Today’s Sports Stat: March 6, 2018
The Houston Rockets have now won 15 straight games becoming the third franchise in NBA history to have four or more consecutive winning streaks of 15 or more in their history.
The Rockets team record is 22 straight which they did from January 29, 2008 to March 16, 2008. They also had a pair of 15-game winning streaks back in the 1990s; one was in the 1992-93 season and the other was the following year during the 1993-94 campaign.
Both the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers franchises have had six winning streaks of 15 or more, topping the list.
Here are the franchises that have had the most winning streaks of 15 games or more in their history.
6: Boston, L. A. Lakers
4: Houston
3: Milwaukee, San Antonio, Washington
2: Golden State, N.Y. Knicks, Phoenix, Portland, Utah
1: Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, L.A. Clippers, Miami, Philadelphia, Rochester Royals
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Hello NBA 2013: Which teams are on the rise?
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)
The 2013-14 NBA season begins tonight as the Miami Heat will try to become the first team to three-peat in the league since the Lakers did it in 2000, 2001 and 2002.
There’s a good chance the Heat will be one of the teams at the end of the season challenging for the title, but what about a team or two to keep an eye on for this season? Here’s a look at the teams that made the biggest improvement in winning percentage last season (and those who dropped the most).
Biggest gainers last year
1. Brookyn Nets +.265 (from .333 in 2011-12 to .598 last season)
2. Golden State Warriors +. 225 (from .348 in 2011-12 to .573 last season)
3. Charlotte Bobcats +.150 (from .106 in 2011-12 to .256 last season)
4. Denver Nuggets +. 119 (from .576 in 2011-12 to .695 last season)
3. New York Knicks + .114 (from 545 in 2011-12 to .659 last season)
Biggest drops in winning percentage
1. Orlando Magic -.317 (from .561 in 2011-12 to .244 last season)
2. Chicago Bulls -.209 (from ,758 in 2011-12 to .549 last season)
3. Phoenix Suns -.195 (from .500 in 2011-12 to .305 last season)
4. Philadelphia -.115 (from .530 in 2011-12 to .415 last season)
5. Boston Celtics -.085 (from .591 in 2011-12 to .506 last season)
While the Nets had the biggest gain in winning percentage last season, two teams increased their winning percentage for the fifth straight season last year. The Memphis Grizzlies and Oklahoma City Thunder each increased their winning percentage again last year over 2011-12, giving them five straight seasons of an improved winning percentage. For the Grizzlies, they have gone from a .286 winning percentage in 2007-08 to .293, .488, .561, .621 and .683 last season. The Thunder have gone from .244 in 2007-08 to .280, .610, .671, .712 and .732 last season. The Los Angeles Clippers improved their winning percentage last year for the fourth straight season, while the Nets and Knicks last year improved their winning percentage for a third straight year.
Last season the Dallas Mavericks were the only NBA team to finish the season at .500 (they were 41-41). Sixteen teams were above .500 and 13 teams were below the .500 mark for the season. For the San Antonio Spurs, their winning percentage of .707 last year gave them 16 consecutive years with a record above .500, longest streak in the NBA. They are followed by Denver (10 straight seasons above .500), Los Angeles Lakers (8), Houston (7), Boston (6) and Atlanta and Miami with five.
In the sub.500 category, the Minnesota Timberwolves were only 31-51 last season (a winning percentage of .378) It was the eighth straight year under .500 for the ‘Wolves, longest current streak in the league. They are followed by Sacramento (7) and Detroit, Toronto and Washington each with five straight sub .500 seasons.
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NBA Finals: Winning the game by winning the quarters
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Sports Stats ‘on Tapp’ is a sports statistics blog published daily that focuses on stats that go beyond the numbers.
The Oklahoma City Thunder were down 54-47 at halftime of Game 1 of the NBA Finals after losing the first quarter 29-22 and tying the Heat in the second quarter, 25-25. The Thunder won the game by winning the third quarter 27-19 and winning the fourth quarter 31-21.
So here’s a few questions to ponder: How important is it to win multiple quarters in the NBA Finals? Is it more important to win one particular quarter of the game? Can you win an NBA Finals game by outscoring your opponents in only one quarter and having them outscore your team in the other three quarters?
