In this lockout-shortened NBA season, 42 sets of three-games-in-three days loomed as a nightmare for many teams, especially those with older players viewing this scheduling as especially harsh on them.
By Rich Pedroncelli, AP
Veterans on the bench of the defending NBA champion Dallas Mavericks sat out much of the fourth quarter of a 110-97 loss March 9 at the 13-26 Sacramento Kings, the middle game of losing three in three days on the road.
All but eight of the sets have been completed, and three teams will play their only sets in April — Memphis Grizzlies from April 2-4 and the Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers from April 13-15.
What have we learned going into the final sets?
• Of seven sets with all the games on the road, the only team to come out with a winning record was the Miami Heat, and they did it in a sweep in February at the Atlanta Hawks, Milwaukee Bucks and Indiana Pacers. The Dallas Mavericks and Los Angeles Clippers, both in March, lost in sweeps on the road. No set had all home games.
• Overall, six teams swept their sets: The Heat, Chicago Bulls and Oklahoma City Thunder in January and the Hawks, Phoenix Suns and San Antonio Spurs in March. All had winning records going in.
• Overall, four teams were swept in sets: the Mavericks, 23-17 going in; Suns (12-15), Clippers (26-18) and the Washington Wizards (11-35).
• Teams went 18-16 in the opening game of the sets, 14-20 in the middle game and 19-15 in the final game.
• Teams losing the opener finished 2-14 in their sets; teams winning the opener finished 13-5.
• Out of 14 times when a team with a losing record began a set, only two teams emerged winning the set — the 0-1 Houston Rockets in December and the 4-11 New Jersey Nets in January.
• Twelve teams were scheduled for two sets, but only eight have completed both — the Hawks, Clippers, Suns, Nets, Denver Nuggets, Indiana Pacers, Minnesota Timberwolves and Portland Trail Blazers. Only the Hawks won both sets; only the Timberwolves lost both.
Here is a further breakdown:
W-L of sets: 15-19 (.441)
W-L of games: 50-52
All sets at home: 0
All sets on the road: 7 (Teams go 1-6, .143)
All games in road sets: Teams go 7-14 (.333)
*Detroit in Jan — 1-2
*New Orleans in Feb — 1-2
*Utah in Feb — 1-2
*Minnesota in Feb-Mar — 1-2
*Dallas in March —0-3
*LAC in March —0-3
*Miami in March —3-0
Teams that have done two sets: 8 — Atlanta (W-W); Denver (W-L); Indiana (L-W); Clippers (W-L); Minnesota (L-L); New Jersey (L-W); Phoenix (L-W); Portland (W-L)
Teams with second set ahead: 4 — Washington (0-1, next April 4-6); Detroit (0-1, next April 17-19); Philadelphia (1-0, next April 16-18); San Antonio (1-0, next April 16-18)
Scoring: Teams completed a set with a higher scoring average than their season mark 12 times, a lower average 17 times and roughly even five times.
Game progression in scoring: The most frequent pattern was teams dropping in scoring for the middle game and rising for the final game (18 times, followed by rising in the middle game and dropping for the final game (10 times); dropping in the middle and final games (three times); rising in the middle and final games (twice) and staying even with the first game than going up in the final game (once).
Defense: Teams completed a set allowing a lower scoring average than their season mark 15 times, a higher average 17 times and roughly even twice.
Game progression in defense: Two patterns tied — Allowing fewer points in the middle and final games and allowing more points in the middle game but fewer in the final game (nine). Next was allowing more points in the middle and final games (seven times), followed by allowing fewer points in the middle game but more in the final game (six times); allowing more points in the middle game and allowing the same in the final game (twice) and allowing fewer points in the middle game and allowing the same in the final game (once).
The game records of each team that has completed a set:
Atlanta: 2-1, 3-0
Charlotte: 1-2
Chicago: 3-0
Dallas: 0-3
Denver: 2-1, 1-2
Detroit: 1-2
Houston: 2-1
Indiana: 1-2, 2-1
Clippers: 2-1, 0-3
Lakers: 1-2
Miami: 3-0
Milwaukee: 1-2
Minnesota: 1-2, 1-2
New Jersey: 1-2, 2-1
New Orleans: 1-2
New York: 1-2
Oklahoma City: 3-0
Orlando: 2-1
Philadelphia: 2-1
Phoenix: 0-3, 3-0
Portland: 2-1, 1-2
Sacramento: 1-2
San Antonio: 3-0
Toronto: 1-2
Utah: 1-2
Washington: 0-3
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