You would not be surprised if someone like Stephen Curry or Kevin Durant had a big game during the playoffs. It is exactly what you expect from them. What would surprise you is when someone out of nowhere suddenly steps up and gives their team an unexpected win. These players aren’t the first ones that come to mind when you think of a team’s line up. You’ll know them as complementary players for certain teams. They’ll score several points if they played limited minutes and can be good substitute players when their superstar teammates need to rest during a game.
The NBA playoffs are weird this year. Too many superstar players are getting injured which means more playing time for those on the bench. Maybe that’s why there are so many opportunities for players to be “the man”.
For the young ones, this could be an opportunity to raise their level of play and get recognized. For the older ones, this could be their chance to say “See? I can still play.” These are players who gave it their all and refused to shy away from big moments.
Let’s take a look at some of the players who became unlikely heroes in this year’s NBA playoffs.
Terance Mann
Mann had 39 points in a series-clinching game against the Utah Jazz. The result? The very first Western Conference Finals appearance for the Los Angeles Clippers. Another thing to remember is that the Clippers were down by 25 points in this game. Mann also added seven three-pointers. Those three-pointers were huge and Mann became the “Hero of the Day”. Not bad for someone who averaged seven points per game during the season.
Kevin Huerter
Game 7 hero on the road. Huerter scored 27 points and added seven rebounds in that series-clinching game against the Philadelphia 76ers. He shot 10-of-18 from the field which made everyone forget about Trae Young’s bad night (5-for-23). Huerter also made three crucial free throws in the last minute of the game.
Jeff Green
The “Jeff Green Game” gave the Brooklyn Nets a 3-2 lead in their series against the Milwaukee Bucks. How good was Green? He scored 27 points including seven three-pointers for the night. Green was a much-needed hero for this game since James Harden was playing with an injured hamstring. If not for Green, the Nets would have lost this game even if Kevin Durant had 49 points.
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Norman Powell
Game 4 hero for the Portland Trail Blazers when they played the Denver Nuggets. The win tied up the series at 2-2. Powell scored 29 points which they really needed because Damian Lillard had a poor shooting night. Lillard only made one field goal! Powell, on the other hand, made 11 out of his 15 field goal attempts. Powell had a huge role in the early parts of the third quarter where the Blazers had a 10-0 run and took full control of the game.
Derrick Rose
Rose rose to the occasion especially when Julius Randle disappeared in this year’s playoffs. The New York Knicks won Game 2 because of him. The 32-year-old tallied 26 points, four rebounds, and four assists. That was a much needed victory. It has been a long time since the Knicks had a playoff win inside Madison Square Garden. Rose played so well in this series that the coaching staff moved him to the starting line up.
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