Stat Line of the Day: May 18th

D. Nowitzki (DAL): 48 points (12-15 FG, 24-24 FT), 6 rebs, 4 asts vs. OKC
I'll admit to saying that of the four major American sports, I watch quite a lot more MLB  and NFL than I do NBA and  NHL, so I haven't  seen  all of Dirk's games over the

This shot went in.  So did the
next one. And the next one...

course of his career. However, there was no way I could have predicted that the 32-year-old German forward would have one of the best shooting nights in NBA Playoffs history last night, leading his team to a 121-112 victory in Game One. The 24 free-throws are a playoff record for most FTs without a miss, surpassing the 21 that Paul Pierce had back in 2003. Dirk has only made the NBA Finals once in his career, back in a 2006 loss to Dwayne Wade's Miami Heat. Now, he's teamed with Jason Kidd and Shawn Marion, two other vets who are still hoping for a chance to lift their first Larry O'Brien trophy. The free-throw shooting this game was impressive overall; the teams combined to shoot 71-of-79 (89.9%). It was Nowitzki that came into this Western Conference Finals hot, shooting 60% from three in these playoffs (12-for-20). However, last night Dirk didn't make--or take--a single long-distance shot. In step with his hot shooting, he's got a PER of 29.1 through the first 11 games of the playoffs, which would be the best of his career--and, with an MVP-esque 25.1 career PER in the playoffs, that is quite the impressive postseason performance. If the Mavericks are going to win a title, they're going to need MVP-quality performances from Dirk night in and night out. Marion, Kidd, J.J. Barea and others are great pieces, but it's Dirk and Dirk alone that can take them to the promised land.

Honorable Mentions:

K. Durant (OKC): 40 points (10-18 FG, 18-19 FT), 8 rebs, 5 assts vs. Mavs
Dirk wasn't the only guy on the court trying to carry his team--two-time scoring champ Kevin Durant was doing his thing for the Thunder at the other end of the court. Unfortunately for KD, everything he did to try and win the game for his team was nearly undone by Russell Westbrook's poor night. The guard shot just 3-of-15 from the floor with a -7 plus/minus, contributing to the loss for the visiting Thunder. Durant had a good free-throw shooting night of his own, but he just couldn't quite match the contribution by his counterpart on the Mavs. If Durant goes for 48 as well, then we might be in a much different scenario heading into game two.

K. Wood (CHC): 1 IP, 4 H, 4 R (0 ER), 1 error vs. Reds
Kerry Wood learned last night that playing baseball in the rain can be really hard. Not just trying to pitch and hold onto a bat, but fielding can be rather difficult as well. With his Cubs holding onto a 5-2 lead going into the bottom of the 8th, Wood allowed a leadoff double and an infield single, bringing up Cinci backup catcher Ryan Hanigan, who grounded back to the Cubs pitcher. Wood, trying for the double play at third, ended up throwing the ball over the third baseman's head--allowing two runs to score. The Reds went on to take the lead in that 8th inning, giving Wood the loss on four unearned runs. In fact, all seven runs the Reds scored yesterday in their 7-5 victory were unearned. At least the Chicago team ERA went down...

NBA Playoffs: A Look Ahead (Western Conference Edition)

Since the NBA playoffs started, all we've been doing here at SportStatistics is looking backwards. We've looked at some great/awful individual lines and stats from the previous day's action, and we've  done recaps of almost every postseason game played thus far in 2011. What we haven't done yet, though, is look ahead to the rest of the postseason and assess what is likely to come. Since we're roughly half way through the NBA postseason, I figured now would be a good time to step back from dissecting each individual game in incredible detail and instead look at what is likely to transpire in the Conference Finals and in the NBA Finals. Will Dirk (see right) finally get that first ring?  Can D-Rose be NBA MVP and Finals MVP?  Will the Evil Empire of South Beach continue to make me unhappy? And what about the NBA's humblest superstar, Kevin Durant?  Hit the jump to find out.

The AL West At a Glance

The entire landscape of the AL West has changed in recent years as the competition seems to be growing with arms. Last season, the Texas Rangers dethroned the Los Angeles Angels' run of three straight division titles and even went on to the World Series. The AL  West might be the most competitive division in baseball at the moment

Dan Haren (L) and Jered Weaver
anchor one of baseball's best rotations

with just four games separating four teams. Thus far, the Angels' rotation, led by Dan Haren and Jered Weaver (left) has them rolling to an early lead at 20-15. The Rangers and Oakland Athletics follow at 18-17 while the Seattle Mariners again sit in last at 16-19. This pitching-heavy division is tight right now and is largely up for grabs. Though often overshadowed by the AL East, the West remains competitive for a four team division and has produced as many World Series appearances than the Central over the past 10 years. For the Angels, they added outfielder Vernon Wells via trade from Toronto this winter, then extended his contract for $126 million over seven years. Wells has yet to prove his worth as he has struggled mightily, sitting at around .179.  If or when Wells and Torii Hunter start hitting, it could be a fun summer in Los Angeles. Here is a far more in-depth look at the AL West and where it is heading.

