The 10 Biggest Shots of the 2026 NBA Playoffs So Far

The NBA playoffs have featured several important shots through the conference finals stage. The New York Knicks advanced by sweeping the Cleveland Cavaliers 4-0 in the Eastern Conference. In the West, the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs are tied 3-3 heading into Game 7.Here are the 10 shots with the highest leverage impact, a measure of how much each play changed a team’s win probability based on score, time remaining and shot difficulty, through Game 6 of the Western Conference Finals. 1. RJ Barrett’s Three-Pointer (Leverage: 4.89)Cavaliers vs. Raptors, First Round, Game 6 With 1.2 seconds left in overtime, Barrett made a three-pointer for a 112-110 Toronto win, forcing a Game 7. 2. Julian Champagnie’s Corner Three (Leverage: 4.12)Spurs vs. Thunder, Western Conference Finals, Game 1 Champagnie made a corner three with 1:26 left as the shot clock expired to give San Antonio the lead in a close game. 3. CJ McCollum’s Step-Back Jumper (Leverage: 4.01)Knicks vs. Hawks, First Round, Game 3 McCollum hit a step-back jumper with 12 seconds remaining to put Atlanta ahead. 4. Chet Holmgren’s Dunk (Leverage: 3.94)Thunder vs. Lakers, Conference Semifinals, Game 4 Holmgren finished a dunk with 33 seconds left to put Oklahoma City in front. 5. Alex Caruso’s Three-Pointer (Leverage: 3.70)Spurs vs. Thunder, Western Conference Finals, Game 1 Caruso made a three-pointer in the late stages of the same game. 6. LeBron James’ Three-Pointer (Leverage: 3.58)Lakers vs. Rockets, First Round, Game 3 James made a right-wing three-pointer late in regulation to tie the game. Los Angeles won in overtime. 7. Victor Wembanyama’s 28-Footer (Leverage: 3.50)Spurs vs. Thunder, Western Conference Finals, Game 1 Wembanyama made a 28-foot shot to tie the game in the final minutes. 8. Landry Shamet’s Corner Three (Leverage: 3.49)Cavs vs. Knicks, Eastern Conference Finals, Game 1 Shamet made a corner three that tied the score at 99 late in the fourth quarter. New York won in overtime. 9. Donovan Mitchell’s Layup (Leverage: 3.33)Cavaliers vs. Raptors, First Round, Game 6 Mitchell made a finger-roll layup in overtime to give Cleveland the lead. 10. James Harden’s Turnaround Jumper (Leverage: 3.33)Cavs vs. Knicks, Eastern Conference Finals, Game 1 Harden made a turnaround jumper to briefly put Cleveland back in front.These plays stood out for their effect on game outcomes during the 2026 postseason. Game 7 between Oklahoma City and San Antonio is scheduled for tonight.