For every game, the numbers tell one story — but the swings tell another. Some nights, a single player’s actions can carry a team through chaos. From clutch shots to momentum-flipping runs, these performances defined the outcomes in ways that only advanced analytics like win probability capture.

To capture these narratives, I highlight the top performances in terms of win probability added (WPA) each week of the NBA season. WPA calculates how much a given player contributed to their team’s chances to win a game on a scale — for example, a player with a +0.35 WPA increased their team’s win probability by 35 percentage points, while a player with a –0.20 WPA made plays that lowered it by 20 points.

Here are this past week’s top WPA performers — the players who bent the odds in their team’s favor.

Derrick White (Celtics) — +0.72 WPA, late threes and playmaking swing control back to Boston (Nov. 26 vs. Pistons)

As I watched the Boston Celtics battle the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday night, I thought to myself, “Derrick White is better than some people think. He’s been overshadowed over the past few years by Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.” And then later in the game, with the outcome hanging in the balance, he confirmed my thoughts. With 4:33 left, moments after the Pistons held a 71 percent win probability, according to ESPN Analytics, White hit a three-pointer to give the Celtics a 100-99 lead. And on the following possession, following a go-ahead bucket from Cade Cunningham, White had a momentum-altering sequence. First, he set up Brown’s basket to take the 102-101 lead, and then after the Celtics got a defensive step, he hit another three. That flipped the script and gave the Celtics a 76 percent win probability, up from 29 moments earlier. The Celtics remained in control from there, and White hit two free throws in the closing seconds to seal his 27-point night and the win.

Devin Vassell (Spurs) — +0.68 WPA, rapid-fire 6-0 burst flips the fourth-quarter outlook (Nov. 28 vs. Nuggets)

After Jonas Valanciunas gave them a 109-103 lead early in the fourth quarter on Friday against the San Antonio Spurs, the Denver Nuggets had a 81 percent win probability, per ESPN Analytics. But then following a basket from De’Aaron Fox to kick start a comeback, Devin Vassell came up big. In the blink of an eye, he hit a three, took the ball from Valanciunas, and hit another three — a personal 6-0, 33-second run. He singlehandedly took the momentum, and the Spurs suddenly led 111-109 with a 53 percent chance of winning. Moments later, he did it again, hitting two straight threes again to give the Spurs a six-point lead. That mini-barrage put their win probability at 92 percent, and then Vassell hit two free throws with 19 seconds to complete his clutch performance and guide the Spurs to the win.

Klay Thompson (Mavericks) — +0.66 WPA, vintage shooting run erases deficit and buries the Clippers (Nov. 29 vs. Clippers)

Late Saturday against the Los Angeles Clippers, Dallas Mavericks guard Klay Thompson looked like the sharpshooter he was when he took the league by storm with Stephen Curry on the Golden State Warriors years ago. His 16 fourth quarter points kept the Mavericks alive, and he seemed to have an answer whenever the Clippers flirted with momentum. After the Clippers clung to a 94-91 lead and held the keys with a 76 percent win probability, according to ESPN Analytics, Thompson hit a mid-range jumper. Minutes later, he heated up even more, hitting threes on two straight possessions to give the Mavericks a 99-98 lead with four minutes left. That leveled win probability to 50-50, almost literally. Moments later, with under two minutes left, Thompson hit another go-ahead three, and the Mavericks never looked back — Thompson & Co. hit their free throws in the closing seconds to get the win.

Tyrese Maxey (76ers) — +0.65 WPA, solo takeover forces overtime in a chaotic comeback (Nov. 30 vs. Hawks)

At the end of regulation, Sunday’s game between the Philadelphia 76ers and Atlanta Hawks became The Tyrese Maxey Show. After the 76ers’ win probability dropped to 6 percent as they trailed 101-93 with 5:43 left, per ESPN Analytics, he went on a run where he scored or assisted on 15 straight Philadelphia points. That run ultimately led Maxey and the 76ers to force overtime — it culminated with him hitting a three to tie the game with eight seconds left. He scored four points in the original overtime period, but double OT was necessary, and that’s when he took over the offense. He scored all eight points for the 76ers in that period, but the Hawks withstood his spurt and came out on top.

DeMar DeRozan (Kings) — +0.64 WPA, clutch foul-line mastery closes out Minnesota in OT (Nov. 24 vs. Timberwolves)

With 1:31 left, the Sacramento Kings trailed the Minnesota Timberwolves 99-96 and had a win probability under 27 percent, ESPN Analytics said. Those were unfavorable odds, but they were progress, considering the Kings were on a mini-run and moments before, their win probability was at a miniscule 3 percent. And then DeMar DeRozan drove to the basket, drew a foul, and completed the three-point play to tie the game. That brought the Kings’ win probability up to 45 percent. Moments later, after Julius Randle hit two free throws to give Minnesota the lead, DeRozan got to the line again, hitting both shots to tie it back up. And then in overtime, he led the Kings as they overcame the Anthony Edwards storm —Edwards scored eight straight Minnesota points to begin the period, but derozan had the last laugh, hitting five straight free throws in the last 21 seconds to help his team secure the win.