NBA Playoffs Second Round: Weekend Recap

Though four fan-bases might disagree with me, I thought we got a really fun weekend of NBA playoff action the last two days. Three teams pulled off upsets, including one by mounting a 13-point comeback in the fourth quarter only to win in overtime. Another upset tied the series at two games apiece, while the third was the product of NBA-record shooting performances. There were ejections and rejections and three-pointers galore. Hit the jump to read all about it.

Stat Line of the Day: May 9th

D. Jeter (NYY): 4-6, 2 HR, 3 RBI, 2 R, SB
The Yankees' captain broke out in a big way yesterday, hitting his first two home runs of the season as the Yankees beat down the Texas Rangers, 12-5, in Arlington. It had been 62 games since the last time Jeter went yard, which is well over his career average.  For his 17 seasons in the majors, Jeter  averaged a  homer every 40 at-bats, or

Jeter went yard twice against the Rangers yesterday

approximately one home run every nine or 10 games. The last two seasons, however, that average has skyrocketed to over 61 at-bats per home run. That's to be expected for any player as they get older, but the concept of Jeter (left) getting "old" still seems to be a tough one to swallow for most Yankees fans. As some who got into baseball right around 1993-94, the two players who've been great from then until now have been Derek Jeter and Chipper Jones, and both of them are now in the twilight of their careers--though they're both still pretty productive for the same teams they've played with their entire careers. Jeter posted his first-ever OPS+ under 100 last season, and he's on pace for another year with around a 90 OPS+, meaning he's slightly below the league average (compared to a career OPS+ of 118). Jeter proved yesterday that he still has his pop left in his bat, and the Yankees are certainly talented enough to send their captain packing with another World Series title--but this might be his last shot.

Honorable Mention

G. Sanchez (FLA): 4-4, 3 R, 3 RBI, HR, 2 2B, BB vs. Nationals
While starter Anibal Sanchez looked to be the Marlin destined for an honor today, throwing a perfect game through his first six innings, he fell victim to some hits in the 7th inning as well as a high pitch count, and so his start ends up being a great one, but not an all-time great one--as so many starts end up. Instead, another Sanchez finished with the best day on the Fish, as Gaby went 4-for-4 with three extra-base hits, scoring three runs and getting on base all five plate appearances to help the soon-to-be Miami Marlins beat the Nationals 8-0.

J. Terry & P. Stojakovic (DAL): 53 points (18-21 FG, 15-16 3PT) vs. Lakers
Yes, Dallas swept the Lakers. No, this isn't the only thing we have to say about the most surprising sweep of the 2011 NBA Playoffs. Yes, Phil Jackson had one of the weirder press conferences I've ever seen yesterday--if you want to know how to announce a retirement without actually announcing a retirement, then I highly suggest watching the Zen Master dance around those questions after yesterday's game. The Dallas bench went crazy in the 2nd quarter, helping the Mavs go into halftime with a 24-point lead and the series, and the bench consisted of Jason Terry, Peja Stojakovic, and J.J. Barea, who combined for 75 of the 122 Dallas points.

NBA Playoffs Second Round: Night Five

Eastern Conference

Atlanta Hawks (5) @ Chicago Bulls (1)

5/2: Game One--Hawks 103, BULLS 95 (1-0, Atlanta)

5/4: Game Two--BULLS 86, Hawks 73 (1-1, Tie)

5/6: Game Three--Bulls 99, HAWKS 82 (2-1, Chicago)

Joakim Noah was a beast on the boards
in Game Three in Atlanta

Well, the Bulls don't look so vulnerable anymore.  I've had to eat a slice of humble pie over the last few days because, after I wrote that the Bulls did not look long for the playoffs, they've run off two straight double-digit victories over the Hawks. Last night's win was the most impressive because it came in Atlanta, where the Hawks had not yet lost in the postseason.  Chicago was in control the whole way in this one, leading by 13 at halftime and 17 after three quarters. Game Three really was the Derrick Rose show, as the youngest-ever NBA MVP dropped a career-high 44 points on the unsuspecting Hawks. His 59.3% shooting from the field (16-27) and 4-7 performance from downtown was a sharp departure from the first two games of the series, in which D-Rose shot a combined 21-54 (38.9%) on field goals and 3-15 (20%) on three's.  Rose's career high could not have come at a better time, because now the Bulls have home court advantage back and can advance to the Eastern Conference Finals just by holding serve at the United Center.  If Chicago continues to play the way they did last night, they are likely to do just that.  Not only did Rose live up to his MVP award, but his teammates were fantastic as well.  The Bulls shot 10-20 (50%) from downtown last night, and they outrebounded the Hawks 47-34.  Joakim Noah was particularly dominant in the paint, pulling down 15 rebounds (eight offensive) and blocking five Atlanta shots.  Despite another subpar performance from Carlos Boozer (six points, six rebounds), the Bulls were helped by Taj Gibson stepping up with 13 points and 11 rebounds off the bench.  This was a complete effort from the East's top seed, as they dominated every phase of the game and looked like the team that played to the NBA's best record during the regular season.

