2012 NBA Playoffs: Win-Loss Records in Series-Deciding Games (1984-2011)
Sports Stats ‘on Tapp’ is a sports statistics blog published multiple times weekly focusing on stats that go beyond the numbers.
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)
How many of the NBA’s first-round playoff series do you think will go the full seven games? Based on the last nine years (the NBA went to seven-game first-round series format in 2003) there have only been 11 first-round series go seven games (11 of 72 series, 15.8 percent). In fact, the 2011 playoffs were the first since 1984 (when the league went to the current 16-teams-make-the-playoffs format) that none of the first-round playoff series went seven games.
Here’s a look at how many of the NBA playoff series have gone to a Game Seven since 1984:
First Round (since 2003): 11 of 72 series (15.8 percent)*
Conference Semifinals: 30 of the 112 series (26.8 percent)
Conference Finals: 12 of the 56 series (21.4 percent) Note: A Conference Finals series has not gone to a Game Seven since 2005!
NBA Finals: 5 of the 28 series (17.9 percent)
* From 1984-2002, the first-round series were five games. Of those 152 series, 52 (34.2 percent) went to a series-deciding Game Five. From 1984-2011, all series-deciding games (Game Five or Game Seven) happened in 63 of the 224 series, 28.1 percent. Total up all of the above and we see that since 1984, 110 of the 420 NBA playoff series has gone to a deciding-game (26.2 percent).
How well has your team done in series-deciding Game Five or Game Sevens since 1984?
Team, W/L in Deciding Games, (Game 7 W/L, Game 5 W/L)
Golden State 1-0, 1.000 (0-0, 1-0)
Dallas 6-1 .857 (4-1, 2-0)
L.A. Lakers 8-2, .800 (7-1, 1-1)
Phoenix 6-3 .667 (3-2, 3-1)
Boston 10-5 .667 (8-4, 2-1)
Denver 3-2 .600 (0-1, 3-1)
Atlanta 7-5 .583 (2-2, 5-3)
New York 8-6 .571 (3-5, 5-1)
Chicago 4-3 .571 (2-3, 2-0)
Utah 9-7 .563 (2-2, 7-5)
Detroit 8-7 .533 (5-3, 3-4)
Houston 6-6 .500 (4-4, 2-2)
Milwaukee 5-5 .500 (2-3, 3-2)
San Antonio 3-3 .500 (2-2, 1-1)
New Jersey 2-2 .500 (0-1, 2-1)
Orlando 2-2 .500 (2-1, 0-1)
Minnesota 1-1 .500 (1-0, 0-1)
Toronto 1-1 .500 (0-0, 1-1)
Oklahoma City/Seattle 6-8 .429 (3-2, 3-6)
Philadelphia 3-4 .429 (1-1, 2-3)
Miami 3-6 .333 (2-3, 1-2)
Portland 2-4 .333 (1-2, 1-2)
Cleveland 2-5 .286 (1-2, 1-3)
Indiana 2-6 .250 (2-3, 0-3)
Sacramento 0-5 .000 (0-3, 0-2)
L.A. Clippers 0-4 .000 (0-2, 0-2)
New Orleans/Charlotte Hornets 0-3 .000 (0-3, 0-0)
Washington 0-2 (0-1, 0-1)
Memphis 0-1 .000 (0-1, 0-0)
Charlotte Bobcats 0-0 .000 (0-0, 0-0)
Did you know? The Dallas Mavericks and Los Angeles Lakers have each have won four straight Game Sevens.
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2012 NBA playoffs: First-round records from 2003-11
Sports Stats ‘on Tapp’ is a sports statistics blog published multiple times weekly focusing on stats that go beyond the numbers.
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)
The first round of the 2012 NBA playoffs tip-off with four games today and four tomorrow. The San Antonio Spurs will be playing in their 15th consecutive NBA playoffs, the longest active streak in the league. Mark Cuban’s Dallas Mavericks hold the second spot in that category; they are playing in their 12th straight playoffs.
Starting with the 2003 playoffs, the NBA went to a seven-games series in the first round instead of the previous five-game first round series. As you might expect, the Spurs have won the most first round games since 2003 with 31. They are followed by the Los Angeles Lakers with 28 and the Mavs with 26.
Since 2003, the Spurs have won seven of the nine first round series they have played. The Lakers have won six of the eight first round series they have played. One of the surprises is that the Detroit Pistons have won six of the seven first round series they have played in since 2003.
Two teams, the New York Knicks and Charlotte Bobcats, have not won a first round game since 2003. In fact, the Bobcats have never won a playoff game since they came into the league in 2004-05. The Knicks has not won a playoff game since 2001; they lost three games to two in the first round of the ’01 playoffs to the Toronto Raptors. (Note the Cleveland Cavaliers have the best first round winning percentage since 2003 with a 20-5 record, a .800 winning percentage.)
Here’s a look at how well each team has done in the first round of the NBA playoffs since 2003.
Team, First Round Games W/L Record (2003-11), Winning Pct.
San Antonio 31-17 .646
Los Angeles Lakers 28-16 .636
Dallas 26-25 .510
Detroit 24-12 .667
Boston 23-17 .575
Cleveland 20-5 .800
Miami 20-18 .526
Phoenix 19-14 .576
Orlando 17-15 .531
New Jersey 16-10 .615
Chicago 16-17 .485
Atlanta 15-12 .556
Utah 14-15 .483
Indiana 13-15 .464
Houston 13-18 .419
New Orleans Hornets 12-17 .414
Sacramento 11-10 .524
Denver 11-29 .275
Oklahoma City 10-6 .625
Philadelphia 10-18 .357
Portland 9-16 .360
Washington 8-14 .364
Milwaukee 7-16 .304
Minnesota 6-5 .545
Los Angeles Clippers 4-1 .800
Golden State 4-2 .667
Memphis 4-14 .222
Toronto 3-8 .273
New York 0-8 .000
Charlotte 0-4 .000
Did you know? The Boston Celtics and the Lakers are the only teams to have won a first round series in each of the past four seasons. The Atlanta Hawks have won a first round series in each of the last three playoffs.
