Sunday Beat is a weekly post featuring the most remarkable performances of the week, z-points-wise.
Stephen Jackson (CHA)
25 pts, 0.56 2PT%, 0.00 3PT%, 0.71 FT%
31 z-pts (0.86), 0.51 z2PT%, 0.00 z3PT%, 0.89 zFT%
With 17 seconds left, Jackson hit a couple of free throws to give the Bobcats a three-point lead and seal the game.
Dirk Nowitzki (DAL)
22 pts, 0.45 2PT%, 100% FT%
31 z-pts (0.83), 0.44 z2PT%, 100% zFT%
Facing a similar situation, Nowitzki hit two clutch free throws to put Dallas three points ahead with 10 seconds remaining.
O.J. Mayo (MEM)
27 pts, 0.50 2PT%, 0.67 3PT%, 0.50 FT%
47 z-pts (1.35), 0.60 z2PT%, 0.62 z3PT%, 0.65 zFT%
Mayo scored 10 of his 27 points in the 4th quarter, including a layup to tie the game with 30 seconds left and two points more from the line to help Memphis beat the Blazers in Portland.
Amare Stoudemire (PHO)
24 pts, 0.57 2PT%, 100% FT%
33 z-pts (0.89), 0.56 z2PT%, 100% zFT%
Stoudemire scored 8 points in the 4th quarter, four of them in the last 1:09, as the Suns pulled away from the Kings down the stretch.
Beno Udrih (SAC)
8 pts, 0.50 2PT%, 0.00 3PT%, 100% FT%
19 z-pts (0.50), 0.52 z2PT%, 0.00 z3PT%, 100% zFT%
Udrih scored all of his 8 points in the 4th quarter. He went 3-of-5 and added a couple of free throws.
Rajon Rondo (BOS)
25 pts, 0.90 2PT%, 0.00 3PT%, 0.87 FT%
36 z-pts (1.25), 0.89 z2PT%, 0.00 z3PT%, 0.88 zFT%
Rondo beat the buzzer to tie the game in regulation thanks to a perfectly executed play with just .6 seconds left, then he scored 4 points in the last minute of overtime to seal the game.
Ray Allen (BOS)
22 pts, 0.50 2PT%, 0.75 3PT%, 0.87 FT%
27 z-pts (0.93), 0.46 z2PT%, 0.90 z3PT%, 0.74 zFT%
Allen wasn’t bad himself. He scored 9 points in the 4th quarter without missing a shot or free throw, then added 4 more at the end of overtime to help the Celtics win this game.
Dwyane Wade (MIA)
44 pts, 0.44 2PT%, 0.63 3PT%, 0.69 FT%
58 z-pts (1.98), 0.54 z2PT%, 0.32 z3PT%, 0.83 zFT%
Wade was having a hard time in the 4th quarter (0-of-7), until the last 5 seconds of regulation: first he hit a couple of free throws to tie the game, then he stripped the ball from Ray Allen at midcourt and finished with a dunk that gave Miami a 101-99 lead with just .6 seconds to go. He added 5 points in OT but that wasn’t enough to overcome Rondo & Co.
NEW ORLEANS @ OKLAHOMA CITY 97-92
Chris Paul (NOR)
14 pts, 0.38 2PT%, 0.00 3PT%, 100% FT%
25 z-pts (0.67), 0.45 z2PT%, 0.00 z3PT%, 100% zFT%
Paul stole the ball and then made a key layup with 11 seconds left to give the Hornets a 95-92 lead.
Danilo Gallinari (NYK)
17 pts, 0.33 2PT%, 0.45 3PT%
23 z-pts (0.62), 0.18 z2PT%, 0.57 z3PT%
Gallinari hit back-to-back treys in a 30-second span down the stretch to give the Knicks a three-point lead with 44 seconds left. His higher z3PT% reflects the clutchness of these shots.
