Most Consequential Single Plays in Recent NBA History (Past 6-7 years)

[bfchs123]

Was thinking about this and compiling a list of the most consequential single plays from the past say 6-7 years...ones that if they didn't happen the NBA would potentially have shifted in a significant way.

Brainstorming for now and then can make a poll (in no order):

1) Kyrie Irving 3-pter vs. Warriors in Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals

Why it's important: Cavs were down 3-1 in the series and rallied to force game 7. With the game tied at 89 and 1min remaining, Kyrie pulls up to hit a three that would put Cavs ahead. Lebron returns to CLE and beats the 73 win Warriors.

Watch on YouTube

2) Zaza Pachulia injures Kawhi Leonard in game 1 of the 2017 Western Conference Finals

Why it's important: Could the Spurs have beaten the Warriors with Kawhi? They were up by 20 at that point and went on to lose game 1 and then get swept. Set off the drama with the Spurs the following year and eventually resulted in Kawhi being traded to Toronto (who ultimately won the championship)

Watch on YouTube

3) KD foot-on-the-line 2-pter to send Nets to overtime vs. Bucks in game 7 of the 2021 Eastern Conference Semi-Finals

Why it's important: Game 7 with 6 seconds left in the 4th quarter and Nets down two. KD gets the inbound pass and sinks a long two with his foot on the line. Had it been a three, the Nets would have won and sent the eventual champion Bucks home.

Watch on YouTube

4) Kawhi rim-rattling buzzer beater in game 7 of the 2019 Eastern Conference Semi-Finals

Why it's important: Game was tied 90-90 with 4 seconds left. Kawhi hits a falling away three over Embiid that bounces off the rim 4 times before going in to send the eventual champion Raptors to the Eastern Conference Finals

Watch on YouTube

5) Gordan Hayward breaks ankle minutes into his first game with Celtics during the 2017-2018 season

Why it's important: Hayward recently signed a max contract and was joining new Celtic Kyrie Irving to a team that had just made the Eastern Conference Finals. Hayward was never the same after the injury and the Irving-Brown-Hayward-Tatum-Horford lineup never got to the see the light of day
[no video - too traumatic]

6) Houston misses 27 straight 3-pters in game 7 of the 2018 Western Conference Finals vs. KD-Warriors

Why it's important: ok this is more than 1 play but if they had even hit 2 of these it could have been enough to send them to the finals vs. one of the greatest teams of all time. Ultimately may have catalyzed the departures of Chris Paul (who would lead the Suns to the 2021 finals) and James Harden

Watch on YouTube

7) [new addition since OP] KD injures achilles in game 5 of the 2019 Western Conference semi-finals vs. Rockets

Why it's important: This was the play where KD first injured his achilles. Warriors would go on to beat the Rockets and Trailblazers without him to reach the NBA finals. Down vs. the Raptors, KD trys to return in game 5 but ends up tearing his achilles in the process. He never played another game with Warriors and (temporarily) ended the Warriors dynasty

Watch on YouTube

8) [new addition since OP] Lebron chase-down block on Andre Iguodala in game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals

Why it's important: A few plays prior to the famous Kyrie 3-pter, with 2 minutes left in game 7 Lebron chases down Iguodala on the fast break to keep the game tied at 89. A few plays later Kyrie hits the go ahead 3-pter and Cavs defeat the 73 win Warriors.

Watch on YouTube

What else you guys got?

[danvato]

you need to have KDs Achilles injury in there.

i still believe there is an alternate universe out there where he doesn't get hurt, leads the warriors to 3rd title in a row, completely flips the "we don't need you" narrative on it's head and decides to stay, win a bunch more.

[maxpower8888]

JR Smith **** up in the Finals against GS. That play demoralized the entire team.

[loserX]

No mention of Ray Allen's 3 against the Spurs? There are a lot of misconceptions about it but it's still a pivotal moment!

[bfchs123]

No mention of Ray Allen's 3 against the Spurs? There are a lot of misconceptions about it but it's still a pivotal moment!

That goes back farther than I was plotting but definitely a key one from the past decade

Will add KD achilles too

[Mavrelous]

This thread is worthless without Robert Horry 3s, especially game 4 with LAL against SAC.
LeBron Block on Iggy, Prince block on Miller, Giannis block on Ayton, Jrue steal and alley oop to Giannis.

[bstein14]

Tayshaun Prince's block on Reggie Miller. Pistons were down in the series and Sheed guaranteed victory... It was 69-67 with less than 20 seconds left in the game when that block was made. If the Pacers win that game and are in the driver's seat to meet the Lakers in the 04 Finals if Reggie hits that layup. How to the Pacers match up with the Lakers? Do the Lakers win and Shaq and Kobe stay together? Does the Malice at the Palace never happen? That block could have drastically altered NBA history.

[djw]

LBJ‘s chasedown block on Iguadala comes to mind as well.

[Loaded_Hollows]

Lebron tea bagging Draymond in the 2016 finals. Draymond resists. This gave Lebron a chance to cry to the refs to suspend Draymond (since he know he had no chance of winning otherwise).

[Dupp]

“Single play” … 27 missed 3s.. Wut

Anyway, Ray Allen shot and KD foot on line

[Rich Michmond]

Ben Simmons passing up an open dunk altered the fate of multiple teams.

[djw]

Dirk‘s game winner in game 2 of the 2011 finals to tie the series. If the Mavs had lost that game, the LeBron talk would be on a whole other level.

[meekrab]

DRose ACL robbed us of what should've been a half-decade long rivalry between the Bulls and Heat.

[Clay Davis]

These are pretty impactful plays, though I do wish you could have included more "wow" basketball moments than moments where someone got injured. I think you should have mentioned what would have happened had the Warriors won in 2016 to provide more context. Would they still get KD?

[AbeVigodaLive]

Did the OP edit the Subject Line AND the first line of the first post where in BOLD it reads past 6-7 years after several people responded...?

Otherwise...

[Duffman100]

you need to have KDs Achilles injury in there.

i still believe there is an alternate universe out there where he doesn't get hurt, leads the warriors to 3rd title in a row, completely flips the "we don't need you" narrative on it's head and decides to stay, win a bunch more.

While I do think it would have been a better series than people think, yeah.. I can't with good conscience say the Raps stood a chance with a healthy Durant in that series.

But...we get a healthy OG then.

[bfchs123]

Did the OP edit the Subject Line AND the first line of the first post where in BOLD it reads past 6-7 years after several people responded...?

Otherwise...

I put 6-7 years in the original post and then no one was reading it so I bolded and underlined it and added it to the title

Also added a few suggestions starting with #7

[maverick_41]

Honourable mention:
end of the regulation play when Draymond didn’t pass the damn ball to Durant.

[Onus]

What else you guys got?

Draymond's assessed technical after the game against Lebron in game 4 in 2016.

Warriors win game 5. KD doesn't go to Warriors in 2016. At least 2 of your top 8 never happen and possibly more.

Add in bosh's rebound and pass to ray allen to force game 7 against the spurs in 2013.

[skones]

Suns erase a 14 point 4th quarter lead by Milwaukee, are pushing to take the lead with under 30 seconds to go in order to take a 3-2 series lead back to Milwaukee, strip, Milwaukee can hold the ball and run clock, make them play foul and chase, and then instead this play takes every ounce of air out of the building at the snap of a finger. It's a knee on your throat play. That's your series.

Watch on YouTube