Sunday Beat is a weekly post featuring the most remarkable performances of the week, z-points-wise.

BOSTON @ L.A. CLIPPERS 90-92

Baron Davis (LAC)
24 pts, 0.75 2PT%, 0.33 3PT%, 100% FT%
40 z-pts (1.22), 0.90 z2PT%, 0.47 z3PT%, 100% zFT%

The Clippers beat the Celtics, courtesy of Mr. Baron Davis buzzer-beater. “I’ve been in that situation before. Every time I get in that situation, I feel like I can make that shot. You’ve just got to prepare your mind for it when you go out there to take that shot”, Davis said.

Rasual Butler (LAC)
8 pts, 0.25 2PT%, 0.67 3PT%
16 z-pts (0.48), 0.17 z2PT%, 0.80 z3PT%

It was only because of Butler’s game-tying three-pointer that Davis would have the opportunity to win the game in the last possession. Note how his z3PT% is higher than his true 3PT%.

WASHINGTON @ MEMPHIS 111-116

Zach Randolph (MEM)
23 pts, 0.41 2PT%, 100% FT%
32 z-pts (1.08), 0.49 z2PT%, 100% zFT%

Randolph sank a couple of free throws to tie the game in regulation, then scored 6 points in overtime to help the Grizzlies overcome the Wizards.

Caron Butler (WAS)
24 pts, 0.50 2PT%, 0.50 3PT%, 0.83 FT%
36 z-pts (1.20), 0.47 z2PT%, 0.52 z3PT%, 0.96 zFT%

Butler made two clutch free throws with 9 seconds left in the 4th quarter to give the Wizards a two-point lead.

ATLANTA @ CLEVELAND 101-106

Anderson Varejao (CLE)
14 pts, 0.71 2PT%, 100% 3PT%, 0.33 FT%
34 z-pts (0.94), 0.77 z2PT%, 100% z3PT%, 0.25 zFT%

Varejao’s first career 3-pointer couldn’t have come at a better time. With the game tied at 101 and 17 seconds left, the Brazilian made the trey to deliver a W for LeBron James on the superstar’s birthday. The Kings had the opportunity to tie the game on a Mike Bibby’s 3, but the PG missed the shot (see how his z3PT% drops as a result).

CHARLOTTE @ TORONTO 103-107

Chris Bosh (TOR)
33 pts, 0.55 2PT%, 100% FT%
37 z-pts (1.03), 0.59 z2PT%, 100% zFT%

Bosh scored 12 points in the 4th quarter on 3-of-7 shooting and was perfect from the line, making all of his six free throws. He scored four points in the last 1:23 that were key to the Rap’s win.

Andrea Bargnani (TOR)
28 pts, 0.64 2PT%, 0.33 3PT%, 100% FT%
34 z-pts (0.96), 0.62 z2PT%, 0.52 z3PT%, 100% zFT%

Bargnani made a big trey with 10 seconds left to put the Raptors four points up in the scoreboard.

MIAMI @ NEW ORLEANS 91-95

David West (NOR)
21 pts, 0.47 2PT%, 0.83 FT%
31 z-pts (0.86), 0.57 z2PT%, 0.94 zFT%

David West was key in this game, putting up 10 points in the last quarter. He scored six in the last minute, including four clutch free throws.

DALLAS @ HOUSTON 94-97

Carl Landry (HOU)
15 pts, 0.54 2PT%, 100% FT%
21 z-pts (0.53), 0.54 z2PT%, 100% zFT%

Landry is one of the best players in this surprisingly effective Rockets squad. This time he had nine 4th-quarter points on 4-of-5 shooting.

UTAH @ OKLAHOMA CITY 86-87

Nick Collison (OKL)
11 pts, 0.80 2PT%, 0.50 FT%
31 z-pts (1.02), 0.90 z2PT%, 0.83 zFT%

The Thunder forward scored the go-ahead basket with 1:05 to go, then hit two clutch free throws with 4.5 seconds left to hand the victory to his team. “We’re finding a way to win games,” Collison said. “We’ve been talented for a long time and now we’re finding a way to win even when we don’t play well.”

Deron Williams (UTA)
14 pts, 0.54 2PT%, 0.00 3PT%, 100% FT%
27 z-pts (0.88), 0.55 z2PT%, 0.00 z3PT%, 100% zFT%

Good game down the stretch from Williams, who scored 10 of his 14 points in the last 5 minutes, including an And-1 with 58 seconds left to give Utah the lead. “We played good enough defense the whole game to win the basketball game. Just offensively, we didn’t have everybody going”, he said. Ronnie Price had a chance to win the game for the Jazz but missed his jumper as the clock expired (see how his already terrible 2PT% gets even worse in terms of z2PT%).