Western Conference

Dallas Mavericks (3) @ Los Angeles Lakers (2)

5/2: Game One--Mavericks 96, LAKERS 94 (1-0, Dallas)

5/4: Game Two--Mavericks 93, LAKERS 81 (2-0, Dallas) 

5/6: Game Three--MAVERICKS 98, Lakers 92 (3-0, Dallas)

The Mavericks stymied Kobe Bryant and the

Lakers down the stretch in Game Three

Another close game between the Lakers and the Mavericks, and, once again, Dallas comes out on top. Just like in Game One, this contest was tied in the final two minutes and the Lakers had ample opportunities to win. The Mavs were able to execute while the Lakers made careless mistakes, though, including a bad inbounds pass that gave the Mavericks the ball and more free throws with fewer than 20 seconds remaining.  Perfect free throw shooting down the stretch enabled Dallas to ice the game and prevent Kobe Bryant (see above) from getting a potential game-tying shot. Granted, barely pulling out a win at home is not the most ringing endorsement of the Mavericks' fitness for the Western Conference Finals, but they have managed to win close games this postseason, including against the defending champs.  Last night, just like in the first two games, the Mavs won by playing to their strengths and minimizing the Lakers' own advantages.  Dallas continued to have good ball movement, racking up assists on 71% (22 of 31) of all field goals--compared to just 48.7% (19 of 39) for the Lakers.  That strong team play allowed the Mavericks to find open shooters down the stretch--like Peja Stojakovic and Jason Terry, who each hit big three-pointers--while the Lakers struggled through isolation sets to Bryant and Lamar Odom.  Another result of this ball movement is that Dallas excelled at the perimeter game.  They shot 41.4% from behind the arc compared to just 23.1% for Los Angeles.  That's 12 treys for the Mavs and just three for the defending champs--a huge difference.  Dallas also worked to minimize the Lakers proclivity for controlling the ball.  During the regular season, Phil Jackson's squad committed the fifth-fewest turnovers in the league.  In the final four minutes last night in Dallas, though, the Lakers committed two turnovers, which the Mavericks promptly turned into four points.  By continuing to play to their strengths--passing and outside shooting--the Mavericks are up 3-0 in this series.  All 98 teams to be down 3-0 in NBA history have eventually been eliminated, so this doesn't look to promising for the Lakers.

Are the Mavericks for Real?

With their win in Los Angeles on Wednesday night, the Mavericks now have a commanding 2-0 lead over the two-time defending champion Lakers. The Mavs won two road games, and now they can win the series even if they only protect their home floor two out of three times. Though the Mavericks are still the #3 seed in the Western Conference, the Lakers seemed like the prohibitive favorites to win: they have home-court advantage, they are two-time defending champs, and they have an elite late-game shooter in Kobe Bryant. All those advantages seemed to be enough to ensure that the Lakers would win and move on the the Western Conference Finals. Though they still might, their chances look increasingly slim, and the Mavericks--so far--look like the team that will earn a date with the Thunder or the Grizzlies. But will they really? And if they do, how deep can the Mavs playoff run extend? Is this team, which surprised most of us in taking the first two games of the series, the real deal? Hit the jump to find out.

NBA Playoffs Second Round: Night Four

Eastern Conference

Atlanta Hawks (5) @ Chicago Bulls (1)

5/2: Game One--Hawks 103, BULLS 95 (1-0, Atlanta)

5/4: Game Two--BULLS 86, Hawks 73 (1-1, Tie)

Marvin Williams's 2-9 shooting in Game
Two wasn't good enough for the Hawks

This was a game the Bulls absolutely had to have--to avoid heading to Atlanta in a 2-0 hole--and they got it in dominating fashion.  The Hawks never really threatened after Chicago went into halftime with an 11-point edge, and the Bulls cruised to a 13-point victory.  The big difference in this game--and I know it's not an exciting difference--was shooting percentage: 39.3% for the Bulls compared to only 33.8% for the Hawks.  Atlanta's starting forwards, Marvin Williams (see right) and Josh Smith, combined to shoot 6-23 from the floor, only 26.1%.   If you add in starting center Al Horford and sixth man Jamal Crawford, that group of four critical Hawks players shot 11-45 (24.4%) from the field last night.  Sure, starting guards Joe Johnson and Jeff Teague had solid performances (37 points on 14-29 shooting) for head coach Larry Drew, but they got almost no help from their teammates.  The Bulls, by contrast, got solid performances up and down the lineup.  Derrick Rose turned in his usual big performance, with 26 points, six rebounds, and 10 assists.  His eight turnovers are certainly cause for concern, but his defensive intensity (two blocked shots) and distributing ability (10 assists) are good signs.  Chicago even got a fantastic all-around performance from Joakim Noah.  He scored 19 points (6-8 FG, 7-8 FT), with 14 rebounds (seven offensive), two assists, three steals, and a block.  With Carlos Boozer failing to reach double-figures in scoring (eight points) last night, Noah's 19 points were huge for a Bulls team that desperately needed this victory.

