Skip to content

Breakdown · Fri, Dec 12 · Regular season · BKN game 24 · DAL game 26

Nets111atMavericks119

The Mavericks won by 8. 23 lead changes, 16 ties. Biggest run: DAL 9-0 run, Q2 5:23-4:13.

FinalBox scoreShot chart

01Line score

TeamQ1Q2Q3Q4Final
Nets33283119111
Mavericks32332529119

02How the lead moved

23 lead changes · 16 ties
DAL 9-0 run, Q2 5:23-4:13+15+10+5Tied+5+10+15Q1Q2Q3Q4DAL aheadBKN aheadTiedTiedTiedTiedTiedTiedTiedTiedTiedTiedTiedTiedTiedTiedTiedTiedLead change: DAL 10-9Lead change: BKN 15-12Lead change: DAL 24-23Lead change: BKN 33-32Lead change: DAL 43-41Lead change: BKN 44-43Lead change: DAL 45-44Lead change: BKN 46-45Lead change: DAL 50-48Lead change: BKN 70-68Lead change: DAL 71-70Lead change: BKN 73-71Lead change: DAL 79-78Lead change: BKN 80-79Lead change: DAL 82-80Lead change: BKN 83-82Lead change: DAL 84-83Lead change: BKN 87-86Lead change: DAL 88-87Lead change: BKN 92-90Lead change: DAL 97-94Lead change: BKN 99-97Lead change: DAL 102-101DAL +8BKN +5
DAL leads BKN leads lead change tie biggest run (DAL)
  • Largest leadDAL +8 · BKN +5
  • Lead changes / ties23 / 16
  • Biggest runDAL 9-0 run, Q2 5:23-4:13
  • Other runBKN 10-1 run, Q1 0:17 to Q2 10:41
  • Other runDAL 9-1 run, Q4 2:50-0:24

Loading win probability…

03Four factors and why they won

FactorBKNDALEdge
Effective FG%Shooting, with 3s worth 1.5 makes55.2%54.3%BKN
Turnover %Turnovers per 100 plays15.3%11.9%DAL
Offensive rebound %Share of own misses rebounded22.5%20.9%BKN
Free throw rateFree throws made per shot18.6%18.1%BKN

Why the Mavericks won

  • Made more 2s, 36-22, worth about 28 points.
  • Won the turnover battle 17-14, worth about 3 points.

Rough point values from simple rules. See How this works at the bottom.

04Top performers

By Game Score

05Where they shot from

This game vs regular season

Nets

ZoneFGShareSeason shareFG% vs season
At the rim16-2630%31%62% vs 63%
Paint6-1821%17%33% vs 40%
Midrange0-33%7%0% vs 37%
Corner 37-1214%12%58% vs 37%
Above-the-break 310-2731%34%37% vs 33%

Mavericks

ZoneFGShareSeason shareFG% vs season
At the rim24-4043%31%60% vs 65%
Paint9-1819%22%50% vs 45%
Midrange3-66%12%50% vs 39%
Corner 33-1415%11%21% vs 37%
Above-the-break 37-1617%25%44% vs 33%

Share is the percent of the team's shots from that zone. Season numbers are the team's full regular season, also for playoff games. Blue means 5 or more points above its season number, red means 5 or more below. See every shot on the game shot chart

How this works

Where the numbers come from. The line score and every scoring change come from ESPN's play-by-play, loaded the morning after the game. The margin chart plots the home team's lead after each score against game time. Team totals and player lines come from Courtside's box scores.

Runs. A run starts with one team's basket and ends with its last basket before the other team scores more than 2 points. It needs at least 8 points, and we rank runs by net points, so a 14-0 run beats a 15-2 run.

Why they won. Simple rules, not a model. Each extra turnover forced and each extra offensive rebound is one more possession, worth about 1.1 points because NBA teams score about 1.1 points per possession. Each extra 3 made is worth 3, each extra 2 made is worth 2 and each extra free throw made is worth 1. We show the three biggest gaps in the winner's favor worth at least 2 points. They overlap (an extra possession often becomes one of those extra makes), so they don't add up to the final margin.

Four factors are Dean Oliver's: effective FG% (a 3 counts as 1.5 makes), turnovers per 100 plays, the share of your own misses you rebound, and free throws made per shot. Game Score is John Hollinger's one-number box score: points plus credit for makes, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks, minus missed shots, fouls and turnovers. About 10 is a solid game and 30 is a great one.

What we checked. Across 1,322 loaded games, the ESPN line score added up to our final score in 100.0% of them and the play-by-play reached the final score on its own in 99.2% (for the rest, a few late scores were missing, so the chart jumps to the official final at the buzzer). To test the possession value, we fit final margin on the turnover, offensive rebound, shooting (effective FG%) and free throw gaps over 1,315 games: each turnover was worth 1.01 points and each offensive rebound 1.05 (the fit explains 95% of margins). That is a little under the 1.1 we use, so those two bullets can run about 5 to 10% high.

What it can't see. A live-ball turnover that becomes a fast-break dunk costs more than one out of bounds; the rules value them the same. Garbage time, foul trouble, injuries and matchups are not in these numbers. Shot zones only count shots ESPN logged with a location, and the season numbers cover the whole regular season, including games played after this one.