NEW YORK @ ATLANTA 112-108

Nate Robinson (NYK)
41 pts, 0.79 2PT%, 0.60 3PT%, 0.40 FT%
67 z-pts (1.99), 0.79 z2PT%, 0.58 z3PT%, 0.37 zFT%

Amazing performance from the Knicks point guard after 14 games without seeing any playing time. Robinson scored 14 points in the 4th quarter and added 11 more in overtime, making 18 out of 24 shots in the game. What a comeback.

Marvin Williams (ATL)
11 pts, 0.57 2PT%, 0.50 3PT%
10 z-pts (0.30), 0.65 z2PT%, 0.08 z3PT%

Williams had the opportunity to win the game in the last possession of regulation but his three-point shot was off. See how his z3PT% is much lower than his real 3PT%.

SACRAMENTO @ L.A. LAKERS 108-109

Kobe Bryant (LAL)
39 pts, 0.40 2PT%, 0.71 3PT%, 0.73 FT%
53 z-pts (1.64), 0.50 z2PT%, 0.77 z3PT%, 0.56 zFT%

“These players — I don’t know how they get themselves into those positions, but they do an unbelievable job of hitting shots that are remarkable shots, marvelous shots. He’s right there with Michael in that kind of breath you look at.” That’s Phil Jackson praising Kobe, after (once again) Bryant hit the game-winner at the buzzer. Unreal. Kobe went 4-of-6 in the 4th for 11 points in the last period, capped by his amazing buzzer-beater. Pau Gasol gets credit for the assist in the clutch play (4 assists vs. 12.15 z-assists).

CHARLOTTE @ MIAMI 107-97

Stephen Jackson (CHA)
35 pts, 0.54 2PT%, 0.57 3PT%, 100% FT%
41 z-pts (1.06), 0.55 z2PT%, 0.65 z3PT%, 100% zFT%

Jackson had 13 points in the 4th quarter, going 3-of-4 from beyond the arc. The Bobcats shot extremely well in the last quarter and overcame a 19-point deficit to beat the Heat.

D.J. Augustin (CHA)
13 pts, 0.67 2PT%, 0.75 3PT%
20 z-pts (0.53), 0.80 z2PT%, 0.86 z3PT%

Augustin was the perfect backup for Jackson, scoring 11 points in the 4th quarter, including four 3s on perfect shooting.

HOUSTON @ NEW ORLEANS 95-99

Chris Paul (NOR)
28 pts, 0.42 2PT%, 0.50 3PT%, 0.90 FT%
41 z-pts (1.11), 0.54 z2PT%, 0.45 z3PT%, 0.94 zFT%

Paul scored 10 in the 4th, including 5 points in the last 1:21, to help the Hornets come back from a seven-point deficit in the last minutes of the game.

OKLAHOMA CITY @ MILWAUKEE 97-103

Luke Ridnour (MIL)
12 pts, 0.60 2PT%, 0.00 3PT%
23 z-pts (0.74), 0.74 z2PT%, 0.00 z3PT%

With 1:59 left in overtime, Scott Skiles put Ridnour in the game and the decision paid off. The Bucks PG made two key baskets to help Milwaukee win this game.

Russell Westbrook (OKL)
17 pts, 0.40 2PT%, 0.00 3PT%, 0.62 FT%
28 z-pts (0.91), 0.47 z2PT%, 0.00 z3PT%, 0.59 zFT%

Westbrook led the charge for the Thunder in the OT, scoring 7 points that at the end wouldn’t be enough to beat Milwaukee.

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Sunday Beat is a weekly post featuring the most remarkable performances of the week, z-points-wise.

SAN ANTONIO @ UTAH 101-104

Deron Williams (UTA)
17 pts, 0.50 2PT%, 0.50 3PT%
28 z-pts (0.79), 0.70 z2PT%, 0.30 z3PT%, 100% zFT%

Williams scored 15 of his 17 points in the second half, but more importantly he put the Jazz ahead with 22 seconds on the clock.

Tim Duncan (SAS)
23 pts, 0.53 2PT%, 100% FT%
30 z-pts (0.86), 0.58 z2PT%, 100% zFT%

Duncan had 4 points in the last minute, including two clutch FTs to put the Spurs one point ahead of the Jazz with 28 seconds to go.

Carlos Boozer (UTA)
27 pts, 0.56 2PT%, 0.78 FT%
27 z-pts (0.76), 0.51 z2PT%, 0.24 zFT%

With 10 seconds left and Utah up by one, Boozer went to the line to shoot two and missed them both. Note how his zFT% reflects those missed clutch free throws.

MILWAUKEE @ BOSTON 89-98

Rajon Rondo (BOS)
11 pts, 0.43 2PT%, 0.71 FT%
19 z-pts (0.48), 0.60 z2PT%, 0.71 zFT%

Rondo is not particularly known for being a scoring threat, but in this game he had all of his points in the 4th quarter to lead Boston’s final push.