Hit the jump to read the Lakers/Mavericks recap!

NBA Playoffs Second Round: Night Two

Eastern Conference

Atlanta Hawks (5) @ Chicago Bulls (1)
5/2: Game One--Hawks 103, BULLS 95 (1-0, Atlanta)

A microcosm of Carlos Boozer's
Game One against the Hawks

For the entirety of Round One, I wrote that the Bulls looked incredibly vulnerable against the Pacers, and that Indiana would get at least one win in the series.  I also said that Chicago's inability to play well against the Pacers meant they'd have trouble in later rounds--and that showed last night against the Hawks.  In fact, the Bulls suffered from many of the same problems that led them to play such close games against the under-.500 Pacers.  They got very little support from the bench (only 22 points, compared to 37 for the Hawks), Carlos Boozer (see right) failed to become a significant factor (only 14 points, compared to his pre-2011 playoff average of 20.3 ppg), and Derrick Rose took too many shots yet again (27, compared to a high of 18 for everyone else).  Against Indiana, the Bulls could get away with these troubling trends because they were the far more talented team and had far more playoff experience.  Against the Hawks, though, they were unable to do so because the Hawks have been battle-tested in the playoffs each of the past four season.  The big difference for Atlanta last night was Joe Johnson, who had the breakout performance that Indiana's Danny Granger never could against Chicago.  He had 34 points on 12-18 shooting (66.7%) while also hitting all five of his three-pointers and all five of his free throws.  In contrast to Rose, who hit 40.7% of his field goals, Johnson's remarkable efficiency meant he could score more than D-Rose while also getting his teammates involved.  Johnson had a huge Game Six against the Magic, and he's continuing his strong performances in Chicago.  The Bulls better watch out.

Western Conference

Dallas Mavericks (3) @ Los Angeles Lakers (2)
5/2: Game One--Mavericks 96, LAKERS 94 (1-0, Dallas)

In the most exciting game of the Second Round so far, Dirk and the Mavericks edged Kobe's Lakers in the final minute.  They have a 1-0 lead in the series, and home court advantage now belongs to Dallas.  Though the officiating was somewhat questionable down the stretch, Dallas managed to hit the big shots that they needed, while Kobe missed his last-second attempt to tie. Jason Kidd (see left) played superb defense on Bryant in crunch time, proving that he has value well beyond his seven points scored. For most of he night, though, Kobe was phenomenal, scoring 36 points on 48.3% shooting, while also pulling down five rebounds.  The problem for the Lakers last night was the lack of scoring depth. Only Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom were in double-figures scoring (15 points each) to complement Kobe. Andrew Bynum--who looked fantastic against the Blazers--and Ron Artest combined for only 10 points on 4-16 shooting (25%).  In addition, the Lakers bench outside of Odom only provided 10 points and one assist while committing three turnovers.  The Mavericks, by contrast, had five players in double-figures scoring, including Peja Stojakovic and Jason Terry off the bench.  Dirk Nowitzki was stellar like always (25.7 career ppg in the playoffs), scoring 28 points on 50% shooting to go along with 14 rebounds.  If Dirk continues to score at will and J-Kidd manages to keep playing solid defense on Kobe down the stretch, the Mavs might actually surprise some people in this series.

Stat of the Day: May 3rd (Lakers-Mavs Edition)

An interesting stat came to mind as the Lakers/Mavs series is set to start: Kobe and Dirk have never played each other in the playoffs. The table below tries to find out if this quirky stat is because they just missed playing each other in some years or because they weren’t on track to play each other. The table assumes that the Western Conference playoffs go chalk, or all the higher seeds win their series. An example of how the chart works is as follows: If the playoffs went according to the seeding, the Lakers should have played Denver 3 times, but only played them twice.

I think the real interesting stat is not that the Lakers and Mavs haven’t played each other in the playoffs during the Kobe-Dirk era, but that they were only expected to play once in the 9 times that they have been in the playoffs together. No other Western Conference team had as many common playoff appearances with Lakers, with as few expected match-ups with the Lakers.

There's A Stat For That

Leadoff Rankings: Week 5

Previous Rankings: Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4

The fifth weekend of the 2011 season has come and gone, and the Leadoff Rankings are starting to settle out. More a fan of pitching? Check out our Rotation Rankings, published every Thursday, where we rank each team by the performance of their starting pitchers. The rankings are based on season performance, with a small bias towards recent performance. The stats come from each team's first and second batters every game, regardless of the name on the back of the jersey. To see how things turned out this week, hit the jump!

NBA Playoffs: Night Thirteen

Last night was an exciting night of NBA basketball, as three first round series wrapped up--two by seven points or fewer.  The only remaining series is the Spurs and the Grizzlies, who play Game Six tonight in Memphis--another do-or-die game for Tim Duncan's Spurs.  But before moving on to focus on the possibility of an eight-seed upsetting the top seed in the West, let's take a look back at last night's games, including another nail-biter between Atlanta and Orlando.

