The 25 biggest NBA clutch performers who weren't stars

He's "Big Shot Bob." Horry was never a team leader, but he continually made major contributions in big-time situations, racking up seven championships in his career. More than even a lot of stars, Horry came through in the clutch, especially deep into the playoffs and even the Finals.

When you think of big moments with the Bulls in the '90s, Michael Jordan immediately comes to mind. Some of his less storied teammates really came through when it counted, too, though. One of the biggest such moments belongs to Paxson, who hit the game- and championship-winning three in Game 6 of the 1993 Finals.

Steve Kerr had a similar story. In Game 6 of the 1997 Finals, with seconds remaining, Jordan had the ball. He couldn't find a clean look, but he did get the ball to a wide-open Kerr, who sealed the series with a game-winning mid-range jumper.

Iguodala was a star early in his career, but it was during the second half of his NBA career, when he took on more supporting roles, that he had his most clutch moments. They most notably came with the four titles he won as a Warrior. He took a major step up in the 2015 Finals, with huge offensive performances and stifling defense, which was enough to win him the Finals MVP trophy.

Fisher was a steady presence at point guard for years in Los Angeles. As a selfless guard happy to fill in gaps, he served as a perfect complement to Shaq and Kobe. It worked out pretty well for him: He won five championships and had a big moment with his famous 0.4-second game-winner in the 2004 playoffs.

It took Elie until his late 20s to stick around in the NBA, but once he did, he developed a reputation as a defensive-minded wing who came through in the clutch. He played key supporting roles on three championship teams, most notably the Rockets' back-to-back titles. In the 1995 playoffs, he sank his iconic "Kiss of Death" three-pointer to lift Houston over Phoenix.

Cassell was a fringe All-Star for the bulk of his career, even sneaking onto a team in 2004. Much earlier in his career, though, he quickly earned trust on those aforementioned title-winning Rockets teams, getting significant playing time in the regular season and postseason. Perhaps his most (in)famous clutch moment came in the 2004 playoffs, when he first busted out his "big balls" celebration.

For nearly a decade, Terry could come off the bench for Dallas and deliver 20- and 30-point nights when called upon. This proved to be critical to the Mavericks' 2011 championship run. In the deciding Game 6 of the Finals, JT had one of his best games of the postseason with 27 points on 11-16 shooting.

Johnson was similar to Terry in that he was an impactful microwave scorer off the bench ("The Microwave" was his nickname, in fact). He was important to the Pistons during their championship seasons in 1989 and 1990. His big moment came in Game 5 of the 1990 Finals, when he hit a tightly contested game-winning jumper with 0.7 seconds remaining.

Kukoč was a perfect supporting piece during the three consecutive Bulls title runs in the late '90s. Whether starting or off the bench (he did both about the same amount), he could make shots for himself and plays for others. Though Chicago lost the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Knicks in 1994, in the third game of the series, with 1.7 seconds left on the clock, Kukoč caught an inbound pass and hit a game-winning buzzer-beater.

Van Exel was no longer with the Lakers by the time they started winning championships in the late '90s and early 2000s, but he nonetheless hit some big shots in his half-decade with the team. Most notably, in the 1995 playoffs, he hit a running, game-winning three with 0.7 seconds left to beat the Spurs. LA lost the series the next game, but Van Exel's contributions in the clutch did not go unnoticed.

During his 17-year career, Williams wasn't regularly in game situations where the stakes were high. Still, it was not uncommon to see him drain game-winners. A three-time Sixth Man Of The Year, Lou was one of the best ever in his role, and while he didn't always start games, he pretty often finished them.

Crawford and Williams had very similar careers, as both played for about two decades and were three-time 6MOY winners. He hit a number of game-winners in his day and tended to have regular scoring explosions. In one from early in his career, he dropped 50 in an overtime win for the Bulls.

Miller had an accomplished NBA career. Over 17 seasons, he won Rookie Of The Year, Most Improved Player, and a couple of championships. He was a key supporting piece on the title-winning Heat teams of 2013, hitting some big shots despite dealing with injuries.

Winning followed Green wherever he went in the NBA, as he won titles with the Spurs, Raptors, and Lakers. While the Spurs didn't win in 2013, Green had a phenomenal Finals that year, shooting over 55 percent from three and delivering a couple of 20-point games. He was regularly one of the league's best defenders, too, making him the perfect 3-and-D guy who could come up big in multiple ways when the moment called for it.

Battier was on those Heat teams with Green, too, and he also made key contributions as a role player. His subtle-but-important impact throughout his career earned him the nickname of the "no-stats All-Star," but he put up some stats in those two Finals, too. In the series-winning game in 2013, he put up 18 points on 6-8 shooting from three, and he had a pair of 17-point games in the 2012 Finals.

Bowen was a star, just on the defensive end: He made All-Defense teams every season from 2001 to 2008, with the final five of them being First-Team. He was with the Spurs for the majority of that stretch, during which time he helped the team win three titles. Especially during the final two of those championship runs, Bowen regularly had nights where he outpaced his offensive expectations.

Türkoğlu was great for the Magic for nearly a decade, and he really showed up when they reached the Finals in 2009. In the series, the versatile point-forward scored 18 points per game while shooting over 40 percent from three. He could do a bit of everything, and it made him valuable in the NBA for a long time.

3-and-D players are invaluable in the modern NBA, and KCP is one of the best of his era. He's a proven winner, claiming titles with LA and with Denver. He was a key part of the Lakers' Finals victory in 2020, averaging 13 points per game in the series, up from his regular-season average of 9.

Diaw has come up in major postseason moments on multiple occasions in his career. He hit a game-winner in the first game of the 2006 Western Conference Finals while with the Suns. He was key for the Spurs during their 2014 title run, too, like when he went off for 26 points in the deciding game of the Conference Finals.

Barea was undersized at 5'10", but that didn't stop him from being one of the most important Mavericks of the 2010s. After a strong 2011 postseason coming off the bench, he got the call to start four games into the Finals. He delivered in a big way, contributing 13 points and 5 assists per night over the next three games, all Mavs wins on the way to a championship.

After years of waiting for his turn, Pritchard finally earned a more significant role with the Celtics beginning in the 2024 season, winning the Sixth Man Of The Year trophy in 2025 and playing more games as a starter in 2026. While his minutes were up and down in the 2024 Finals, he had one of the deciding game's most memorable shots, hitting one of the end-of-quarter buzzer-beaters for which he has become known league-wide.

Though not a star, the ball was regularly in Hill's hands in clutch situations, and he has at least a few game-winners to his name. He played key roles on good teams that made deep playoff runs throughout his career. The Warriors thoroughly decimated Hill's Cavaliers in the 2018 Finals, but Hill had one big night where he scored 15 points and netted a couple of steals.

Tucker is a rugged defender, and his career 36% shooting from three doesn't hurt, either. Consequently, he's been a key component on some successful teams. Most notably, he helped the Bucks win the 2021 championship with high-level defense and timely scoring.

Beverley is a defender through and through, but when he's at his best, he can do a bit of everything. He's had some clutch playoff moments, like when he had 12 points, 4 assists, and 3 steals in the deciding game of the 2021 Western Conference Semifinals. His biggest impact, though, is the kind of hustle and intensity that doesn't usually show up in the box score.