Looking at the quarter-by-quarter scores of the NBA Finals games since 2000 (68 games), it appears that the winning teams have had the most success in winning individual quarters two and three. Of the 272 quarters played in the 68 finals games since 2000, the winning team has won 167 quarters, lost 89 and tied in 16.
Following are the number of times the winning team won each of the four quarters in the NBA Finals since 2000.
First quarter: Won 35, Lost 26, Tied 7
Second quarter: Won 45. Lost 18, Tied 5
Third quarter: Won 45, Lost 20, Tied 3
Fourth quarter: Won 42, Lost 25, Tied 1
The Thunder were only the seventh team in the last 68 games to win a finals game without winning either of the first two quarters. The Dallas Mavericks accomplished this three times last year on their way to winning the 2011 NBA title over the Miami Heat. Could this be a trend for the Heat?
Since 2000, only four teams have won a finals game by outscoring their opponents in all four quarters. The four:
2008, Game 6: Boston over L.A. Lakers 131-92
2006, Game 4: Miami over Dallas, 98-74
2005, Game 4: Detroit over San Antonio, 102-71
2003, Game 5: San Antonio over N.J. Nets, 93-83
On the flip side, there have been only four teams that have won a finals game since 2000 by winning only one quarter and being outscored by their opponents in the other three quarters. They were:
2011, Game 3: Miami over Dallas, 88-86 (they outscored the Mavs in the first quarter only)
2002, Game 1: L.A. Lakers over N.J. Nets, 99-94 (they outscored the Nets in the first quarter only)
2001, Game 1: Philadelphia over L.A. Lakers, 107-101 (they outscored the Lakers in the second quarter only)
2000, Game 6: L.A. Lakers over Indiana, 116-111 (they outscored the Pacers in the fourth quarter only)
Did you know? The winning team has won 43 of the 68 finals games where they were outscored by their opponents in only one of the four quarters.
Did you know, Part 2? Teams that outscored their opponents in two or more quarters won the series 61 times and lost 26 times since 2000 (a .701 winning percentage).
The moral of the story (stat): Outscore your opponent in at least two quarters and you’ll have a 70% chance of winning the game!
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NBA Finals: Will LeBron James score 32 points tonight?
LeBron James… (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Sports Stats ‘on Tapp’ is a sports statistics blog published daily that focuses on stats that go beyond the numbers.
If you believe in numbers and stats and karma (and if you’re anywhere near a roulette wheel) you may want to put money on Miami’s LeBron James scoring 32 points tonight in Game 1 of their NBA Finals series against Oklahoma City. In Game 1 of the three previous series in this year’s playoffs, James has scored 32 points in each game. Oh, did I mention that the Heat won each Game 1 in the three previous series?
James averaged 33.6 points in the Eastern Conference Finals series against the Celtics, scoring 30 or more in six of the seven games. For this year’s playoffs, James has scored 30+ in 11 of the 16 games. This would lead a lot of people to guess that we’ll see a 30-point game from James in tonight’s contest.
But here’s an interesting stat to ponder: James has played in 10 NBA Finals games (six with Cleveland in 2007 and four with Miami last year). He has scored 25 or more points in only two of those 10 games… and he did not score 25 or more points in any of the six games in last year’s finals. Here’s another quick stat to consider: In the two opening games of the finals that James has played in, he scored 14 in Game 1 in 2007 and 24 in Game 1 in 2011.
What will his Game 1 performance look like this year?
Keeping with the Game 1 in the NBA Finals theme, here’s a look at the players in the last 30 years (since 1982) that have scored the most points in the first game of the NBA Finals.
Points in Game 1 of NBA Finals, Player, Team (Year)
48 Allen Iverson, Philadelphia (2001)
44 Shaquille O’Neal, L.A. Lakers (2001)
43 Shaquille O’Neal, L.A. Lakers (2000)
40 Kobe Bryant, L.A Lakers (2009)
39 Michael Jordan, Chicago (1992)
36 Shaquille O’Neal, L.A. Lakers (2002)
36 Michael Jordan, Chicago (1991)
34 Shaquille O’ Neal, L.A. Lakers (2004)
34 Adrian Dantley, Detroit (1988)
33 Tim Duncan, San Antonio (1999)
33 Michael Jordan, Chicago (1998)
33 Isiah Thomas, Detroit (1990)
33 James Worthy, L.A. Lakers (1987)
33 Hakeem Olajuwon, Houston (1986)
* Since 1982, there have been 45 players who have scored 25 or more points in Game 1 of the NBA Finals; teams were 27-18 (.600 winning percentage) in those games. Twenty-three players scored 30 or more points in the opening game; teams were 16-7 (.696 winning percentage) in those games. In the four games where players scored 40 or more points, teams were 3-1.
