Why do people watch sports? To root for our favorite teams or against our least liked ones, of course. These are the primary causes, at least. We also watch to witness the greatest in the world accomplish seemingly impossible tasks on a regular basis. The whole experience can practically make you immune to greatness. However, every now and then, there are plays that are so ludicrous that they almost transcend comprehension. With that in mind, let’s take a look at some of the best plays from the 2020s thus far.
Max Strus’ wild buzzer-beater topples Mavs
The full-court buzzer-beater is rare in the NBA due to a league regulation that permits teams to advance the ball to half-court during a timeout. However, in February 2024, with the Cavaliers trailing Dallas and out of timeouts with only seconds to play, Strus took the inbounds pass and, with Luka Doncic rushing at him to contest, heaved a 75-footer that found nothing but net, delighting the home crowd and delivering Cleveland a very unlikely victory.
Justin Jefferson’s one-handed catch defies belief
In 2022, the 7-1 Vikings were down 27-23 to the 6-2 Bills, facing a 4th-and-8 with two minutes remaining. Kirk Cousins took the snap, looked right, and threw it approximately 30 yards down the field. Despite being smothered, Jefferson managed to get up with one hand, take the ball away from the defender, and then tuck it to his body as he dropped to the ground. Minnesota won in overtime, 33-30, and the catch is just unbelievable.
Caitlin Clark does Caitlin Clark things, downs Michigan State
We could pick any number of Clark plays here; that’s what happens when someone completely transforms a sport and dominates in ways never seen before. I like this January 2024 game-winner against Michigan State for several reasons: First, Iowa’s set play to get Clark the ball did not succeed, and with less than four seconds remaining, chaos ensued. Second, Clark studied everything and took the ball in a far from optimal shooting stance. Third, she was calm enough to realize she had enough time to make a move and still get a shot in. The fourth move was to take a step back from the logo and let loose. I imagine Stephen Curry and Damian Lillard watched this shot.
Dustin Johnson and Jon Rahm trade ultra-clutch putts
Golf, like any other sport in 2020, had an uncanny air to it due to COVID. If the crowd had been average, the BMW Championship would have ended with loud roars. Johnson calmly nailed a double-breaking 45-footer to force a playoff against Jon Rahm. In the playoff, Rahm responded on the same green by striking a 66-footer with roughly 10 feet of break to defeat Johnson and claim the title.
Jalen Suggs sends Gonzaga to the national championship game
The cloud of COVID still hung over the 2021 NCAA Tournament. The entire event was held in and around Indianapolis, with crowd sizes lowered to comply with safety regulations. As a result, only 8,131 fans showed up to enjoy one of the best games, tournament or not, in several years. Top-seeded Gonzaga and 11th-seeded UCLA battled in a thriller that appeared to be heading for a second OT following a Johnny Juzang basket with seconds left. Suggs took the inbounds pass, raced just past half court, and banked in a winner to advance the Bulldogs to the national championship game.
Sergei Bobrovsky robs Matt Dumba
If the Panthers had lost a 3-0 Stanley Cup Final lead to Edmonton, no one would have cared to discuss some of the amazing plays that defined their playoff run. When it comes to goaltending, nothing compares to what Sergei Bobrovsky did to Matt Dumba in Florida’s 2024 first-round game against Tampa Bay. In Game 2 of that series, with the Panthers leading one game to none and the score tied at two in the second period, Dumba had a loose puck fall directly to his stick in front of a yawning, empty cage. It’s a save worth seeing multiple times. I recommend stopping the video for 8 seconds to see where Bobrovsky was when the puck hit Dumba’s stick.
Ja Morant finishes off a truly crazy alley-oop
I don’t want to suggest that we’ve become desensitized to NBA players’ incredible athleticism, but, well, we have. Alley-oops, too, can become monotonous. Morant made one against the Spurs in 2022 that should be remembered as one of the greatest plays in NBA history. With only 0.4 seconds till halftime, the Grizzlies were inbounding the ball at the opposite end of the court. Steven Adams fired a full-court baseball pass to Morant, who received the ball in mid-air on the baseline and shot instantly to beat the buzzer. The play compared Grant Hill to Christian Laettner on steroids.