SACRAMENTO @ NEW ORLEANS 94-96

Darius Songaila (NOR)
11 pts, 100% 2PT%, 0.50 FT%
26 z-pts (0.86), 100% z2PT%, 0.50 zFT%

Songaila was perfect from the field, hitting all of his 5 shots. One of them was the winning layup with 11 seconds left in the game.

Tyreke Evans (SAC)
25 pts, 0.62 2PT%, 0.62 FT%
33 z-pts (1.09), 0.55 z2PT%, 0.75 zFT%

The rookie scored 9 points in the last two minutes, keeping the Kings’ chance to win this game alive until the end.

NEW JERSEY @ CHICAGO 103-101

Devin Harris (NJN)
17 pts, 0.50 2PT%, 0.33 3PT%, 0.71 FT%
29 z-pts (0.94), 0.76 z2PT%, 0.29 z3PT%, 0.72 zFT%

Harris hit the go-ahead shot with 14 seconds left. “I saw an opening and I knew what to do,” he said. “It was the same play they ran, we ran on the other end. Pretty much an isolation. It was my shot to take.”

Derrick Rose (CHI)
27 pts, 0.59 2PT%, 0.00 3PT%, 0.25 FT%
36 z-pts (1.14), 0.72 z2PT%, 0.00 z3PT%, 0.038 zFT%

Rose scored 9 points in the 4th quarter, including a running jumper with 19 seconds left that put the Bulls ahead. Note also how John Salmons has a really bad 0.15 z3PT% (vs. his real 0.40 3PT%) as he missed a critical 3 with 7 seconds left.

CLEVELAND @ MEMPHIS 109-111

Mike Conley (MEM)
12 pts, 0.40 2PT%, 0.33 3PT%, 0.83 FT%
26 z-pts (1.00), 0.81 z2PT%, 0.22 z3PT%, 0.88 zFT%

Conley scored only 12 against the Cavs but his last two points won the game. The PG from Ohio State drove to the basket, deceived Shaq with a little hesitation move and then took it all the way to the hole for the winning layup. “He gave me the Allen Iverson, carry-hessy move, and he got me,” O’Neal said.

LeBron James (CLE)
43 pts, 0.56 2PT%, 0.36 3PT%, 0.92 FT%
57 z-pts (2.21), 0.60 z2PT%, 0.17 z3PT%, 0.94 zFT%

When one looks at z-points, it’s good to see not only how many of them were ’scored’, but also how effectively (that is, zFG%). LeBron scored a ton of z-points in this game (2.21 is just insane!), which means that he SCORED in the clutch (he had 16 points in the 4th quarter and overtime combined). But did he miss also? Well, look at his z3PT% (0.17). That’s telling us that he missed some 3s in crunch time. He did indeed, missing potentially game-winning 3s at both the end of regulation and overtime.

PHOENIX @ DALLAS 101-102

Jason Terry (DAL)
15 pts, 0.57 2PT%, 0.20 3PT%, 0.67 FT%
28 z-pts (0.74), 0.56 z2PT%, 0.19 z3PT%, 0.49 zFT%

Same story for Terry. He scored a couple of big free throws at the end of OT to make it 99-102 Mavs with 6 seconds left, but then missed his next two free throws with 2 seconds left and the Mavs up by just one point. Note how his zFT% is much lower than his true FT%, showing that his scoring % in the clutch wasn’t that good because of those two missed free throws.

DETROIT @ PHILADELPHIA 90-86

Rodney Stuckey (DET)
27 pts, 0.53 2PT%, 100% FT%
38 z-pts (1.24), 0.52 z2PT%, 100% zFT%

Rodney Stuckey is making the most of his minutes for the injury-plagued Pistons, scoring 8 points in the 4th including the winning shot. Pistons coach John Kuester said after the game, “No question I want the ball in his hands. You saw a lot of growth in a young man. I’ve been telling people about how good he can be. He can be one of the best guards in the league and he showed it tonight.”

NEW ORLEANS @ MINNESOTA 97-96

Chris Paul (NOR)
15 pts, 0.50 2PT%, 0.20 3PT%, 100% FT%
34 z-pts (0.89), 0.84 z2PT%, 0.16 z3PT%, 100% zFT%

With 4 seconds left and the Hornets trailing by one, Paul threw the inbounds pass to David West, then made a backdoor cut behind rookie Jonny Flynn – who completely missed it-, got the ball back from West and put it in to win the game.

PORTLAND @ CLEVELAND 99-104

Anderson Varejao (CLE)
22 pts, 0.59 2PT%, 0.67 FT%
29 z-pts (0.76), 0.65 z2PT%, 0.61 zFT%

Varejao was key for the Cavs in this game, scoring 12 of his 22 points in the 4th quarter on 6-of-7 shooting.

