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#3 Patrick Beverley (Game 3, Conference Finals)
Although neither Beverley nor the LA Clippers' 2021 NBA playoffs ended how they would have wanted, he was able to frustrate Devin Booker into some poor shooting performances. Particularly in the Clippers' game three win.
Back on home court and down 2-0, the Clippers held the Suns to just 92 points, while Beverley pestered Booker into shooting at 23% from the field and 14% from downtown. His incessant determination to force Booker into contested shots was key for the Clippers in the series, and while they ultimately fell to the Suns, he helped make it a closer contest than it could have been.
Even in game two, the overriding story from the matchup could have been Beverley's impressive defense of Booker had DeAndre Ayton not put in one of the most memorable game-winning dunks in playoff history. He had limited the Suns star to just 31% of made field-goals and 33% from beyond the arc.
#2 Jrue Holiday (Game 5 NBA Finals)
Jrue Holiday arguably had the best performance of his NBA career in game five of the Finals. As well as a splashy statline of 27 points and 13 assists, the 31-year-old grabbed the game-defining steal with less than 20 seconds to go in a one-point contest before carrying the ball up the court and lobbing it up to Giannis Antetokounmpo for the winning dunk.
Although Holiday had better all-round displays in the 2021 NBA playoffs, this play proved why the Milwaukee Bucks tried so desperately to bring him in prior to the season. His active hands and broad stature make him a nightmare opponent on defense and he was pivotal in frustrating the Suns' backcourt pairing of Devin Booker and Chris Paul.
#1 Giannis Antetokounmpo (Game 6 NBA Finals)
Giannis Antetokounmpo had a performance for the ages in game six of the NBA Finals. Although much of the attention was on his 50 point night, the Greek followed up his clutch block in game four with five blocks in the final contest between the Milwaukee Bucks and Phoenix Suns and grabbed ten defensive rebounds.
Giannis was all over the Suns' offense as he had the championship trophy in his sights and a chance to certify his greatness. He finished with the best defensive rating of any player on the court (94) and a staggering box +/- of 18.9.
In past seasons, NBA fans have been used to Giannis Antetokounmpo's defensive prowess, and while he still finished in the All-Defensive Team of the Year, the Bucks struggled on defense during the regular season campaign. However, in this series in particular, they dramatically stepped up their defensive effort and were spearheaded by Antetokounmpo's length, flexibility in who can guard and rim protection.