Eastern Conference

Atlanta Hawks (5) @ Orlando Magic (4)

4/16: Game One--Hawks 103, MAGIC 93 (1-0, Atlanta)
4/19: Game Two--MAGIC 88, Hawks 82 (Tied 1-1)
4/22: Game Three--HAWKS 88, Magic 84 (2-1, Atlanta)
4/24: Game Four--HAWKS 88, Magic 85 (3-1, Atlanta)
4/26: Game Five--MAGIC 101, Hawks 76 (3-2, Atlanta)

4/28: Game Six--HAWKS 84, Magic 81 (4-2, Atlanta wins)

Joe Johnson lived up to his max deal in
upsetting Superman and the Magic

Another game between the Hawks and the Magic: another close contest.  Like the previous two games in Atlanta, the Hawks were able to pull this one out in the final seconds, as they took Game Six to win the first round series 4-2 and advance to face the Chicago Bulls in the second round.  Last postseason, the Magic swept the Hawks in what was the most lopsided playoff sweep in NBA history.  In winning last night, Atlanta became only the ninth team in the past 30 years to win a series against the team that swept them in the previous postseason.  How did the Hawks pull out this series-clinching Game Six to get revenge on the Magic?  Surprisingly, despite Superman's superb performance all series, Atlanta was able to dominate the offensive glass last night and win via second-chance points.  They Hawks actually had seven more offensive rebounds than the Magic did last night (14 to seven edge), giving them seven more chances for points.  Atlanta then took advantage, getting 15 second-chance points, compared to the Magic's 10.  Those five points are a huge and meaningful swing such a close game.  Atlanta's max-contract player, Joe Johnson (see above), actually got a huge offensive rebound in the final seconds to give the Hawks a three-point lead with only eight seconds remaining.  Had the Magic been able to come up with that rebound, they would have only been down one point with ten seconds to go.  Those two points were huge in that they lead Orlando to force up a three-pointer near the buzzer, instead of running a play for a layup or mid-range jumper.  Without that particular offensive rebound--and the Hawks' general prowess on the offensive boards all game--the Magic likely would have won Game Six and sent the series back to Orlando.  But now, the Hawks are going to Chicago, and the Magic are going to the golf course.

Hit the jump to read about the two Western Conference games:

NFL Draft Preview: NFC East

Welcome to part five of our eight-part preview of tomorrow's NFL draft (ESPN, 8 P.M.). After focusing on the AFC for the past two days, we will take a look at the NFC over the next two days in four division-by-division increments. We continue our analysis with a preview of the NFC East.

Last year was wildly unpredictable in the NFC East. Preseason favorite Dallas sputtered out of the gates, and were out of contention by mid-October. The Donovan McNabb experiment in Washington was a great story, but his play never materialized and the Redskins once again remained at the bottom of the East. This left two teams, New York and Philadelphia, to battle it out for the division title. Heading into the season, New York had high expectations, and most experts were picking them to finish second in the division and grab an NFC wild-card spot. The Giants were the only team to actually perform as they were expected to in 2010, finishing a respectable 10-6, but missing the playoffs due to tiebreaker rules and a late-season collapse against the Eagles that will forever be remembered as "The Miracle in the New Meadowlands" by Philadelphia faithful. This left the Eagles, led by a resurgent Michael Vick, to surprisingly steal the division title in what was expected to be a slight transition year. With the NFC East appearing to be just as unpredictable in 2011, let's take a look at where each team might be heading early in this year's draft.

NBA Playoffs: Night Ten

Western Conference
Memphis Grizzles (8) @ San Antonio Spurs (1)
4/17: Game One--Grizzlies 101, SPURS 98 (1-0, Memphis)
4/20: Game Two--SPURS 93, Grizzlies 87 (Tie, 1-1)
4/23: Game Three--GRIZZLIES 91, Spurs 88 (2-1, Memphis)
4/25: Game Four--GRIZZLIES 104, Spurs 86 (3-1, Memphis)

Only three times before (1994 Denver Nuggets, 1999 New York Knicks, and 2007 Golden State Warriors) has an 8-seed won its first round series against the top-seed. With last night's win on their home floor, the Memphis Grizzlies are one win away from joining that group and upsetting the West-best San Antonio Spurs. They are not some upstart #1 seed, like the Chicago Bulls in the East. These are the Tim Duncan, Tony Parker (see right), and Manu Ginobili Spurs--the four-time NBA champion Spurs. Yet somehow the Grizzlies--who had never won a playoff game in franchise history before this postseason--are on the verge of sending them packing early. How did this happen. Though many factors enter into the collapse of such a heavy favorite, the primary cause of the Spurs' troubles this time around is the lackluster play of their future Hall of Famer, Tim Duncan. In his illustrious career before this postseason, Duncan averaged 23 points and 12.4 rebounds per game. In the 2011 playoffs, though, "The Big Fundamental" is being held to 12.8 points and 10.3 rebounds per game. The low scoring output is particularly troubling for the Spurs, as it has forced point guard Tony Parker to shoulder more of the scoring burden. As a result, his efficiency has plummeted, and Parker committed seven turnovers in Game Four alone. In the first two Grizzlies' victories, strong play from their front line was the key to victory. Perhaps the issue is not how well the Grizzlies big men are playing, but how poorly the Spurs' big star has performed.

