Why Do 20+ Point Leads Keep Getting Blown?

[Potential]

Game of runs

[DimesandKnicks]

Teams forgot they can post up or/and the real mismatch is the 7 footer being guarded by the pg not the pg being guarded by the C. Get you an easy two points and slow the game down

[doogie_hauser]

Is it really a bad thing for the game when we see teams come back from 20 plus point holes instead of being blown away by 30/40 points plus on a regular basis (which happened in the past)

[Sofia]

Because your mom is in town.


Also, the higher volume of 3 pointers and slightly increased pace compared to previous years make it more likely for a sudden deluge of points, which is harder for a defence to withstand.

And speaking of the ability to withstand a sudden deluge,

Spoiler:

your mom.

[kyledriver]

Pure stupidity for the most part, teams don't play smart basketball, especially down the stretch. Keep jacking up threes and taking quick shots... The NBA 2k era

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[Beethoven]

In 2030:

Announcer: "Not sure why they're trying to eat up the seconds on the clock now, they still got five minutes left in the game and they're only up by 30 points.."

[1993Playoffs]

I don’t get it either. I almost expect it to get blown now.

[robbie84]

It's the 3 point shot, but not just the 3 point shots going in, it's the rebounding and transition points that come from three point shooting.
The Celtics had this issue vs the Knicks...when 3 point attempts are missed, it leads to easy transition baskets which include wide open 3 point shots for the opponent and layup in 3 v2 or 2v1 situations.

[durden_tyler]

Because they want the other team to cover the spread but win the game— but then this blows up on their faces and they actually lose the game and not just the spread

But seriously, look it up, there are some backdoor covers that are so funny you know which teams/players not to trust because you know they know the Vegas lines that night.


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[vxmike]

Similarly, why does home court not mean anything anymore? The 5 lowest league wide home winning % in league history have all occurred since 2020. Road teams in this postseason are damn near .500 (34-38).

Obviously the increase in threes plays a hand in both.

Teams don’t play hard in the regular season anymore so the teams with home court aren’t necessarily the best teams like it used to be.

[Lalouie]

it started with steph

it became a thing with him. kids started emulating him - that was 10years ago. so now those kids are in college

the 3 was a luxury 10yrs ago. today it's a commodity

the 3 is a streaky shot and it begats streaky scoring. any announcer who says, and i'm hearing more often,,,"it was an open 3" is full of sh*** because the 3 is still not as consistent as the 2

[kaansunman]

For the normal season, fast paced basketball and three point shooting. Defenses are much much lighter (also officiating) compare to play-offs. Whole year is like a pick up basketball game so anything can happen.

We can't say it's a general thing for the playoffs, it's a specail tactic for Knicks to win on the road. That's why Thibs didn't take a time-out from 42-35 to 55-35. They start much better when they have nothing else to loose. Same for the Pacers' 1 minute 9 point comebacks.

[Dominator83]

I still don't know how the 2010 Celtics blew a 15 point lead in game 7! In that slugfest defensive grind house game, a 15 point lead was like a 30 point lead today.

[The Servant]

three pointers

First answer is best answer

[Sofia]

I still don't know how the 2010 Celtics blew a 15 point lead in game 7! In that slugfest defensive grind house game, a 15 point lead was like a 30 point lead today.

4th quarter free throw attempts

[Liam_Gallagher]

Threes, and more specifically, the 14-second shot clock after an offensive rebound.

Almost always leads to a 3.

[bledredwine]

Dumb ass modern players and stubborn coaches. It’s not just threes. Most teams are missing smart veteran point guards to calm the team down on the court and go back to running the offense instead of panic isoing or panic chucking. It’s maddening to watch as a basketball fan

In a KG interview, he discussed when he knew the era had changed and stated that at half time literally everyone was on their phones instead of game planning to get better. It’s on YT.

[Ritzo]

I was just watching the 2012 NBA Finals Game 5 an hour ago. OKC was down by 20 points with 4 minutes remaining left in the 4th quarter, and the OKC already waived the towel. That's still very winnable today

[AdamSSSlither]

fast pace offenses that dont burn clock even w/ a 20+ point lead.

3 point shots.

poor defense.

momentum swings are huge in nba. hence coaches supposed to call t.o. to try to stop it.

[BrianInPhilly]

I notice a lot the winning team in these scenarios stop attacking, stop being aggressive, and even sometimes it is because of a negative "let's regroup" "let's calm down" "let's slow down" "We're cool let's STOP pressing" mentality that are all counterintuitive especially for a fast-paced team like the Pacers. Essentially guys play less free, more nervous, run down the shot clock more, and think that "being calm" internally should be manifested by playing chill externally (subconscious thing usually) ... Teams that hold leads still play fast, still be aggressive, still have that dog in them.