Best Sports Playoff Moments of the 2010s so Far

While pro athletes are going to get paid and gain recognition no matter what, everyone knows the real moneymakers show up when the postseason begins and the pressure is at its highest.

Whether a player is a superstar or just a role player, when the lights are at their brightest, all bets are off as to who might step up and put their name in history.

From Willis Reed emerging from the tunnel during the 1970 NBA Finals to inspire his New York Knicks to a Game 7 win for a title, to Steve Young putting on a clinic with six touchdown passes during Super Bowl XXIX to win his first ring as a starter, there have been plenty of playoff sports moments that fans still talk about.

And in the past five years, fans have been treated to a lot, too—and these are the best from the playoffs so far.

12. Nelson Cruz Exits in a Grand Fashion (2011)

Whether it's the playoffs or not, anytime the bases are loaded during a game, the anticipation builds just a little bit more, with fans wondering if a game might be broken open with a hit or a rally dies with an out.

So when Nelson Cruz stepped to the dish with the bases full of his then-Texas Rangers teammates against the Detroit Tigers in the 2011 American League Championship Series, everyone wondered if he could end a tie game.

Not only did Cruz deliver to give his Rangers a 2-0 series lead, but he also did so by getting what every baseball fan wants to see: a grand slam.

Hacking away at the three pitches he did see, Cruz connected on the third one, delivering a round-tripper that put him on the list of the 42 walk-off homers in MLB postseason history.

11. Eli Manning Finds Mario Manningham (2012)

Sure, his older brother Peyton might have the flashier stats, but it's Eli Manning of the New York Giants who has the most Super Bowl rings in his family.

Say what you will about Eli, but the dude is as clutch as they come, showing he has the guile to step up in moments that others might shy away from.

We all saw it against the New England Patriots in 2008 when he escaped pressure to hit David Tyree for a remarkable catch, eventually leading his G-Men to a Super Bowl upset. But Manning did it again four years later against those same Pats in Super Bowl XLVI, finding Mario Manningham on the sideline for a drive-saver, which led to the winning touchdown to defeat New England again.

With two game-winning drives in the Super Bowl, Eli Manning has proven that his clutch gene is about as strong as any signal-caller in the game right now.

10. LeBron James Overcomes His Beantown Blues (2012)

Currently in his fifth straight NBA Finals, it may seem as if all LeBron James does is play for titles each season.

But for those who remember five years ago or so, James had one monster rival that seemed to always have his number and prevent him from getting to the promised land—the Boston Celtics.

After being eliminated by the Celts in both of his postseason matchups with Boston, James always seemed a little off when going against future Hall of Famers Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen, who limited his playmaking abilities just enough to bounce 'Bron's teams.

Not in 2012, though, when, facing elimination, LeBron made things personal by going off in Game 6, dropping 45 points, grabbing 15 boards and dishing out five assists to join some guy named Wilt Chamberlain as the only two players in league history to go for 45-15-5 in a playoff game.

More impressive, James' effort gave his Miami Heat momentum heading into a Game 7 at home in the Eastern Conference Finals, where they blew Boston out to reach their second straight NBA Finals with the Big Three.

9. Los Angeles Kings Ignore the Doubters (2012 and 2014)

Nick Ut/Associated Press

It takes a hell of a lot of skill, health and, yes, some luck to win a couple of championships.

As the Los Angeles Kings found out in both 2012 and 2014, they had a little bit of both in order to hoist Lord Stanley's Cup, giving sports fans memories that live in the annals of the NHL.

In 2012, the Kings came into the postseason as heavy underdogs as the Western Conference No. 8 seed, but they upset the top-seeded Vancouver Canucks to become just the 10th team in NHL history to knock off a No. 1 seed in the first round.

Then, last season, the Kings used their championship mettle to overcome a 3-0 series deficit against the San Jose Sharks in the first round, marching all the way to the Finals again and ending their season with a championship.

The Kings might make it hard on themselves, but they've provided two of the top sports playoff moments in the past five years by simply digging deep to beat the odds—and they've got two rings to prove it.

8. Roy Halladay's No-No in Game 1 of NLDS (2010)

An eight-time All-Star and two-time Cy Young Award winner during his 16 MLB seasons, Roy Halladay proved to be one of the most consistent and filthy pitchers of his generation.

Following a 2010 regular season that earned him his second Cy Young Award by going 21-10 with a 2.44 ERA during his first season with the Philadelphia Phillies, "Doc" may have saved his best performance of the season for the postseason.

Sure, Halladay threw a perfect game in May of that regular season, but it was in Game 1 of the National League Division Series against the Cincinnati Reds that is probably remembered more.

That's because Halladay tossed a no-hitter during that series opener, needing just 104 pitches to strike out eight and allow only one Cincy baserunner.

Just the second no-no in MLB postseason history, Halladay's performance is one that deserves to be celebrated.

7. Cardale Jones Introduces Himself (2015)

Look, whether you're an Ohio State Buckeyes fan or not, one has to admit that what Cardale Jones did in leading his squad to a national title in 2014 was nothing short of spectacular.

I mean, really, prior to last season's Big 10 Championship Game, Jones was best known for sending a silly tweet a few years ago.

