Sunday Beat is a weekly post featuring the most remarkable performances of the week, z-points-wise.
Vince Carter (ORL)
48 pts, 0.76 2PT%, 0.60 3PT%, 100% FT%
64 z-pts (1.58), 0.82 z2PT%, 0.61 z3PT%, 100% zFT%
It was vintage Carter against the Hornets, as he scored 34 second-half points (18 pts in the 4th) to help Orlando come back from 17 behind and beat New Orleans handily.
Raymond Felton (CHA)
11 pts, 0.57 2PT%, 0.00 3PT%, 100% FT%
26 z-pts (0.83), 0.78 z2PT%, 0.00 z3PT%, 100% zFT%
Even when he’s playing hurt (recovering from a twisted right ankle), Felton shows tremendous poise and effectiveness in clutch situations. This time he hit a fade away jumper over Washington’s Randy Foye to give the Bobcats the lead with 1.9 seconds left. “I wasn’t even thinking about my ankle at the time. I was just thinking about trying to win the game, whatever it took,” Felton said. Raymond Felton is one of the league’s leaders in z-points per point (4th if we don’t consider outlier Sundiata Gaines).
Ronald Murray (CHA)
16 pts, 0.75 2PT%, 0.00 3PT%, 0.67 FT%
21 z-pts (0.66), 0.77 z2PT%, 0.00 z3PT%, 0.58 zFT%
Murray sank a clutch free throw to tie the game with 21 seconds remaining, but he missed his first one (giving him a lower zFT%). Wizard Antawn Jamison missed a shot to tie the game at the buzzer, which explains his .19 z2PT% vs his .35 2PT%.
Kevin Martin (SAC)
17 pts, 0.54 2PT%, 0.50 3PT%, 0.50 FT%
26 z-pts (0.73), 0.51 z2PT%, 0.40 z3PT%, 0.78 zFT%
The overtime belonged to Kevin Martin, who scored the first nine points of the extra period for the Kings. Overall, he went 3-of-5 from the field and 2-of-2 from the line in the extra period.
Tyreke Evans (SAC)
27 pts, 0.44 2PT%, 0.00 3PT%, 0.71 FT%
33 z-pts (0.92), 0.43 z2PT%, 0.00 z3PT%, 0.80 zFT%
With his team trailing by 8, Evans led the Kings rally in the 4th quarter, scoring 10 points in the last 3:14 of regulation.
Jason Thompson (SAC)
12 pts, 0.62 2PT%, 100% FT%
18 z-pts (0.51), 0.74 z2PT%, 100% zFT%
His dunk with 25 seconds left in regulation tied the game, capping the comeback initiated by Evans and sending the game to OT, where Kevin Martin took over right from the start.
OKLAHOMA CITY @ PORTLAND 89-77
James Harden (OKL)
13 pts, 0.50 2PT%, 0.40 3PT%, 0.75 FT%
19 z-pts (0.42), 0.61 z2PT%, 0.49 z3PT%, 0.75 zFT%
Strong 4th quarter for Harden, who scored all of his 13 points in the period.
Jose Calderon (TOR)
10 pts, 0.60 2PT%, 0.33 3PT%, 100% FT%
21 z-pts (0.44), 0.78 z2PT%, 0.74 z3PT%, 100% zFT%
A huge 4-point play by the Spanish point guard broke the tie with 2 minutes left. The Raptors took off from there to win the game.
Darren Collison (NOR)
25 pts, 0.64 2PT%, 0.50 3PT%, 0.80 FT%
30 z-pts (0.69), 0.71 z2PT%, 0.59 z3PT%, 0.73 zFT%
Collison scored 11 points in the 4th quarter and kept coming back at the Celtics every time they tried to spark a rally.
Nazr Mohammed (CHA)
21 pts, 0.64 2PT%, 0.75 FT%
42 z-pts (1.12), 0.69 z2PT%, 0.75 zFT%
Mohammed has been clutch lately. His dunk with 5 seconds remaining lifted the Bobcats over the Timberwolves.
L.A. CLIPPERS @ GOLDEN STATE 102-132
Craig Smith (LAC)
14 pts, 100% 2PT%, 0.75 FT%
2 z-pts (0.02), 100% z2PT%, 0.49 zFT%
The Warriors literally rolled over the Clippers in this game. Smith got 14 points in garbage time, getting only 2 z-points as a result.
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