Stats Leaders: Who are top clutch scorers so far this season?
Check out the best clutch plays so far, now that we’re a quarter way through the season!
Every Tuesday during the season, we’ll analyze the leaders in a particular statistical category. By examining player tracking, play-type, and shot-type data, we’ll delve deeper than the standard box score to spotlight some of the top performers in the game.
This week, our attention will be on the top scorers in the league during critical situations – when there are just five minutes left in the fourth quarter or overtime and the score gap is within five points. This includes three of the league’s highest scorers this season: Luka Doncic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Stephen Curry.
Note: All stats through games played on Monday, Dec. 5. Clutch data for players and teams can be found on NBA.com/Stats.
Top 10 clutch scorers (total clutch points)
| RK | PLAYER | TEAM | PTS | FGM-A (FG%) | 3PM-A (3P%) | FTM-A (FT%) |
| 1 | Shai Gilgeous-Alexander | OKC | 60 | 16-38 (42.1%) | 3-8 (37.5%) | 25-27 (92.6%) |
| 2 | Luka Doncic | DAL | 53 | 20-40 (50%) | 3-16 (18.8%) | 10-14 (71.4%) |
| 3 | Jalen Brunson | NYK | 52 | 16-33 (48.5%) | 3-7 (42.9%) | 17-19 (89.5%) |
| 4 | Donovan Mitchell | CLE | 51 | 17-38 (44.7%) | 5-16 (31.3%) | 12-13 (92.3%) |
| 5 | De’Aaron Fox | SAC | 50 | 20-32 (62.5%) | 4-7 (57.1%) | 6-6 (100%) |
| 6 | Stephen Curry | GSW | 49 | 15-36 (41.7%) | 6-20 (30%) | 13-15 (86.7%) |
| 7 | Anfernee Simons | POR | 48 | 13-29 (44.8%) | 7-14 (50%) | 15-16 (93.8%) |
| 8 | DeMar DeRozan | CHI | 43 | 14-33 (42.4%) | 0-2 0%) | 15-16 (93.8%) |
| 8 | Jerami Grant | POR | 43 | 10-22 (45.5%) | 5-8 (62.5%) | 18-23 (78.3%) |
| 8 | Jordan Clarkson | UTA | 43 | 16-35 (45.7%) | 7-18 (38.9%) | 4-5 (80%) |
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Gilgeous-Alexander is in the midst of an overall breakout season and his play in clutch situations has been no different. His overall scoring is up from 24.5 ppg (16th) last season to 31.3 ppg (3rd) this season, and his clutch scoring ranking has gone from 28th last season (76 points) to No. 1 through the first quarter of this season (60 points).
The biggest key to Gilgeous-Alexander’s ability to deliver in close games is his ability to break down defenses and draw fouls. He leads all players in both free throws made (25) and attempted (27) in clutch time, as free throws account for nearly half of his clutch points.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander hits a critical 3-pointer with only 1.1 seconds remaining, sealing Oklahoma City’s comeback victory.
Luka Doncic
The league’s leading scorer (33.4 ppg), Doncic ranks No. 2 in clutch scoring with 53 points across 64 minutes of clutch time. Doncic’s clutch scoring has come mostly on two-point shots as he is connecting on 70.8% (17-for-24) of his shots inside the arc, but just 18.8% (3-for-16) from beyond the arc.
In addition to being the second-leading scorer in clutch situations, Doncic has dished more clutch assists (15) than any player in the league so far this season. While Doncic ranks third in usage rate (37.2%) overall, he ranks 16th in clutch usage rate (34.8%).
In high-pressure situations, star players typically experience an increase in their usage, as they are relied upon to perform crucially when the game is at stake. For instance, Joel Embiid’s usage escalates from 37.6% to a notable league-high of 46.6% during clutch situations. A similar trend can be observed for Doncic, who takes the helm of the Mavericks’ offense during critical junctures. However, his contribution extends beyond scoring, as he also assists his teammates by drawing the defense’s attention.
Luka on his clutch shot and celebration tonight ️ pic.twitter.com/vGwWkE5VBu
— NBA (@NBA) November 16, 2022
Jalen Brunson
Brunson, a former Mavericks teammate, is just behind in clutch scoring with a total of 52 clutch points earned in slightly less than 50 minutes. He has shown excellent efficiency in clutch situations, maintaining a field goal percentage of 48.5%, a 3-point range of 42.9% (based on seven 3-point attempts), and a free throw percentage of 89.5% (from 19 attempts). In addition to scoring, he has also provided five assists. Notably, he is the only player in the top 20 clutch scorers without a single turnover in these circumstances.
Donovan Mitchell
Mitchell’s debut season in Cleveland has seen a significant improvement in his clutch play compared to his last season in Utah. He ranked 24th in clutch scoring last season with 79 points, but his shooting percentages were low: 33% (30-91) from the field, 18.8% (6-32) from beyond the arc, and 61.9% (13-21) from the free throw line.
Mitchell has shown significant improvement in this season’s first quarter, with his field goal percentage nearly 12 points higher at 44.7%, his 3-point percentage up by 12.5 points to 31.3%, and his free throw percentage increased by over 30 points to 92.3%. He is just one successful 3-pointer and free throw short of equalling his performance from last season, and there are still 58 games left for the Cavs.
