Before facing the defending champion Golden State Warriors in Game 1 of the NBA Finals, the Cleveland Cavaliers had at least one thing going for them: a sterling postseason résumé. Although their hopes of a fo’-fo’-fo’-fo’ were dashed in the conference finals, the Cavs cruised through the playoffs in only two more games than the […]
Before facing the defending champion Golden State Warriors in Game 1 of the NBA Finals, the Cleveland Cavaliers had at least one thing going for them: a sterling postseason résumé. Although their hopes of a fo’-fo’-fo’-fo’ were dashed in the conference finals, the Cavs cruised through the playoffs in only two more games than the […]
For the statistically oriented, base concepts like “clutch” and “momentum” generally aren’t a thing. Instead, a different sort of conventional wisdom rules the day: Margins of victory mean more than wins; results are largely random walks of possessions; series are largely random walks of games; and playoff games are like regular games between stronger teams. […]
For the statistically oriented, base concepts like “clutch” and “momentum” generally aren’t a thing. Instead, a different sort of conventional wisdom rules the day: Margins of victory mean more than wins; results are largely random walks of possessions; series are largely random walks of games; and playoff games are like regular games between stronger teams. […]
As the Oklahoma City Thunder learned Monday night, it’s really tough to eliminate a defending NBA champion. After opening up a 3-1 series lead in the Western Conference finals, the Thunder were poised to knock the Golden State Warriors out for good — they led for almost the entirety of Game 6 before collapsing down […]
