Alley-oop in NBA 2K27: how to pull off this move, step by step

The "alley-oop" remains one of the most satisfying moves to pull off on the court in NBA 2K27, but it's above all a fearsome weapon on a 2-on-1 fast break. The principle is simple on paper: one player lobs the ball near the basket, another leaps up to dunk it before it even touches the ground. In practice, it takes a bit of timing and the right player profile if you want to score on every attempt.

How to start an alley-oop with a teammate

To throw the lob, go with a player who has good passing stats, typically a point guard. You'll also need an unmarked teammate cutting to the basket at the right moment.

• Quickly press [Y] twice to throw the lob toward the basket.
• If you're controlling the whole team, you'll then need to catch and dunk by pressing [X] when the prompt appears on screen.
• In MyCareer mode, where you only control your passer, this last step doesn't concern you: the AI finishes the play.

How to call for an alley-oop without the ball

The reverse version: you're potentially the dunker and you want to call for the lob. Get open, drive toward the rim, then:

• Press [Y] twice to signal that you're available for the lob.
• A button prompt will appear above your player's head: press it at the right moment to finish the play.

A small detail that changes things depending on the context

On easier difficulties, there's no button to press to finish the move, everything happens automatically. Online, however, the button you need to press changes every time. The idea, clearly, is to stop regulars from spamming the same combination over and over against human opponents.

How to pull off a self alley-oop

The self alley-oop is the solo version and clearly the flashiest one: you lob it for yourself and finish the dunk alone. It's a solid option in a 1-on-1 when your ball handler has a physical and size advantage over their defender, but they also need to be athletic enough to dunk it home. On a completely open fast break, it's also the perfect move to embarrass the opposing defense, whether that's in an NBA game in front of the crowd or in a pickup game between friends.

Good news for series regulars: the controls are almost identical to those in NBA 2K26. Players coming back from older editions, however, will need to relearn the move.

• Press [X] + [Y] simultaneously while sprinting toward the basket.
• The ball gets lobbed off the backboard, and a large [Y] prompt appears on screen.
• Press [Y] at the right moment to finish off the perfect dunk.

Timing is THE key. Miss it, or panic and press another button, and the move simply fails: the ball becomes loose, and the defenders have plenty of time to grab it before you do.

To improve without embarrassing yourself in a real game, we recommend training directly in Freeplay, under the Learn 2K tab. That's where you can repeat self alley-oops and the rest of the technical moves with no pressure, before busting them out for real against opponents who, unlike a training dummy, won't go easy on you...