De’Aaron Fox
Fox completes the top five best performing scorers of the season so far, all of whom are under the age of 26. He has managed to score 50 points over 42 critical minutes in 12 games for the Kings. What sets Fox apart from the other four is his exceptional shooting accuracy during pivotal moments: 62.5% (20-32) from the field, 57.1% (4-7) from the 3-point line, and a perfect 100% (6-for-6) from free throws.
Unlike Doncic, Fox’s clutch usage significantly increases from his overall game mark. He is ranked fifth in clutch usage at 37.4% and 26th for the entire game at 27.5%. Fox excels at utilizing his speed and agility to take shots from his preferred mid-range spots during critical moments. This has led to the Kings outscoring their opponents by 22 points in clutch situations when Fox is on the field.
In a victory against the Lakers on Nov. 11, De’Aaron Fox proved to be decisive.
Top 10 clutch shooters (minimum 15 clutch attempts, 62 players qualify)
| RK | PLAYER | TEAM | PTS | FG% | FGM | FGA |
| 1 | Jusuf Nurkic | POR | 29 | 73.3 | 11 | 15 |
| 2 | Bradley Beal | WAS | 34 | 68.4 | 13 | 19 |
| 3 | De’Aaron Fox | SAC | 50 | 62.5 | 20 | 32 |
| 4 | Giannis Antetokounmpo | MIL | 26 | 62.5 | 10 | 16 |
| 5 | O.G. Anunoby | TOR | 38 | 57.9 | 11 | 19 |
| 6 | Bam Adebayo | MIA | 28 | 53.3 | 8 | 15 |
| 7 | Marcus Smart | BOS | 20 | 53.3 | 8 | 15 |
| 8 | Joel Embiid | PHI | 37 | 52.9 | 9 | 17 |
| 9 | Kyle Lowry | MIA | 23 | 52.9 | 9 | 17 |
| 10 | Jimmy Butler | MIA | 37 | 51.9 | 14 | 27 |
Stephen Curry
Despite his shooting percentage declining in the final moments of close games, Curry still holds the sixth position in clutch scoring. This season, he has a field goal percentage of 49.9% and a three-point percentage of 43.2%, the highest since his unanimous Kia NBA MVP season, in which he achieved a 50/40/90 shooting season.
So far this season, Curry has played 50 minutes over 12 crucial games, with a shooting average of just 41.7% (15-36) from the field and 30% (6-20) from the 3-point range. If he can improve these statistics to match his performance in the rest of the game, it is likely that his ranking will increase and the Warriors will improve on their 5-7 record in high-pressure games.
The two-time Kia MVP scores 40 points, with 15 of them in the 4th quarter, leading a late 17-6 run.
Anfernee Simons & Jerami Grant
Clutch time has often been referred to as “Dame Time” in the Pacific Northwest, but so far this season the Blazers are the only team with two top 10 clutch scorers — and neither is named Damian Lillard. Stepping up in Lillard’s place are Simons (48 points) and Grant (43 points), who have combined to score 91 of Portland’s league-leading 176 clutch points so far this season. The Blazers are also a league-best 5-1 in games decided by three points or less.
Simons and Grant have shown impressive performance in clutch situations, hitting 12 out of 22 attempts (54.5%) from the 3-point range so far this season. However, their shooting from inside the 3-point line has been less successful, with a combined success rate of 37.9% (11 out of 29 attempts).
On Nov. 5, Jerami Grant’s buzzer-beating jumper defeated the Suns.
DeMar DeRozan
In the previous season, DeRozan finished as the runner up to Embiid in clutch scoring, with 157 points to Embiid’s 158. He achieved this with remarkable shooting statistics: a field goal percentage of 53.5%, a 2-4 record from the 3-point range, and an 88.7% accuracy from the free throw line. The two clutch 3-pointers that contributed to DeRozan’s score were game-winning buzzer-beaters scored on consecutive nights (New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day) for the Bulls.
DeMar DeRozan was Mr.Clutch last season for the @chicagobulls, his pair of game-winners earn him the #️⃣2️⃣ spot on our TOP 50 Clutch Plays of 2021-22!#NBAClutchWeek | @DeMar_DeRozan pic.twitter.com/rAsg4Y9kM7
— NBA (@NBA) August 27, 2022
So far this season, the Bulls are a league-worst 2-9 (18.2%) in clutch games after finishing fourth last season at 25-16 (61.0%). DeRozan has yet to hit a clutch 3-pointer this season, but does have 14 two-point shots and 15 free throws to his credit.
Jordan Clarkson
Last season, Clarkson posted an 11.4% usage rate in clutch situations as those possessions were usually dominated by All-Star Donovan Mitchell. With the departures of Mitchell, fellow All-Star Rudy Gobert and fellow starters Royce O’Neale and Bojan Bodganovic, there are more clutch situations for Clarkson to work with as he leads the team in clutch usage at 29.7%. Those extra clutch opportunities have translated into Jazz points as Clarkson rounds out the top 10 with 43 clutch points on 45.7% shooting from the field.