Appalachian State’s Hail Mary shocks Troy
Troy and Appalachian State, perennial Sun Belt Conference competitors, faced off in September 2022, and it appeared that the visitors would prevail. Troy led 28-26 with two seconds left, while Appalachian State remained on the wrong side of the 50. Chase Brice, the Mountaineers’ quarterback, scrambled for a few seconds before heaving the ball as far downfield as possible. The ball was deflected, and Christian Horn grabbed it and dashed to the corner of the end zone, giving Appalachian State an improbable 32-28 victory.
Nick Taylor’s long-distance putt makes Canadian Open history
You may have seen the popular video of PGA Tour pro Adam Hadwin being tackled by a security guard, but there’s a chance you don’t know what came before it. Allow me to introduce you to one of the greatest tournament-winning putts you’ll ever see, from Taylor, who in 2023 became the first Canadian to win the Canadian Open in 69 years.
Drake Maye’s lefty TD toss leaves Pitt baffled
Maye, the third choice in the 2024 NFL Draft, has been compared to longtime Steelers great Ben Roethlisberger in terms of stature, athleticism, and improvisational skills. Pittsburgh fans saw similar characteristics on show on the same field where Roethlisberger performed his magic, as Maye startled Pitt with a spectacular touchdown pass. Rolling left, with one Pitt defender hanging on his right arm and another bearing down on him, Maye calmly flipped the ball with his left hand about 15 yards out for a wide-open touchdown. North Carolina cruised past the Panthers, 41-24.
Brandon Aiyuk’s helmet catch turns tide in NFC Championship
For the first half and some of the third quarter of the 2023 NFC Championship Game, it appeared that the Lions – yes, the Lions – were going to destroy San Francisco, earning the franchise’s first trip to the Super Bowl. Detroit led 24-10 in the third quarter when the 49ers’ Brock Purdy threw a first-down deep ball. Detroit’s defender appeared to be in a decent position, but the ball hit him in the facemask, prompting Aiyuk to make a diving catch inside the five-yard line. San Francisco went on to score and win the game, leaving the Lions heartbroken.
Connor McDavid takes on the Rangers by himself
Connor McDavid is the best player in the world, and he is already among the top ten players of all time. Please watch this video from November 2021, where he goes 1-on-4 against the Rangers and wins in the same way as an adult would beat a squad of toddlers. It’s sublime.
Michael Block’s storybook run gets an exclamation point
Brooks Koepka’s dialed-in performance in the 2023 PGA Championship earned him his third Wanamaker Trophy, beating Viktor Hovland and Scottie Scheffler by two strokes. However, PGA professional Michael Block stole the show throughout the four days, first by making the cut and staying near the top of the leaderboard, and then by producing an all-time moment on Sunday. Block, paired with Rory McIlroy, was in the top ten as he arrived at Oak Hill’s 15th hole. His unusual story became much, much better.
Jacksonville State shocks Florida State with an answered prayer
UCF’s crazy fourth-down conversion leaves Baylor frustrated – and exhausted
Seeing a tremendous play live, rather than on a highlight show, is always more exciting, and I can say that I witnessed this one in real time. On September 30, 2023, UCF was down 36-35 in their inaugural Big 12 home game, but quarterback Timmy McClain was not going down quietly. He backtracked 30 yards from the line of scrimmage, scrambling for roughly 15 seconds and just missing a safety, before finding receiver R.J. Harvey for a wild 16-yard gain. Sure, UCF lost, and they blew a 35-7 lead, but it was still an interesting play.
Alabama wins the Iron Bowl with 4th-down miracle
Nick Saban’s final Alabama team struggled to demonstrate the overpowering form that characterized his tenure in Tuscaloosa. They were a one-loss club who appeared to be on the verge of losing their second Iron Bowl game versus Auburn. With less than a minute remaining, Jalen Milroe and the offense faced a must-win fourth-and-31 situation. Milroe stood for a few seconds, assessed the field, and then blasted a ball into the back-left corner of the end zone. Isaiah Bond was on the other end, and the Crimson Tide won 27-24, returning to the College Football Playoff.
