The Los Angeles Lakers improved to 9-0 in clutch games during their 116-114 victory over the Phoenix Suns on Sunday night.
Their 100% win rate in clutch games leads the NBA, trumping the Oklahoma City Thunder (9-2), San Antonio Spurs (12-3) and Detroit Pistons (13-4) in the key stat.
The NBA defines “clutch time” for statistical purposes as the final five minutes of the fourth quarter or OT, when the score difference is five points or less. It’s rather impressive that JJ Redick’s men have found a way to eke out wins in all nine instances when they were in close games entering the final five minutes.
Lakers Clutch Stats
One interesting number to note is that the Lakers are 9-0 in the clutch despite beating teams by just 1.7 points in games decided in the last five minutes. That number pales in comparison with the Thunder’s 5.5 or the Spurs’ 3.0, but it is also an indicator of the Lakers’ ability to not buckle under pressure when the scores are really tight.
In fact, the Lakers’ overall points differential for the season of +1.6 also indicates they are not exactly drubbing opponents like other Western Conference powerhouses. While some may view this stat negatively, others would argue that it highlights their ability to walk away with wins when the outcome could have easily gone the other way.
These Lakers clutch stats definitely bode well for the Purple & Gold in the playoffs, when experience and composure in tight moments go a long way. The Thunder, for example, have barely been tested this season, as the reigning NBA champions have pummeled opponents by a margin of 16.8 points. In one of their first true tests against the Spurs in the NBA Cup semifinal, they choked under pressure, possibly due to their lack of preparedness in clutch-time situations.
Lakers Seek Defensive Upgrades
Lakers head coach JJ Redick shares the same sentiment. On Sunday, he was thrilled that his team gave up a 20-point lead but managed to win in the clutch.
“It’s gonna sound sick: I love winning games like this,” Redick said with a smile, via the LA Times’ Thuc Nhi Nguyen. “… Winning ugly is actually really fun because it means you got in the trenches and you fought.”
Jarred Vanderbilt, who returned to the rotation after several healthy DNPs, credited the team’s resolve for finding ways to win crunch time.
“We stood together,” Vanderbilt said. “… Didn’t panic and that’s the reason we’re 9-0 [in clutch games]. We go over late-game situations in practice a lot, being able to see it [and] execute in real time is just a testament to the whole group.”
All things considered, the Lakers are nowhere as deep or defensively wired as the Thunder, Spurs, Denver Nuggets or the Houston Rockets. That would explain why they rank 20th in defensive rating and routinely give up over 130 points to average teams.
It’s the NBA’s worst-kept secret that the Rob Pelinka-led front office will pursue perimeter defenders ahead of the Feb. 5 trade deadline, with names such as Herb Jones, Andrew Wiggins and Keon Ellis on their reported wishlist.
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