Hit the jump for the rest of the night's action!

Stat of the Day: April 26th

I. Kennedy (ARI): 9 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 10 K vs. Phillies

J. Weaver (LAA): 9 IP, 7 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 10 K vs. Athletics

Ian Kennedy had his best start of the 2011 season
last night in the desert.

Baseball fans saw two complete-game shutouts out West last night, as the Angels' Jered Weaver and the Diamondbacks' Ian Kennedy (see right) tossed gems for their respective teams.  Both pitchers cruised through nine innings, striking out 10 batters along the way.  Kennedy was probably the more impressive pitcher last night just by virtue of his lower WHIP (and higher gamescore, 91 to 82).  Weaver allowed seven hits and a walk, for a game WHIP of 0.88; Kennedy, by contrast, allowed only three hits, for a WHIP of 0.33.  Though both pitchers achieved the shutout, Weaver came closer to giving up a run.  He gave Oakland six at-bats with runners in scoring position, while Kennedy only allowed the Phillies four of those.  For the duration of the young 2011 season, however, Weaver is the one who stands head and shoulders above the competition--including Kennedy.  The Angels' ace is now 6-0, having completed at least six innings in all six of his starts to date.  Weaver also pitched a complete game last time out, and he has allowed more than one earned run in a game only once this season.  Ian Kennedy, by contrast, gave up nine runs in 3.0 innings of work in his third start of the year, so this dominating performance represents a departure from the norm for him.  Either way, both pitchers were outstanding last night, and they are the major reason that their respective teams racked up a "W."

Honorable Mention:

T. Chandler (DAL): 14 points, 20 rebounds (13 offensive) vs. Trailblazers

In the pivotal fifth game of the Mavericks' first round series against Portland, Dallas center Tyson Chandler came up huge in a game his team had to have.  Chandler needed only four field goal attempts to rack up 14 points, as he went 8-12 from the free throw line.  He was most impressive on the boards, though, pulling down 20 rebounds on the night--that's three more than starting Portland big-men Marcus Camby and LaMarcus Aldridge had combined.  Chandler's truly incredible statistic, though, is his offensive rebounds: 13!  While the entire Trailblazers squad grabbed nine offensive boards in Game Five, Chandler pulled in 13 himself.  That led the Mavericks to an 11-rebound advantage on the offensive glass, giving them 11 extra possessions--and 11 extra points, most importantly, for the game.

NBA Playoffs: Weekend Recap

We NBA fans got to watch an incredibly exciting weekend of basketball the past two days, as one series came to a close, a few others were pushed to the brink, a couple of Eastern underdogs staved off elimination (for now), and a couple of favorites out West had trouble handling their lower-seeded opponents.  Chris Paul was the big story on Sunday, with Brandon Roy provided the fireworks on Saturday night.  Hit the jump to get a recap of and interesting stat from all eight NBA games this weekend.

NBA Playoffs: Night Six

Eastern Conference
Indiana Pacers (8) vs, Chicago Bulls (1)
4/16: Game One--BULLS 104, Pacers 99 (1-0, Chicago)
4/18: Game Two--BULLS 96, Pacers 90 (2-0, Chicago)
4/21: Game Three--BULLS 88, Pacers 84 (3-0, Chicago)

The Bulls' strong play inside was too much
for Hibbert and the Pacers last night

Last night saw another ultra-close game in what I never thought would be a close series. Granted, the Bulls now have a commanding 3-0 lead; every game has been close, however, and the Pacers have shown that they can play 48 minutes of quality basketball against the East's top seed on a nightly basis. In every game, though, a Bulls players has come through big in the clutch to secure the win, and last night it was Derrick Rose hitting a driving layup with four defenders draped on him and under 20 seconds left in the game. The fact that he could even penetrate like that shows the big flaw for the Pacers all night long: mediocre play from their big men. Center Roy Hibbert and power forward Tyler Hansbrough each shot 3-12 from the floor, combining for only 16 points. They also weren't much of a force in the paint, with only 12 rebounds between them. Though those numbers are barely below their season averages (12.7 rebounds combined), that just isn't enough against a team like the Bulls. Most alarmingly for the Pacers, the team was outscored significantly when their two big men were on the floor. In 31 minutes of action, Hansbrough had a -13 +/- rating, as D-Rose and Co. slashed to the bucket all night long--including when it counted most.

