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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Can a team win an NBA title without a 20-point scorer?
Sports Stats ‘on Tapp’ is a sports statistics blog published daily that focuses on stats that go beyond the numbers.
Tony Parker, San Antonio Spurs (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Which team would you guess has won the most NBA championships: A team that had no player average 20 points or more during the regular season, or a team that had two players average 20 or more points per game (ppg) in the regular season?
Before we answer that question, let’s look at the six remaining teams in this year’s playoffs. The Thunder are in the Western Conference Final and will face the San Antonio Spurs. The Thunder feature the high-scoring twosome of Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. Durant led the league with 28 points per game while Westbrook was at 23.6 ppg. The Spurs, on the other hand, did not have a player with a 20 ppg for the season; Tony Parker led them in scoring with a 18.3 ppg.
Of the four teams fighting for the two playoff berths in the Eastern Conference Final, Miami is the only team with two players who averaged 20+ ppg in the regular season, LeBron James (27.1) and Dwyane Wade (22.1). The other three teams did not have a single player with a 20 ppg for the season. Paul Pierce led Boston with 19.4 ppg; Danny Granger led Indiana with 18.7 ppg; and Lou Williams led eighth-seeded Philadelphia with 14.9 ppg.
In the past 65 years of NBA playoffs, a team with no player who averaged 20 or more points during the regular season won 13 titles. Teams that had two players who averaged 20 or more points per game in the regular season won 18 titles.
Here’s a look at the 13 teams that won titles with no player who averaged 20 ppg in the regular season.
Year, Team, Player who led team in scoring (ppg)
2008 Boston, Paul Pierce (19.6)
2004 Detroit, Richard Hamilton (17.6)
1990 Detroit, Isiah Thomas (18.4)
1989 Detroit, Adrian Dantley (18.4)
1979 Seattle, Gus Williams (19.2)
1978 Washington, Elvin Hayes (19.7)
1976 Boston, Dave Cowens (19.0)
1964 Boston, John Havlicek (19.9)
1963 Boston, Sam Jones (19.7)
1955 Syracuse, Dolph Schayes (18.5)
1954 Minneapolis, George Mikan (18.1)
1951 Rochester, Arnie Risen (16.3)
1948 Baltimore, Kleggie Hermsen (12.0)
Here’s a few more interesting stats:
* Miami was the last team to play in the NBA Finals with two players who averaged 20+ ppg in the regular season: That was last season with Wade (26.7) and James (25.5).
* The 2006 Miami Heat were the last team to win an NBA title with two players who averaged 20+ ppg in the regular season. Wade averaged 27.2 ppg and Shaquille O’Neal averaged 20.0 that season.
* The last time two teams that had two players average 20+ ppg in the regular season faced off in the NBA Finals was in 1995 when Houston with Hakeem Olajuwon (27.8) and Clyde Drexler (21.4) defeated the Orlando Magic with Shaq (29.3) and Penny Hardaway (20.9).
* The last time the NBA Finals featured two teams that did not have a 20+ ppg scorer was in 1978 when Washington defeated Seattle for the title. Leading scorers for the teams were Washington’s Hayes (19.7) and Seattle’s Gus Williams (18.1).
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A sports first! Reigning champs Packers (NFL), Mavs (NBA), Bruins (NHL) lose in 2012 first-round playoffs
Sports Stats ‘on Tapp’ is a sports statistics blog published multiple times weekly focusing on stats that go beyond the numbers.
Dallas Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
First, the defending Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers lost their first playoff game to the New York Giants. Then the defending Stanley Cup champion Boston Bruins lose their first-round series to the Washington Capitals four games to three. Finally, the defending NBA champs, the Dallas Mavericks, were swept in a four-game first-round series to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Put it all together and it was the first time in sports history that the defending NFL, NHL and NBA champions were all defeated the following year in the first-round of the playoffs. (If baseball’s St. Louis Cardinals make the 2012 MLB playoffs and are defeated in their first-round series, we’ll have a clean sweep of defending champs in the first round of the playoffs in 2012.)
Following is a look at each of the football, basketball and hockey champions since 1970 that were defeated in their first-round playoff the following season after their title (Year listed is the year they won the Super Bowl or the NBA, NHL championship, followed by their first-round loss in the playoffs the following season.)
