The 10 Most Clutch Scorers in the NBA Right Now

11.

The biggest games often come down to the final minute. Think back to the end of Game 7 during the 2016 NBA Finals. With the Warriors and Cavs tied at 89, Kyrie Irving hit Steph Curry with the shake-and-bake before stepping back to drill an absolute dagger of a three. The shot will long live on in Cleveland lore. Talk about clutch.

Of course, LeBron James’s chase-down block of Andre Iguodala, which preceded that jumper, was equally clutch—but we’re not here today to talk about defense. We’re here to talk about offense. This one’s for the scorers, the bucket-getters, the stone-cold killers who live to hit the big shots with the clock winding down; with everyone watching; with legacies hanging in the balance.

The guys on this list have more than scoring ability. They have mental fortitude, a psychological edge few athletes possess. They have what the great Bill Raftery refers to as "Onions!"

Without further ado, here are the 10 most clutch scorers in the NBA today.

Honorable Mentions: Luka Doncic, Jamal Crawford, D’Angelo Russell, Jimmy Butler, Chris Paul, Kawhi Leonard, Derrick Rose

10.Lou Williams

We saw Sweet Lou's incredible offensive gifts on display Monday night, as he dropped 36 points on the defending champs in 33 minutes, tying up the Clippers’ first-round series with the Warriors at 1-1 after L.A. was at one point trailing by 31. Williams shot 13-of-22 from the field and chipped in 11 assists. Most importantly, he was absolutely lights out in the final minutes, either scoring himself or creating the Clips’ scoring opportunities practically every time down the court. Golden State had no answer for the 2005 prep-to-pro product.

Williams, 32, took some time to find his stride in the NBA; he even (briefly) spent some time in the D League—when it was still actually called that. But ever since he emerged as Sixth Man of the Year with the Raptors in 2015 (and got that legendary Drake name-drop), he's been one of the best offensive guards in the league—especially when his team needs a bucket. He doesn’t have size, but he’s dynamic with the rock in his hands. Now if only this guy could get an All-Star nod...

9.Paul George

PG-13 entered this season with a reputation for falling through in the clutch, but he has been slowly bucking that bad rap. He's hit two notable game-winners this season, including one four-point play in the final seconds to lift the Thunder over Jimmy Butler and the 76ers in January.

PAUL GEORGE 4-POINT PLAY FOR THE WIN! @okcthunder | #ThunderUp pic.twitter.com/A5fq9bM3Ez


— NBA (@NBA) January 19, 2019

George has 138 Clutch Time points this season, good for fifth in the league and more than Russell Westbrook's 110, despite Westbrook taking 94 shots to George's 91. George has been efficient and especially effective at getting to the line, attempting 61 free throws and making 55 of them. He has fallen behind the two MVP frontrunners in James Harden and Giannis Antetokounmpo, but George deserves to at least be mentioned in the conversation, and his late-game success is a big reason he belongs there.

8.Kemba Walker

Remember Cardiac Kemba? That stepback against Pittsburgh in the Big East Tournament is still absurd. RIP Gary McGhee’s ankles.

This season, Kemba has the second-most Clutch Time points in the league, trailing only Harden and ahead of third-place Kyrie Irving. As Charlotte’s clear No. 1 option, he’s attempted the most Clutch Time shots in the league (124), too. He still flourishes in the mid-range, hitting his average late-game shot from 15 feet out.

The 28-year-old had a career season, making his first All-Star team and averaging over 25 points per game. Though the Hornets missed the playoffs yet again—sadly, Kemba’s prime is being wasted—he remains one of the most clutch scorers in the league.

7.James Harden

So, who you got for MVP: The Beard or the Greek Freak? Giannis might get the edge because of the Bucks’ regular-season dominance, but there’s no question Harden has been the most dominant offensive player—and the most clutch player—in the NBA this season. In January, with the Warriors and Rockets locked in a battle and GSW up 134-132 in OT, Harden hit an impossible three over Klay Thompson and Draymond Green.

He leads the league in total clutch scoring with 187 points, and he's gone to the line an insane 91 times in Clutch Time, making nearly 30 more visits than the No. 2 guy on that list (Kemba). Harden is also hitting 82.4 percent of his free throws in those key moments.

He isn’t quite at the top of this list, though, because he hasn’t proven himself in key moments in the playoffs. His numbers in the postseason are...not good. It seems he just needs one breakthrough performance to boost his confidence in the biggest setting. Could we see it this year?

6.Russell Westbrook

Russ averaged his third straight triple-double season. Can we pause for a moment to think about how insane that is? Yes, his rebounding numbers are inflated, but the thought of a player averaging a triple-double for an entire season once seemed impossible—and he’s done it three times!

It’s clear Brodie affects every aspect of the game, and he’s proven himself adept at scoring in big moments, both with Kevin Durant and Paul George beside him.

Lord knows Russ wants every shot when the game is on the line, but he’s shown leadership in occasionally deferring to George. In 2016-17, Russ attempted 62 Clutch Squared shots (shots crucial to game outcome, like buzzer-beaters). In 2017-18, that number dipped to 41. This year, it's 29, with George taking 24 of his own.

