Games like this are interesting in that the two teams playing are pursuing fundamentally different goals. Furthermore, because these goals are so diametrically opposed, the game’s outcome either means that both teams win or both lose. Coming into last night’s game, Indiana was riding a 15-game losing streak to the best lottery odds available in the upcoming draft, but more losing needs to be done to secure that position. At the same time, San Antonio entered the game with long-shot odds of catching the Thunder for first seed in the West. As such, a Pacers win would have been a disappointment for both sides, even if it would have given Indiana’s players and fans a welcome respite. Fortunately, the Spurs won handily, and both teams got exactly what they needed to continue pursuing their goals this season.
Because the game was characterized by a 13-point first quarter blowout followed by a steady march to victory, the box score differentials achieved in this contest weren’t especially gaudy. Even so, there are a number of striking highlights to consider:
What are Team Graded Box Scores?
Very briefly, these box scores grade winner-loser differentials for basic box score statistics, with the grade being based on the winning team’s differential relative to other NBA winners during a defined reference period. Think of it like a report card for understanding how a given winner performed relative to other winners. The reference period used runs from the start of the 2012-2013 season to the latest date of play, including only games in the same season category (i.e., regular season and playoff games are not compared to each other).
Data Source: The underlying data used to create these box scores was collected from Basketball Reference. In all cases, the data are collected the morning after the game is played. Although rare, postgame statistical revisions after data collection do occur and may affect the results after the fact.