy on the line at this point, having made the finals in 2022 already. But to commemorate the NBA Finals, here are the top five plays of the post-season.
Kyrie Irving finishes against four defenders vs the Clippers
The Mavericks have looked better than ever during the post-season. They recently dethroned the Minnesota Timberwolves in the Western Conference Finals. They previously played against the best team in the West and won in six games. But in the first round, they faced the LA Clippers which featured a Big 3. Irving set the tone for the Mavericks during the first round.
During Game 4 vs Clippers, Irving executed a beautiful finish at the rim with nearly four defenders on him. What was impressive was that Irving had Paul George on him, a former defensive player of the year candidate. Irving is known to be one of the best finishers let alone ball handlers in the league.
Anthony Edwards’ one-handed dunk over Kevin Durant
The 2024 NBA Postseason was initially all about Anthony Edwards and his case of possibly becoming the next Michael Jordan. Minnesota took on the Phoenix Suns in the first-round which closed out in a clean sweep. Edwards played against his idol, Kevin Durant throughout the series.
ANTHONY EDWARDS ARE YOU SERIOUS 🤯🤯🤯
WOLVES UP 4 WITH 2 MINUTES REMAINING ON TNT pic.twitter.com/P1DX4w8Cj4
— NBA (@NBA) April 29, 2024
During the fourth quarter of Game 4 against Phoenix, Edwards went one-on-one against Bradley Beal with under 3 minutes left in the game. He drove in and jammed the ball with one hand over Beal and Durant. Edwards kept jawing with Durant throughout the series and eventually earned the respect of the 2x NBA Champion.
Jamal Murray’s buzzer-beaters against the Lakers
The Denver Nuggets couldn’t get passed the second round to defend their title, but they certainly dominated the floor while they were at it. Denver played against the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round and Jamal Murray was the star of the series. In Game 2 of the series, with the game tied a 99, Murray hit a remarkable game-winner over Anthony Davis.
Murray went on to do the same against the Lakers in Game 5. LA somehow managed to win Game 4 and they were on the verge of closing out Game 5 as well. Murray was given the ball with less than 20 seconds left in the fourth. Once again, the Lakers switched Davis on Murray, who ended up nailing a jump shot with 3.6 seconds left in the game. This ultimately gave the series to the Nuggets.
Luka Doncic erupts in the first quarter of Game 5 vs Timberwolves
The Mavericks gained an early 3-0 lead in the WCF series versus the Timberwolves. However, the latter managed to win Game 4 to give themselves a chance in the series. But Luka Doncic made sure the Timberwolves didn’t come close to their lead. During the first quarter of Game 5, Doncic had 20 points which was more than what the Wolves scored in the first 12 minutes of the game.
He also managed to hit a massive logo three-pointer which helped the Mavericks extend their lead over the Wolves. His overall performance put Edwards in shock. Doncic is going to be a major threat against the Celtics for sure.
Jaylen Brown’s buzzer-beater vs Pacers
No matter what the entire world has to say about Jaylen Brown’s incapability to dribble with his left hand or show up, he certainly proved everybody wrong during the Eastern Conference Finals. In Game 1 versus the Indiana Pacers, the matchup came down to the wire. While the Celtics were down by three points, Brown was given the ball.
The 27-year-old hit a tightly contested three-pointer over Pascal Siakam to send the game into overtime. The Celtics ultimately swept the Pacers to advance into the NBA Finals. What a run it has been in the post-season and we are bound to witness greatness in the finals.