Cale Makar’s ridiculous spin and finish stuns Blackhawks
Please enjoy Cale Makar stealing the souls of the entire Blackhawks roster and fan base with this game-winning goal, much as Connor McDavid did against the Rangers. I’d also like to remind you that Makar is a defenseman. Then again, so was Bobby Orr.
Lamar Jackson catches his own pass
The 2023 AFC Championship Game must have been very distressing for the Baltimore Ravens. Despite having the league’s MVP quarterback and playing at home, the Chiefs’ offense struggled throughout the game. At the very least, it resulted in a memorable play. Jackson converted a first down on a second-and-five play in the second quarter in an unorthodox manner. His pass attempt was tipped by a blitzing Justin Reid, but Jackson raced to the ball, plucked it out of the air, and carried off for 13 yards.
Kyler Murray and DeAndre Hopkins team up to stun the Bills
Hail Marys are still rather uncommon in football. Sure, one of them occasionally succeeds, but they’re still such a long shot that when one does, we pay attention. Having saying that, they’re all rather similar. Quarterback fades back, waits, heaves the ball downfield, and hopes. That’s what made Murray’s toss to Hopkins in 2020 so memorable. He was flushed out of the pocket, put under actual duress, and forced to throw the ball while falling out of bounds away from the intended direction of throw. It was a brilliant strike, and Hopkins outjumped three Buffalo players to catch the ball, and the victory was icing on the cake.
Tom Brady does Tom Brady things – on the golf course
The sports world was essentially shut down for a few months in 2020, and fans were desperate for anything to watch. Enter the 2020 edition of Capital One’s “The Match,” in which Brady and Phil Mickelson faced Tiger Woods and Peyton Manning. It was one of the first live sports events to air after the March closure, so roughly 3 million people watched Brady, a good-but-not-great recreational golfer, do Brady things on the seventh hole.
Devonte’ Graham one-ups Shai Gilgeous-Alexander with a 60-footer
Random December NBA games are only for die-hard fans. Sure, a guy may score 50 or more points, but if it’s not your favorite club, you’re unlikely to watch. Many people in America are unlikely to recall or even be aware that this drama from 2021 occurred. However, Thunder fans probably do. Especially those who were overjoyed when Gilgeous-Alexander knotted the score at 110 just seconds before. Let this be a lesson for the youngsters. Always play until the buzzer sounds.
Aaron Judge puts his name in the history books
This one probably does not require much explanation. I don’t care where you stand on baseball’s home run records – as long as you acknowledge that Barry Bonds is the true and rightful home run king, of course – but Aaron Judge can still claim the title of American League single-season home run champion thanks to a shot off Texas’ Jesus Tinoco in the second-to-last game of the 2022 regular season. Judge was named MVP and came within.05 points of capturing the Triple Crown, trailing Minnesota’s Luis Arraez.
Kyrie Irving’s crazy left-handed floater downs Nuggets
Great plays might be fluky, fortuitous, or one in a million. Other times, an extraordinarily good player makes a play that even other pros in their industry would not consider. Kyrie Irving’s shot to beat Denver in March 2024 would fall into the latter category. Many of his contemporaries see Irving as the league’s most proficient player. I find it difficult to disagree with that evaluation.
Quinton Byfield scores a beauty off the rush, leaving Blue Jackets in awe
Every now and then, I’ll watch a hockey game and think, “Oh yeah, they’re doing all of this while skating on ice.” That stoner-esque perspective makes goals like Los Angeles’ Quinton Byfield’s against Columbus in February 2024 even more absurd. And, while it may not be obvious at first glance, Byfield stands 6’5″ and weighs 220 pounds. Someone that large should not be able to accomplish that on ice skates.
Ricky Pearsall makes an all-time great catch
