NBA

NO EARLY LARGE LEADS IN THE NBA PLAYOFFS ARE SAFE!

Earlier in the day, the Los Angeles Clippers had a 31-point lead against the Dallas Mavericks. With just 2:14 left in the game, Dallas took a 105–104 lead on a layup by Kyrie Irving.

Apr 28, 2024

Earlier in the day, the Los Angeles Clippers had a 31-point lead against the Dallas Mavericks. With just 2:14 left in the game, Dallas took a 105–104 lead on a layup by Kyrie Irving.

Now, the Clippers did go on to win the game 116–111, thus preventing headlines like “The Largest Playoff Comeback in NBA History” or “The Mavs Sink The Clipper Ship in Historic Titanic Like Failure On the Court.” 

Game after game during the regular season and now in the playoffs, we have watched team after team come from behind with what in the old days of the NBA would have been nearly impossible comebacks. So why can’t teams hold large leads in the NBA anymore?

I suspect the answer to the question is not as complex as you might imagine. NBA basketball has become a game of scoring streaks largely driven by match-up issues and coaches who fall asleep at the wheel. 

For the same reason a team can generate a 20-point lead in minutes, a team, if it is coached well, can now make the necessary adjustments on both sides of the ball and generate a scoring streak of their own.

Yes, the rise in three-point shooting has made a difference, as have the NBA’s mid-season officiating adjustments, which allow for more physical content without the whistle being blown. These factors all came to light yet again today when the Mavs, at least for a moment, shared the NBA playoff record for the largest comeback in NBA playoff history. 

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