National Football League (10)
2011-Green Bay Packers: Lost 37-20 to NY Giants in divisional playoff game
2010-New Orleans Saints: Lost 41-36 to Seattle in Wild Card playoff game
2008-NY Giants: Lost 23-11 to Philadelphia in divisional playoff game
2007-Indianapolis: Lost 28-24 to San Diego in divisional playoff game
2000-St. Louis Rams: Lost 31-28 to New Orleans in Wild Card playoff game
1995-San Francisco: Lost 27-17 to Green Bay in divisional playoff game
1986-Chicago: Lost 27-13 to Washington in divisional playoff game
1985-San Francisco: Lost 17-3 to NY Giants in Wild Card playoff game
1984-LA Raiders: Lost 13-7 to Seattle in Wild Card playoff game
1974-Miami: Lost 28-26 to Oakland in divisional playoff game
National Basketball Association (6)
2011-Dallas: Lost 4-0 to Oklahoma City in Western Conference first-round series
2006-Miami: Lost 4-0 to Chicago in Eastern Conference first-round series
1999-San Antonio: Lost 3-1 to Phoenix in Western Conference first-round series
1983-Philadelphia: Lost 3-2 to NJ Nets in Eastern Conference first-round series
1980-LA Lakers: Lost 2-1 to Houston in Western Conference first-round series
1977-Portland: Lost 4-2 to Seattle in Western Conference semifinals (they had a bye in the first round)
2011-Boston: Lost 4-3 to Washington in the conference quarterfinals
2010-Chicago: Lost 4-3 to Vancouver in the conference quarterfinals
2007-Anaheim: Lost 4-2 to Dallas in the conference quarterfinals
2004-Tampa Bay: Lost 4-1 to Ottawa in the 2006 conference quarterfinals (no 2005 season due to season cancelled)
2003-NJ Devils: Lost 4-1 to Philadelphia in conference quarterfinals
2002-Detroit: Lost 4-0 to Mighty Ducks in conference quarterfinals
1993-Montreal: Lost 4-3 to Boston in conference quarterfinals
1973-Montreal: Lost 4-2 to NY Rangers in quarterfinals
1972-Boston: Lost 4-1 to NY Rangers in quarterfinals
1971-Montreal: Lost 4-2 to NY Rangers in quarterfinals
1970-Boston: Lost 4-3 to Montreal in quarterfinals
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2012 NBA Playoffs: Does sweeping the first two series lead to a title?
Sports Stats ‘on Tapp’ is a sports statistics blog published multiple times weekly focusing on stats that go beyond the numbers.
Los Angeles Lakers Kobe Bryant (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
The Miami Heat and Oklahoma City Thunder have both taken 3-0 leads in their opening round series and the San Antonio Spurs have a two games to none lead in their first-round series. All three series have the potential to be four-game sweeps.
Here’s the question: Does sweeping the first two playoff series lead to an NBA championship? In NBA history, 11 teams have swept the first two playoff series. Of those 11, six have gone on to win the title. The last team to sweep the first two playoff series were the Orland Magic in 2010. They, however, lost the next series to the Boston Celtics and failed to reach the NBA Finals. The 2001 Los Angeles Lakers were the last team to sweep the first two playoff series and then win the title that year.
Following is a look at the 11 teams that went through their first two playoff series undefeated and where they ended up in the playoffs that season.
2010 Orlando Magic: Swept both Charlotte and Atlanta in four games in the first two rounds. Lost to Boston four games to two in the conference finals.
2009 Cleveland Cavaliers: Swept Detroit and Atlanta in the first two rounds. Lost to Orlando 4-2 in the conference finals.
2005 Miami Heat: Swept both New Jersey and Washington in four games in the first two rounds. Lost to the Detroit Pistons in Game Seven of the conference finals.
2001 Los Angeles Lakers: Swept Portland in a three-game series and then swept Sacramento in four straight in the conference semifinals. Swept the San Antonio Spurs in the conference finals. Defeated the 76ers in the Finals four games to one. They are the last team to sweep the first two rounds of the playoffs and win the NBA title.
1999 Indiana Pacers: Swept the Bucks in three games in the first round and swept Philadelphia in four straight in the next round. They lost four games to two to the New York Knicks in the conference finals.
1993 Chicago Bulls: They swept Atlanta in three games in the frist round, then swept Cleveland in four games the following round. Went on to win the NBA championship that year.
1989 Detroit Pistons, Los Angeles Lakers: The only time in NBA history that the two teams facing off in the finals swept both of their first two round series. The Pistons won the title after defeating the Celtics 3-0 in the opening round and then beating the Bucks 4-0 in the conference semifinals. The Lakers swept Portland in three in the first round and then disposed of Seattle in four straight in the next round. The Lakers are the only team to lose in NBA finals after sweeping their first two series.
1982 Los Angeles Lakers: The Lakers swept the Suns 4-0 in their first series of the playoffs and then swept the Spurs in the conference finals. They went on to defeat the 76ers 4-2 in the finals for the title.
1950 Minneapolis Lakers: The Lakers swept the Chicago Stags in two games ( a best-of-three series) and swept the Fort Wayne Pistons 2-0 in the next round on their way to winning the league title four games to two over the Syracuse Nationals.
1949 Minneapolis Lakers: Swept the Chicago Stags 2-0 and the Rochester Royals 2-0 in the first two rounds before defeating the Washington Capitals four games to two to win the title.
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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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