Denver Nuggets Skeptic

Today in the NBA: April 26

(InsideHoops)

April 26, 1972: The Knicks’ Bill Bradley sank 11 of 12 field goal attempts as New York defeated Los Angeles 114-92 in the opening game of the NBA Finals. It was the Knicks’ only win of the series, however, as the Lakers went on to take the title in five games.

April 26, 1984: The New Jersey Nets surprised the highly favored defending champion Philadelphia 76ers in the First Round of the 1984 NBA Playoffs, winning the deciding Game 5 by a 101-98 score at the Spectrum in Philadelphia. It remains the only playoff series victory in New Jersey’s NBA playoff history.

April 26, 1985: Mark Eaton of Utah blocked a playoff record 10 shots in a 96-94 loss to Houston, a record that would be matched by Houston’s Hakeem Olajuwon against the Los Angeles Lakers on April 29, 1990.

Relying on the Ref

(82Games) Watching an NBA game, you'll hear commentators remark that a team is "now in the penalty" and the tone often suggests that this has major implications. Denver is among the top teams that are usually able to take advantage of this:

1. Miami (35%)
2. Utah (33%)
3. Denver (32%)
3. Dallas (32%)
3. Boston (32%)

By the same token, the top teams that are in the bonus on defense are:

1. Phoenix (23%)
2. Sacramento (24%)
3. Detroit (25%)
3. San Antonio (25%)
4. Portland (27%)

Put another way, Phoenix and Sacramento score too much to worry about defensive fouls, but the fact that defensive teams like Detroit and San Antonio are able to stay out of foul trouble is impressive.