There are playoff wins that swing a series. And then there are performances that end one. On Saturday afternoon in Phoenix, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander delivered the…
Tag: NBA Playoffs
Picking the Playoffs: Can the Algorithm Survive Game 3 Chaos?
If the NBA playoffs are a chess match, then Game 3 is where the board gets flipped. After cruising through the early part of the…
View More Picking the Playoffs: Can the Algorithm Survive Game 3 Chaos?Picking the Playoffs: Adjustments, Adversity, and the Road Test of Game 3
There’s a moment in every postseason where the numbers stop feeling like gospel and start feeling like a guide. We may have hit that point.…
View More Picking the Playoffs: Adjustments, Adversity, and the Road Test of Game 3Crowned and Commanding: Shai Leads Thunder to 2–0 Series Grip with Game 2 Victory
The coronation came before tip-off. The statement followed immediately after. On a night when Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was presented with the NBA’s Clutch Player of the…
View More Crowned and Commanding: Shai Leads Thunder to 2–0 Series Grip with Game 2 VictoryPicking the Playoffs: Game 2 Reality Check as Chaos Meets Our Prediction Model
If the first wave of these NBA playoffs has taught us anything, it’s this: truth doesn’t care about our prediction model. Coming off Tuesday night,…
View More Picking the Playoffs: Game 2 Reality Check as Chaos Meets Our Prediction ModelThe Math Problem: Why Game 2 Still Tilts Heavily Toward the Thunder
For the Oklahoma City Thunder, the numbers suggest Sunday night wasn’t an outlier—it was a projection realized in real time. Ahead of tonight’s Game 2…
View More The Math Problem: Why Game 2 Still Tilts Heavily Toward the ThunderGame 2 Pressure: How the Thunder’s Possession Dominance Already Has Phoenix on the Brink
The first punch in a playoff series doesn’t always decide the outcome. But sometimes, it tells you exactly what kind of fight you’re in. For…
View More Game 2 Pressure: How the Thunder’s Possession Dominance Already Has Phoenix on the BrinkPicking The Playoffs | Game 2 Reality Check: Adjustments, Pressure Points, and Where the Model Still Holds
The deeper you get into the NBA Playoffs, the less forgiving the numbers become. Monday night proved that. After tweaking the algorithm to better account…
View More Picking The Playoffs | Game 2 Reality Check: Adjustments, Pressure Points, and Where the Model Still HoldsThunder 119, Suns 84 — A Statement, Not Just a Win
The defending champs didn’t just open their title defense—they sent a message. And if Game 1 is any indication, the Oklahoma City Thunder look less…
View More Thunder 119, Suns 84 — A Statement, Not Just a WinPicking The Playoffs | Game 1 Predictions and What the Numbers Say About Saturday’s Slate
There are two ways to pick NBA playoff games in April. The first is the traditional route—gut instinct, highlight bias, and a vague sense of…
View More Picking The Playoffs | Game 1 Predictions and What the Numbers Say About Saturday’s Slate