* The last time teammates each scored 25 or more points in Game 1 of the NBA Finals was 2004 when Shaq scored 34 and Kobe added 25 . The Lakers lost that game. In the last 30 years, at least one player has scored 25 or more points in Game 1 of the finals in 28 of those 30 series (2008 and 1989 were the exception).
Who will score 25 or more points in tonight’s game?
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NBA Playoffs: Scott Brooks becomes 54th coach to make NBA Finals debut
Scott Brooks (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Sports Stats ‘on Tapp’ is a sports statistics blog that focuses on stats that go beyond the numbers.
Thunder coach Scott Brooks will be making his debut as an NBA Finals coach when the series starts on Tuesday. Brooks was, however, a player the 1994 Houston Rockets who won the title over the New York Knicks. Brooks, who averaged 5.2 PPG in 73 games in the 1993-94 regular season, did not play in that finals series. He did play in five playoff games in ’94 scoring 11 points.
As a head coach, Brooks becomes the 54th coach to make his debut in the NBA Finals. What is not certain is will he be facing a coach who has already won a title (Doc Rivers with the Celtics in 2008) or a coach who has been to the Finals but has not won a championship (Erik Spoelstra with the Heat last year)?
If past history is any indication, Brooks may want to face Miami and Spoelstra: In 22 title series, a coach making his NBA Finals debut has faced off against a coach who has won a title. The team with the coach that has won the title has won 18 of those series. When a first-year finals coach has faced a coach who has been to the finals but has not won the title, the first-year coach’s team has won three times and lost twice.
Here’s a look at the coaching match-ups for the NBA Finals in the 65-year history of the league:
A first-year NBA Finals coach vs. a first-year NBA Finals coach: 13 times
A coach who has won a NBA title vs. a first-year NBA Finals coach: 22 times (the team with the coach who had previously won an NBA championship won 18 of those 22).
A first-year NBA finals coach vs. a coach who has been to the NBA Finals but has not won a title: Five times (The first-year NBA finals coach has won three of the five)
A coach who has won an NBA title vs. a coach who has been to the NBA Finals but has not won a title: 17 times (The coach who had won a title won 10 of the 17 series).
A coach who has been to the NBA Finals but has not won a title vs. a coach who has been to the NBA Finals but has not won a title: 0 times.
Two coaches who have each won an NBA title: Eight times.
In looking at the coaching matchups over the past 20 years, 12 of the 20 title series have seen a first-year coach in the NBA Finals face-off against a coach who has previously won a championship. The coach with the title has won 10 of those 12 series. In fact, of the last 21 NB A Finals series, the team with a coach who had previously won the title has won 16 of those 21 series.
If Brooks and the Thunder win the title against the Celtics, Brooks would become the fifth first-year NBA Finals coach to defeat a coach who had won a title. They four who have accomplished this feat:
1948: Buddy Jeannette, first-year in NBA Finals with Baltimore, defeated Eddie Gottlieb and Philadelphia.
1974: Tom Heinsohn, first-year in NBA Finals with Boston, defeated Larry Costello and Milwaukee.
1994: Rudy Tomjanovich, first-year in NBA Finals with Houston, defeated Pat Riley and the New York Knicks.
2008: Doc Rivers, first-year in NBA Finals with Boston, defeated Phil Jackson and the L.A. Lakers.
Twenty different coaches have won the NBA championship in their first year in the finals. Dallas Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle accomplished this last year in his first year coaching in the NBA Finals. In the last 25 years, five coaches won the NBA title in their first year coaching in the championship series: Carlisle (2011), Rivers (2008), Greeg Popovich (1999), Tomjanovich (1994) and Phil Jackson (1991).
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