NBA: Top 10 Clutch Defensive Plays Of All Time

#3 Larry Bird picks off the inbounds pass

Larry Bird delivered many clutch performances during his time in the NBA and most of them were on offense but arguably his most memorable play came on Defense in the 1987 Eastern Conference Finals.

With the series tied at 2-2, The Celtics trailed 106-107 with 17 seconds left. Bird's potential game-winner was blocked with 5 seconds remaining and the Pistons retained the ball leading to celebrations on the bench. The Celtics now potentially faced the daunting prospect of staving off elimination in game 6 in Detroit, but Bird made a big play.

Isiah Thomas attempted to inbound the ball and threw it towards Bill Laimbeer but Bird quickly leaped in front of Laimbeer to steal it and passed it off to Dennis Johnson who converted an easy layup with a second remaining. The Pistons couldn't respond as Boston stole game 5 en route to winning the series 4-3. The win at home was vital as neither team was able to win on the road in that series.

The jubilation of the play wasn't to last long, as a hobbled Celtics squad was no match for the Lakers in the NBA Finals as they lost 4-2.