Philadelphia 76ers (7) @ Miami Heat (2)
4/16: Game One--HEAT 97, 76ers 89 (1-0, Miami)
4/18: Game Two--HEAT 94, 76ers 73 (2-0, Miami)
4/21: Game Three--HEAT 100, 76ers 94 (3-0, Miami)
On a night when only eight players saw action for the Heat (even Mike Miller was a "DNP--Coach's Decision") and the bench contributed only 12 points, Dwayne Wade stepped up and led his team to a close road victory. The game was tight all night, and Philadelphia even had an eight-point lead in the third quarter. D-Wade was just too much for the less-talented 76ers, though, as he nearly got a triple-double. He shot 10-19 from the field and hit all 12 of his free throws en route to a game-high 32 points. Wade also grabbed 10 rebounds and dished out 8 assists--he even got a couple blocks for good measure. The task of guarding D-Wade seemed to tire out Andre Iguodala, who shot just 3-10 for the game. An honorable mention in last night's game goes--little surprise here--to LeBron James. He also made more than half of his field goal attempts (8-15, 24 points) and pulled down a game-high 15 rebounds to go with six assists. The Sixers showed some fight after a horrible Game Two performance, but the Heat's big stars were just too hot to handle.

Western Conference
Portland Trailblazers (6) @ Dallas Mavericks (3)
4/16: Game One--MAVERICKS 89, Trailblazers 81 (1-0, Dallas)
4/19: Game Two--MAVERICKS 101, Trailblazers 89 (2-0, Dallas)
4/21: Game Three--TRAILBLAZERS 97, Mavericks 92 (2-1, Dallas)
In cutting the Mavs' series lead to 2-1, Portland has gotten themselves back in the series--but they have to win Game Four as well to have a legitimate shot at the upset. After a rough Game Two in Dallas, Brandon Roy played a key role in the Trailblazers' Game Three win. Though Roy went scoreless in only eight minutes played on Tuesday night, he scored 16 points on 60% shooting and four assists in a nice rebound effort last night. Roy was critical to the Blazers' balanced scoring that led them two a hard-fought victory over the unbalanced Mavericks in Game Three. Portland had four players (Roy, Wesley Matthews, Andre Miller, and LaMarcus Aldridge) with at least 16 points scored. By contrast, the Mavericks had only two players (Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Terry) in double-figures. Shawn Marion and Jason Kidd combined for only 17 points and four assists, well below their season averages of 20.4 points and 9.6 assists per game. Those two players need to step, back up if the Mavericks are going to hold off the Blazers in this series.

Rotation Rankings: Week 3

Previous Rankings: Week 1 | Week 2

Week three of our Rotation Rankings: the statistical ranking of every rotation in Major League Baseball. For a better explanation, check out our debut rankings. More a fan of offense? Check out our Leadoff Rankings, based on every teams' first and second batters. As we get further into the season, these rankings are based mostly on season performance, with a small bias towards this week's performance when two teams were very comparable.

G: Games; ERA: Earned Run Average; WHIP: (Walks + Hits)/Innings Pitched; GS: Game Score; K/BB: Strikeout-to-walk ratio; K/9: Strikeouts per nine innings

30. (LW: 26) New York Mets (5-13)
This Week: 1-6, 5.80 ERA, 1.74 WHIP, 41.9 GS, 1.32 K/BB, 5.58 K/9
Season Stats: 4-10, 5.68 ERA, 1.63 WHIP, 44.3 GS, 1.58 K/BB, 6.96 K/9
R.A. Dickey became the first Mets starter to make it into the eighth inning last night, but he still managed to let up four runs on eight hits to the lowly Astros.

29. (LW: 27) Arizona Diamondbacks (8-8)
This Week: 2-2, 5.22 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, 47.8 GS, 2.36 K/BB, 7.98 K/9
Season Stats: 5-7, 5.65 ERA, 1.48 WHIP, 45.8 GS, 1.87 K/BB, 6.92 K/9
Not much changed this week for the D-Backs' starting rotation. Though they are striking batters out at a higher rate (almost 8 K/9), the staff ERA is still above 5.50 and their WHIP remains in the bottom half of the league.

28. (LW: 14) Cincinnati Reds (9-9)
This Week: 1-4, 7.92 ERA, 1.76 WHIP, 38.7 GS, 2.14 K/BB, 8.80 K/9
Season Stats: 7-5, 5.35 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, 48.4 GS, 2.62 K/BB, 8.64 K/9
On four occasions in the last week, a Reds starter allowed five or more runs in a game. That includes a 3.1-inning, six-run outing from from youngster Travis Wood, who has a 5.73 ERA on the season.

(For number 27 all the way to #1, hit the jump!)