Not anymore, though.

Following injuries to the top two quarterbacks on the depth chart—Braxton Miller and J.T. Barrett—Jones was called upon to take the reins of the Buckeyes during the most crucial part of the schedule.

Putting up 59 points on the Wisconsin Badgers in the conference title game, beating the Alabama Crimson Tide in the College Football Playoff semifinals and then winning the national title over the Oregon Ducks, Jones proved to have the mettle of a budding superstar, putting on a performance that few could ever imagine.

It might have been a Cinderella-like story, but Jones is now back to competing with the healthy incumbents for the starting role heading into the 2015 season, proving that sports really does live by the mantra, "What have you done for me lately?"

6. New Orleans Saints Go Onside (2010)

It wasn't an individual performance like a few of the others, but the New Orleans Saints going for a ballsy onside kick against the Indianapolis Colts in Super Bowl XLIV will forever be remembered as the turning point in that game.

Trailing 10-6 at halftime and looking stagnant on offense, Saints head coach Sean Payton rolled the dice in the biggest game of his coaching career, potentially putting all of his eggs in one basket by calling the onsider.

Catching the Colts completely off guard to start the third quarter, New Orleans would recover the ball and march down the field for a touchdown in just over three minutes to grab the lead, ultimately hanging on for a two-touchdown victory.

It all may have ended differently had that fateful kicked backfired, though.

5. LeBron James Loses His Headband (2013)

As phenomenal as LeBron James' Game 6 performance against the Celtics in 2012 was, his Game 6 to save his Miami Heat from elimination during the 2013 NBA Finals was even more remarkable.

On their home floor and on the verge of their season ending, James did what a superstar is supposed to do—put his team on his back.

Shaking off a slow first half, LeBron netted 16 fourth-quarter points, including a key three-pointer with 20 seconds remaining in regulation.

Finishing with his second triple-double of the Finals that year with a stat line of 32 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists, James' efforts will forever live on in NBA postseason history—and all anyone could talk about was how he did it without his usual headband on.

4. David Freese Sends It to Lucky No. 7 (2011)

I'm not sure Game 6 of the 2011 World Series isn't the best baseball game I've ever seen in my entire life.

While there are arguments to that claim, David Freese and his St. Louis Cardinals might agree with me—especially after seeing the game's outcome.

Entering the game, the Cardinals were trailing the Texas Rangers 3-2 in the series and trailing 7-5 heading into the bottom of the ninth inning as Texas' closer, Neftali Feliz, made his way to the mound.

With two outs, two on and a 1-2 count, Freese connected and blasted a liner to deep right field that bounced off of the wall and scored the two men on base to tie the game.

But Freese's heroics didn't end there.

After again overcoming a two-run deficit to tie the game in the bottom of the 10th, when Freese stepped to the plate in the bottom of the 11th, he hit a game-winning walk-off homer to cap one of the most remarkable individually clutch performances in MLB history.

The homer forced a Game 7, which the Cards won to take home the series.

3. Chicago Blackhawks Score in the Nick of Time (2013)

Sure, all of these postseason performances have a certain cachet about them—which is why they're all on this list to begin with. Yet what the Chicago Blackhawks were able to accomplish in the 2013 Stanley Cup Final against the Boston Bruins is both unbelievable and unforgettable.

Trailing Game 6 by a score of 2-1 against the Bruins—but holding a 3-2 series lead—the Hawks did the unthinkable, netting not one, but two goals just 17 seconds apart, giving them a one-goal advantage that eventually sunk Boston.

From a sure Game 7 to be played to watching Chicago celebrate its second title in four years, Boston fans will forever remember this as unfinished business.

2. Madison Bumgarner Is Not Human (2014)

It takes a hell of a lot of guts for a guy to take the hill in a World Series game. When he openly accepts the challenge and dominates like no one else in MLB history has before, though, it's a whole different animal.

That's sort of what San Francisco Giants lefty Madison Bumgarner did in last year's Fall Classic, as he didn't just take the ball in a decisive Game 7, coming on in relief to pitch five innings of two-hit baseball to lead his Giants to their third crown in five seasons.

More impressive than the finale, though, Bumgarner was downright nasty the entire 2014 postseason, tossing a playoff record 48.1 innings and upping his career World Series record to 4-0, carrying an absolutely absurd 0.25 ERA in that time.

1. Ray Allen's Game-Tying Three (2013)

In the past 18 years, the San Antonio Spurs have gone to the playoffs each season and have won five NBA titles. Still, 2013 will always be remembered as the one that got away.

At the absolute worst time, basketball fans saw the Spurs let down their normal stoic and near-perfect guard, unraveling during the final minutes of a closeout Game 6 against the Miami Heat that would have earned them their fifth title a year sooner.

Turning the ball over and missing critical free throws, the Spurs allowed Miami a sliver of hope, which they took advantage of by way of a clutch three-pointer by the league's all-time leader in that category, Ray Allen, who tied the game up in the waning seconds to keep the series alive.

One of the most dramatic shots in league history, Allen gave the Heat new life, sending the game into overtime and, eventually, a Game 7 a couple of days later that the boys in South Beach won to take home title No. 2.