ORLANDO @ PHOENIX 103-106

Grant Hill (PHO)
12 pts, 0.60 2PT%, 0.00 3PT%
16 z-pts (0.44), 0.63 z2PT%, 0.00 z3PT%

The talented veteran of the Phoenix Suns made the go-ahead jumper with 1:08 to go.

Anthony Johnson (ORL)
11 pts, 0.43 2PT%, 0.33 3PT%, 100% FT%
20 z-pts (0.55), 0.51 z2PT%, 0.21 z3PT%, 100% zFT%

Johnson scored all of his 11 points in the 4th quarter, but he missed a 3 in the last minute with the score 103-104 Suns. Note how his z3PT% is lower than his 3PT%. The same goes for Rashard Lewis, who missed a potentially-tying 3 at the buzzer.

INDIANA @ WASHINGTON 114-112

Mike Dunleavy (IND)
24 pts, 100% 2PT%, 0.67 3PT%, 0.77 FT%
37 z-pts (1.16), 100% z2PT%, 0.51 z3PT%, 0.95 zFT%

Dunleavy sank four free throws in the last 13 seconds to give the Pacers the win on this one. Note how his zFT% is higher than his real FT%.

Earl Boykins (WAS)
14 pts, 0.64 2PT%, 0.00 3PT%
27 z-pts (0.84), 0.71 z2PT%, 0.00 z3PT%

Boykins went 5-of-7 to score 10 of his 14 points in the last quarter, including a bucket with 22 seconds to go that put the Wizards two points ahead of the Pacers.

Gilbert Arenas (WAS)
22 pts, 0.43 2PT%, 0.33 3PT%, 0.57 FT%
18 z-pts (0.55), 0.53 z2PT%, 0.25 z3PT%, 0.13 zFT%

See how low Arenas’ zFT% is (0.13)? Agent Zero missed both of his free throws with 6 seconds left and the Wizards trailing by one. “It’s really frustrating,” he said. “I’m shooting them all day. I mean, I don’t even know why I’m sitting here talking about some free throws. I never fathomed that I’d be missing free throws again. Maybe it’s just mental, because I’m making them in practice.”

CHARLOTTE @ DALLAS 97-98

Dirk Nowitzki (DAL)
36 pts, 0.42 2PT%, 0.00 3PT%, 0.80 FT%
60 z-pts (2.32), 0.60 z2PT%, 0.90 zFT%

Dirk was once again super-clutch for the Mavs, lighting up the Bobcats with 36 points worth an astounding 2.32 z-points. After a rough start, Nowitzki scored half of his points in the 4th quarter and overtime. He had 6 points in the last 1:16 of regulation, including a jumper to tie the game and send it to OT with 10 seconds left. Then he went on and scored four points in the last 24 seconds of overtime, including the winning jumper over Boris Diaw. “The definition of a franchise player is one who wants the responsibility for winning or losing,” Dallas coach Rick Carlisle said. “He wants the ball in his hands when the game is being decided, and the only thing he’s thinking about when he gets the ball is finding a way to win the game.”

Gerald Wallace (CHA)
23 pts, 0.40 2PT%, 0.50 3PT%, 0.75 FT%
34 z-pts (1.30), 0.32 z2PT%, 0.64 z3PT%, 0.94 zFT%

Wallace was clutch from the free throw line, making four FTs in the last 34 seconds of overtime. The last two  gave the Bobcats the lead with 13 seconds remaining, but then would come Nowitzki to hit the winner in the last play of the game.

PORTLAND @ MILWAUKEE 101-108

Brandon Jennings (MIL)
18 pts, 0.33 2PT%, 0.60 3PT%, 100% FT%
32 z-pts (1.11), 0.45 z2PT%, 0.48 z3PT%, 100% zFT%

Brandon Jennings hit a jumper to put Milwaukee ahead with 19 seconds left in regulation, then tied the game at 95 in overtime to send the game to a second OT.

LaMarcus Aldridge (POR)
31 pts, 0.59 2PT%, 0.71 FT%
40 z-pts (1.39), 0.70 z2PT%, 0.88 zFT%

Aldridge was huge late in the 4th quarter, scoring 5 points in the last 1:16, then added 6 more in the first overtime on 3-of-3 shooting.

Brandon Roy (POR)
23 pts, 0.33 2PT%, 0.33 3PT%, 0.75 FT%
30 z-pts (1.05), 0.33 z2PT%, 0.36 z3PT%, 0.71 zFT%

Roy tied the game at 87 with 12 seconds left in the 4th to force the OT, but he wouldn’t be very effective after that, going 2-of-7 in the extended periods.

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