Sunday Beat is a weekly post featuring the most remarkable performances of the week, z-points-wise.
Brandon Roy (POR)
28 pts, 0.67 2PT%, 100% 3PT%, 100% FT%
34 z-pts (0.93), 0.74 z2PT%, 100% z3PT%, 100% zFT%
Roy had an amazing 4th quarter, scoring 11 points on 4-of-4 shooting in the last 4:28, a couple of threes included. “I know for a fact, the last 3 he hit, D-Wade was in his face. I’m talking about centimeters away from the ball and it just dropped. It was a tough shot. Great shot. Not too much you can do about those”, said Heat’s forward Michael Beasley.
Danilo Gallinari (NYK)
21 pts, 0.57 2PT%, 0.29 3PT%, 0.70 FT%
34 z-pts (0.94), 0.47 z2PT%, 0.50 z3PT%, 0.55 zFT%
Nine 4th-quarter points from the Italian, including a couple of treys, were key to the Knicks victory.
Tyreke Evans (SAC)
23 pts, 0.39 2PT%, 100% 3PT%, 0.67 FT%
61 z-pts (1.00), 0.53 z2PT%, 100% z3PT%, 0.63 zFT%
Evans scored 9 of his team’s last 11 points to complete one of the biggest comebacks in NBA history.
PHILADELPHIA @ WASHINGTON 98-105
Gilbert Arenas (WAS)
31 pts, 0.56 2PT%, 0.50 3PT%, 100% FT%
33 z-pts (0.91), 0.53 z2PT%, 0.40 z3PT%, 100% zFT%
Arenas went 5-of-11 in the 4th quarter, scoring 12 points and, this time, making his free throws at the end of the game.
Caron Butler (WAS)
14 pts, 0.40 2PT%, 0.00 3PT%, 100% FT%
20 z-pts (0.56), 0.46 z2PT%, 0.00 z3PT%, 100% zFT%
Butler scored 10 points in the last quarter to help the Wizards win the game down the stretch.
Paul Pierce (BOS)
21 pts, 0.23 2PT%, 0.50 3PT%, 0.92 FT%
31 z-pts (0.72), 0.30 z2PT%, 0.57 z3PT%, 0.92 zFT%
After missing his first 10 shots, Pierce scored 14 of his 21 points in the 4th quarter, including seven consecutive points to give the Celtics the lead in the game for good. “That’s the difference between the average player and the great player. The average player stops shooting and turns it into a bad game. The great players are thinking after every miss, the next one has to go in”, Celtics Coach Doc Rivers said. Pierce went 3-of-5 from 2PT, 1-of-2 from 3PT and hit all of his 5 free throws in the last quarter.
OKLAHOMA CITY @ L.A. LAKERS 108-111
Kobe Bryant (LAL)
40 pts, 0.61 2PT%, 0.00 3PT%, 0.86 FT%
46 z-pts (1.29), 0.58 z2PT%, 0.00 z3PT%, 0.92 zFT%
This game highlights the importance of having players that can go to the line and hit their free throws in crunch time. Kobe had 11 points in the 4th quarter, 9 of which came from the line on 9-of-10 shooting. His last two free throws were especially clutch, giving the Lakers a 109-106 lead with 19 seconds remaining.
Derek Fisher (LAL)
15 pts, 0.25 2PT%, 0.60 3PT%, 100% FT%
22 z-pts (0.62), 0.22 z2PT%, 0.62 z3PT%, 100% zFT%
Fisher’s only two points in the 4th quarter were clutch. The Lakers veteran PG sank two free throws to give the Lakers a three-point lead with 14 seconds left.
Corey Brewer (MIN)
17 pts, 0.70 2PT%, 0.00 3PT%, 0.75 FT%
26 z-pts (0.75), 0.79 z2PT%, 0.00 z3PT%, 0.92 zFT%
Brewer gave the Timberwolves a 99-96 lead with 39 seconds left, then hit two free throws to make it 101-97 Wolves with 24 seconds remaining. His higher z2PT% and zFT% reflect the clutchness of his last shots.
OKLAHOMA CITY @ PHOENIX 117-113
Kevin Durant (OKL)
38 pts, 0.56 2PT%, 0.75 3PT%, 0.73 FT%
49 z-pts (1.26), 0.54 z2PT%, 0.68 z3PT%, 0.73 zFT%
Durant scored 11 of his 38 points in the 4th, including a jumper that put the Thunder four points ahead of the Suns with 14 seconds left in the game.
Aaron Brooks (HOU)
17 pts, 0.30 2PT%, 0.67 3PT%, 0.71 FT%
29 z-pts (0.86), 0.44 z2PT%, 0.62 z3PT%, 0.85 zFT%
Brooks scored six consecutive points in the last minute of the game, hitting all of his four free throws to give Houston the win against the Nets.
L.A. LAKERS @ SACRAMENTO 112-103
Pau Gasol (LAL)
24 pts, 0.64 2PT%, 0.60 FT%
31 z-pts (0.89), 0.55 z2PT%, 0.31 zFT%
Gasol made a tip shot with .04 seconds left to send the game to a second overtime. Then Kobe took over, hitting two consecutive three-pointers to close the game out (almost half of Kobe’s z-points come from 3PT range). Gasol’s game was, however, kind of shaky down the stretch. He missed a couple of FT at the end of regulation that would have won the game for the Lakers (see how low his zFT% is compared to his real FT%). Overall, Pau went 3-of-7 in field goals and 3-of-6 from the line in the 4th quarter and two overtimes combined.
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