Chicago Bulls: Is Ben Gordon Really Mr. Fourth Quarter?

"Mr. Fourth Quarter did a great job tonight making plays."

Last Thursday I attended the Bulls vs. Blazers game and got a chance to watch "Mr. Fourth Quarter" in action as the Bulls battled the Blazers into double OT. Big shot after big shot fell for Gordon—until his final attempt.

Guarded by Brandon Roy, Gordon made a quick move then went up for the shot. Roy put his arms up for the block, but did not touch the ball. Some sort of strange magic was afoot, as the ball drifted out of Gordon's hands just as he elevated. Next thing I knew, Gordon had fouled Jarret Jack on the opposing end and the Bulls had lost.

The detective in me got his interest piqued following the debacle, and I decided to do a thorough investigation of Gordon's career to see if he deserved the noble title Mr. Redd had given him. Starting with 2004-05, when he was the first-ever rookie to win the Sixth Man of the Year Award, I sorted through the details to uncover the truth.

Despite being the third overall pick in the draft, Gordon started only three games as a rookie, coming off the bench behind fellow rookie (pick No. 37) Chris Duhon and Kirk Hinrich. Many rookie lottery picks would sulk if they lost their starting spot to a second rounder—Gordon, on the other hand, took the high road, apparently understanding that the decision was made to give the Bulls the best chance to win.

Overall, his first year numbers were nothing earth-shattering: 15.1 PPG, 2 APG and 2.7 RPG. What was special was his uncanny ability to have victory-saving fourth quarters.

To prove my claim, I turned, as usual, to mathematics' least-refined and most-exploited school: statistics. I began by looking for splits by quarter, to see how Gordon's numbers compared across each 15-minute segment. For some cruel reason, stats by quarter are not regularly kept.

The best proxy I could find was on 82games.com, in their Clutch Statistics section. Clutch is defined as, "in the 4th quarter or overtime, less than 5 minutes left, neither team ahead by more than 5 points." These precious moments are when the game's result is still dangerously undefined. Players that find a way to excel in these moments end up immortalized in the minds of fans.

There is no live NBA spectator experience more brag-worthy than watching a ball fly through the air as the clock expires, not even touching the netting as it floats back to earth, with the shooter's team winning by one.

If you don't believe me, ask anyone who saw a last-second Jordan shot. Pay attention as a fire lights up in their pupils and they become exceedingly animated, most likely personally reenacting the shot as they tell their tale.

Since Elvis left the United Center, the Bulls have been hard pressed to find guys to fill the role of preeminent, ballsy late game performer. Elton Brand? For whatever reason, big men rarely are the ones to score game winning baskets (see Tim Duncan & Shaq). Ron Mercer? Uh, next. Jalen Rose? Maybe, MAYBE, at Michigan… Unfortunately, Chris Webber somewhat denied him the chance to really prove himself. As a pro all he proved to be was an overpaid prima donna, not someone to make a big basket.

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