NBA Playoffs: Night Four

Eastern Conference

New York Knicks (6) @ Boston Celtics (3)

4/17: Game One--CELTICS 87, Knicks 85 (1-0, Boston)

4/19: Game Two--CELTICS 96, Knicks 93 (2-0, Boston)

Carmelo was great in Game Two, but
the Knicks still blew it in crunch time

Another tough loss for the Knickerbockers.  Mike D'Antoni's squad was without Chauncey Billups for the whole game and without Amare Stoudemire for the last two and a half quarters, as well.  Despite the adversity, the Knicks had a real chance to pull out a win in Boston, but once again their late-game execution was not up to par.  For his valiant efforts, though, the stat line of the game goes to Carmelo Anthony.  With the New York media saying that Melo had to step up in Game Two, the Knicks' newest superstar did just that.  In 44 minutes, Anthony poured in a game-high 42 points on only 30 field goal attempts (14-30 FG, 4-8 3PT, 10-11 FT).  He also pulled down 17 boards (including five on the offensive glass), dished out six assists, and got two blocks.  Though Carmelo was the center of the Knicks' offense all night long--especially in the second half with Amare out with back spasms--he only turned the ball over once.  He also spent a lot less time in 10-second isolation sets and more time slashing to the bucket and working with his teammates.  The Knicks kept the game close the whole way, immediately responding to a 12-2 Celtics run late in the third quarter with their own 15-2 burst to take the lead with eight minutes remaining.  Late-game execution was a huge problem, yet again, for the Knicks.  With under 20 seconds to go, nobody came to double team Kevin Garnett as he backed down--and then scored over--the Knicks' beanpole of a center, Jared Jeffries.  On the ensuing Knicks possession, Jeffries turned the ball over trying to make a feed inside, and the C's had the ball with a one-point lead and 4.3 seconds to go.  Then, showing a complete lack of intensity and focus, the Knicks took 3.5 seconds to foul Delonte West after the inbounds pass, effectively handing the game to Boston.  Maybe playing at home the next two games will finally get the Knicks over the top, but they better hope the games aren't close--because they looked lost in the final minute last night.

Atlanta Hawks (5) @ Orlando Magic (4)
4/16: Game One--Hawks 103, MAGIC 93 (1-0, Atlanta)
4/19: Game Two--MAGIC 88, Hawks 82 (Tied 1-1)
Just like in Game One, Dwight Howard was the focal point of the Magic offense; in Game Two, though, his strong play propelled Orlando to victory.  Howard posted 33 points and 19 rebounds--eight on the offensive boards--on only 12 field goal attempts.  The victory was also made possible by a marginally better performance from Superman's supporting cast.  Orlando had five other players with at least eight points scored, and Jameer Nelson came up big even on a poor shooting night.  He grabbed eight rebounds while out-hustling Kirk Hinrich all night for a +12 +/- rating.  The Magic needed everybody not named Dwight to step up, and they did.  Orlando needed a win in Game Two to even the series heading to Atlanta, and they got it.  From the get-go, you could see that Orlando was playing with more hustle and more aggressiveness.  They pulled in seven more offensive boards than the Hawks did, leading to 15 second chance points in the first half alone.  The Magic also missed only seven free throws in 36 attempts, while the Hawks missed six in only 17 attempts.  By creating extra shots for themselves, both in the paint and at the free throw line, the Magic were able to grind out this low-scoring affair.  Though that may sound like a winning formula, I also wonder what would happen to Orlando's fortunes if Superman had a rare off-night.


Western Conference

Portland Trailblazers (6) @ Dallas Mavericks (3)
4/16: Game One--MAVERICKS 89, Trailblazers 81 (1-0, Dallas)
4/19: Game Two-MAVERICKS 101, Trailblazers 89 (2-0, Dallas)

Heading into last night's Game Two in Dallas, the biggest storyline wasn't about the players--it was about the officiating.  Mavs fans were steamed that Danny Crawford would be officiating their game because the Mavericks were only 2-16 in playoff games that Crawford worked.  Fortunately, all that nonsense was put to rest last night, as the Trailblazers shot only one more free throw than the Mavericks.  Instead, the star players on each time filled up the box score in a game that was closer than the final score implies.  For the Mavs, Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Kidd (see above) combined for 51 points on 16-33 shooting (48.5%).  They also totaled 11 rebounds and 12 assists, with only one turnover all game.  The stars were shining brightly for the visiting Trailblazers, as well.  LaMarcus Aldridge and newly-acquired Gerald Wallace piled up 42 points by shooting 51.7% from the floor.  They also had 17 rebounds, 8 assists, and only three turnovers.  The difference in the game, though, was ball control.  The Mavericks pulled down three more offensive rebounds than the Blazers did (10 versus seven), and they turned the ball over six fewer times (six versus 12).  That comes out to nine additional possessions for Dallas, which Dirk, Kidd, & Co. used to turn a one-point lead through three quarters into a comfortable victory at the American Airlines Center.

NBA Playoffs: Nights One and Two

Now that a full weekend of playoff basketball is in the books, and every series has seen at least one game played, let's look back at the first weekend of the NBA playoffs.  Each series has played Game One, and Game Two for half of the series is tonight--the other half play tomorrow.  Though the results of the first game in a best-of-seven series do not necessarily foreshadow the remaining three to seven games, key trends start to develop and key players begin to emerge as difference makers. So with that in mind, let's take a look back at the first weekend of games, and we'll identify a stat line of each game as well.