Russ will never be the most efficient scorer, but nobody wants to win more than him, and he’s simply fearless and lives for the Big Shot. If you’re on his team, you have the utmost confidence that he’ll deliver in the waning moments.

5.LeBron James

There’s no question LeBron is one of the most clutch players in NBA history. I mean, look at his postseason numbers during his career. The guy just has a knack for putting the team on his back and taking over games.

And he’s also delivered some insanely clutch offensive moments, like that banked-in 3 against the Magic in the 2009 Eastern Conference Finals and that driving layup to beat Paul George and the Pacers in Game 1 of the 2013 East Finals. In last year's playoffs, LBJ led the league in Clutch Time scoring, putting up 47 points and shooting an impressive 40 percent from three, well above his career average of 34 percent.

That said, scoring has never been the most natural part of LeBron’s game, and he’s also come up short in some big moments, like when he missed two pivotal free throws against the Celtics in 2011. King James is the best all-around player alive, but there are other pure scorers who are simply better on offense in the waning moments.

4.Damian Lillard

Remember that amazing 2014 first round finish between the Rockets (then led by Harden and Dwight Howard) and Blazers? With Portland trailing 98-96 with 0.9 seconds left, Lillard came off a double screen and, while fading away, swished a three in Chandler Parsons' face. It was just one example of the Weber State product’s flair for the dramatic.

Lillard has long been a problem with the ball in his hands when the game is on the line. This season, Lillard has attempted 28 Clutch Squared shots, and he has hit a more than respectable 46.4 percent of them. Believe it or not, he was even better last season, when he connected at 48 percent clip.

He’s tied for eighth in the league this season in total Clutch Time points, despite teams completely selling out to stop him, especially since C.J. McCollum was sidelined. If you’re on the opposite side, you don’t want Lillard to even touch the ball in the final seconds.

3.Kevin Durant

The Warriors won the 2017 Finals in five games, yes, but that series could have looked different if it weren't for some heroics from KD in Game 3. With Cleveland up by two in the final minute of that matchup, Durant grabbed a rebound, dribbled to the other end of the court, and hit the biggest shot of his career, raining a three in LeBron’s grill.

That was definitely the most iconic moment of Durant’s career, but he has a long history of hitting big shots. One of many examples: As a young blood in the 2012 playoffs, he hit a huge J in front of Metta World Peace to lead his Thunder over Kobe Bryant's Lakers.

Late in games, Durant does his best work far from the basket; during Clutch Time in last year's playoffs, his average shot distance made was 22 feet, a far cry from Giannis’ three feet, LeBron’s 10 feet, or even Steph Curry’s 12 feet. With his 7’ frame, no one is keeping the Durantula from getting his shot off when he wants to, so stopping him is an impossible task.

2.Steph Curry

The best shooter in NBA history is even better in clutch situations. Curry has hit countless ice-cold jumpers late in games, but he's also proficient at scoring in the paint in such situations. The little guy ain’t scared of the trees. For example, with OKC leading the Warriors 3-2 in the 2016 West Finals, Curry clinched the win for GSW with a running bank shot, and he and Klay Thompson absolutely took over in the final five minutes of that game.

Curry was even amazing in the 2015-16 postseason (when the Warriors collapsed and Cavs pulled off the 3-1 comeback) despite being banged up. In those playoffs, Curry’s numbers were up across the board in Clutch Time. His FG percentage increased by .11, his 3-point percentage increased by .17, and his free throw percentage increased by .09. What makes that so impressive? His regular season averages were above 50-40-90.

All his numbers are up in Clutch Time again this season. This is the No. 1 guy you don’t want to foul late; he’s hit 96 percent of his free throw attempts with the game on the line. The Warriors have an unfair 1-2 punch late in games with KD and Curry, and Klay deserves an honorable mention as well.

1.Kyrie Irving

This ranking probably will come as no surprise. Kyrie has been stepping up in big moments since his college days, when he was a baby-faced assassin dropping 31 on Tom Izzo’s Spartans.

Uncle Drew became an icon with the aforementioned 2016 Finals dagger. During that playoff run, Irving shot 50 percent from three with games on the line. 50 percent! He added to his growing legend with a spin-and-fadeaway J against Klay and the Warriors on Christmas Day 2016. When the league is watching, Kyrie steps up. (Our apologies to Brandon Knight.)

Irving has continued his late-game brilliance with the Celtics, connecting on 56.2 percent of Clutch Squared shots this season. Given his insane ball-handling abilities (best of all time?), lightning quickness, ability to finish off the glass, and lights-out shooting from deep (he’s a career 39 percent 3-point shooter), Irving is incredibly dynamic in iso situations late in games.

Kyrie seems like a...confusing?...teammate to have around the locker room, but he’s also the one player in the league you most want on your side when things get tense. So, he was justified for being mad at Gordon Hayward for failing to pass to him against the Magic earlier this season! Expect to see Kyrie take some big shots this postseason.