TORONTO @ PHILADELPHIA 108-106
Chris Bosh (TOR)
29 pts, 0.67 2PT%, 0.75 FT%
50 z-pts (1.58), 0.83 z2PT%, 0.83 zFT%
Bosh scored 8 of his 29 points in the 4th, including an And-1 for a two-point lead with 8 seconds left.
Lou Williams (PHI)
23 pts, 0.75 2PT%, 0.60 3PT%, 100% FT%
28 z-pts (0.88), 0.86 z2PT%, 0.29 z3PT%, 100% zFT%
Williams scored 9 points in a 4th quarter in which he missed only one shot. Unfortunately that was a potentially game-winning 3 at the buzzer – that he missed despite getting a decent look (note how his z3PT% goes down as a result).
NEW JERSEY @ NEW ORLEANS 99-103
Chris Paul (NOR)
11 pts, 0.43 2PT%, 0.50 3PT%, 0.40 FT%
35 z-pts (0.98), 0.81 z2PT%, 0.50 z3PT%, 0.81 zFT%
Paul’s And-1 with 7 seconds left gave the Hornets a two-point lead and eventually the game. “Whoever was on me, I just knew I was going to try to drive, get contact and either get a good shot up or try to draw a foul,” Paul said. “Pretty much put your head down and try to get to the rim.”
Courtney Lee (NJN)
28 pts, 0.43 2PT%, 0.71 3PT%, 100% FT%
37 z-pts (1.04), 0.43 z2PT%, 0.70 z3PT%, 100% zFT%
Courtney Lee was clutch from the free throw line down the stretch. We can see that because most of his z-points come from free throws (.64 out of 1.04, which is much higher than the % of his real points that came from FTs: 7 out of 28). Lee scored 5 points from the line in the last 23 seconds, the last two to give the Nets the lead with 11 seconds left.
O.J. Mayo (MEM)
14 pts, 0.57 2PT%, 0.25 3PT%, 0.75 FT%
33 z-pts (1.00), 0.83 z2PT%, 0.18 z3PT%, 0.57 zFT%
Mayo hit the game-winning jumper with 5 seconds left in the game. “The play was for O.J. to make whatever play it was, whether he got the shot, got to the basket or passed it,” Memphis coach Hollins said. “He made a big shot himself.”
Ronnie Brewer (UTA)
10 pts, 0.56 2PT%
17 z-pts (0.53), 0.63 z2PT%
Ronnie Brewer’s dunk tied the game with 23 seconds remaining.
Michael Redd (MIL)
24 pts, 0.54 2PT%, 0.40 3PT%, 0.75 FT%
32 z-pts (0.89), 0.62 z2PT%, 0.37 z3PT%, 0.70 zFT%
Redd scored 14 of his 24 points in the 4th quarter, including a jumper for a five-point lead with 1:07 to go.
Jermaine O’Neal (MIA)
13 pts, 0.40 2PT%, 0.83 FT%
28 z-pts (0.84), 0.59 z2PT%, 0.90 zFT%
The veteran Heat forward scored the go-ahead basket with 29 seconds left, then hit a couple of free throws to seal the game.
Gerald Wallace (CHA)
18 pts, 0.61 2PT%, 0.67 FT%
32 z-pts (0.99), 0.80 z2PT%, 0.50 zFT%
His tip shot at the buzzer gave the Bobcats the W against the Grizzlies.
Tyreke Evans (SAC)
27 pts, 0.69 2PT%, 0.50 3PT%, 0.75 FT%
46 z-pts (1.63), 0.85 z2PT%, 0.60 z3PT%, 0.91 zFT%
Another game winner for Evans. The rookie, who had 10 points in the 4th quarter, hit a jumper with 11 seconds remaining to put the Kings ahead. “Coach [Paul Westphal] gave me the opportunity and that’s what I wanted to do, I wanted to be the guy with the ball in my hands,” said Evans. “I had worked on that move a lot. I stopped in the lane, pump faked, and was fading away. I had a good look at the basket. I thought it was going in.”
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