Hustle Points Determine Outcome Of Warriors-Thunder Series
OAKLAND (CBS SF) – While Steph Curry's long distance bombs and Kevin Durant's silky smooth moves captive fans during the NBA Western Conference Finals, the difference between who will win or who will lose rest with something much more basic.
They are called hustle points. A seemingly favorite term so easily uttered by television analysts, but something that will never replace the thunderous dunk or game-clinching 3-point bomb on an ESPN highlight.
The Golden State Warriors and Oklahoma City Thunder find themselves deadlocked at 1-1 in the best-of-seven NBA Western Conference showdown for a trip to the NBA Finals.
A close look at the hustle points will reveal why the first two games have had a very different outcomes.
OKC shocked the Warriors by winning the opener 108-102. Golden State followed with a 118-91 victory on Wednesday.
Let's take a deep sports list dive into the hustle points to see why.
According to the sports data tracking firm, Sportradar US, there are four facets of the game make up the formula for offensive hustle points.
They are second-chance points, points off turnovers, points in the paint and fast break points.
In the opener, Warriors had a slight upper hand when it came to fast breaks points (23-21) and points scored in the points (46-40).
Oklahoma City, meanwhile, had a 20-17 advantage in points off turnovers.
But it's the next stat where the game turned. It was on the offensive glass where the Thunder proved to be so dominating.
When it came to second chance points, the Thunder held a commanding 15-2 edge. That's right the Warriors scored just 2 points off the offensive glass.
Now, let's take a look at Game 2 and why the Warriors were able to cruise to a more than a 30-point lead at one point.
Again, the team's battled to a near draw when it came to fast break points (OKC held a 13-10 point advantage) and the Warriors had a 48-42 advantage on points in the paint.
The onslaught began on the offensive glass and points off turnovers.
In a complete reversal of Game One, Golden State held a 15-2 advantage in second chance points. When it came to points off turnovers, the Warriors nearly doubled up OKC by a 23-12 margin.
So while Curry and Durant will certainly be the broadcast focus of attention when the teams tip off for Game 3 on Sunday, it will be the behind the scenes battle that will determine which team will walk off the court victorious.