NBA Power Rankings: The Most Clutch 4th-Quarter Teams in the NBA
The concept of clutch is one that is open to interpretation, yet when discussing who thrives down the stretch, certain players immediately come to mind. But is it the same for teams in general?
The fourth quarter is the time when stars shine and imitators fade; it is the time when the genuinely clutch come through.
And while a truly clutch player is hard to find, consistent performances during an entire period of crunch time—from an entire unit—are an even rarer commodity.
What Constitutes Being Clutch?
1 of 12Clutch is a broader concept with regard to an entire team instead of an individual player.
Success in crunch time does not consist solely of buzzer-beaters, but rather a squad's effort as a whole. Under these circumstances, coming through in the clutch refers to both a team's ability to overcome a fourth-quarter deficit, as well as its ability to maintain a lead.
Come-from-behind victories are great, but maintaining a lead down the stretch is just as important.
How Will We Measure It?
2 of 12We are going to take an experimental approach when measuring a team's clutch rating from here on out.
Since clutch refers to a team's ability to both overcome a deficit and maintain a lead, we will measure an organization's fourth-quarter capabilities by how it has fared under each circumstance.
We will calculate a team's winning percentage—rounded to the nearest thousandth—when trailing the opposition heading into the fourth quarter, and subtract from it that same team's losing percentage when entering the final period with a lead.
We will then multiply that number by 100 to give us a cleaner clutch power ranking.
Holding a tie heading into the fourth quarter will be viewed as a push, and it will have neither positive nor adverse effects on the end result.
The better a team has been at overcoming deficits and maintaining leads this season, the higher its clutch rating should be. So, in theory, the most adept fourth-quarter teams should have a positive score, from zero to 100.
10. Boston Celtics
3 of 12Record when trailing into fourth quarter: 3-10
Winning Percentage: .231
Record when leading into fourth quarter: 12-2
Losing Percentage: .143
Difference: .088 x 100 = 8.8
Clutch Rating: 8.8
Paul Pierce is easily one of the most clutch players in the game and helps the Celtics nab the No. 10 spot here.
That said, the system suggests that his team, as a whole, isn't known for its fourth-quarter heroics as much as he is.
9. Indiana Pacers
4 of 12Record when trailing into fourth quarter: 2-9
Winning Percentage: .182
Record when leading into fourth quarter: 14-1
Losing Percentage: .067
Difference: .115 x 100 = 11.5
Clutch Rating: 11.5
The Pacers have not proved to be clutch in the fourth quarter as of late, but they remain one of the better closers in the league, especially when holding a lead into the fourth quarter.
Thus far, Indiana wins less than 20 percent of the time when trailing after the third quarter, but its dominance in holding a lead has rendered its score one of the highest in the league.
8. Los Angeles Lakers
5 of 12Record when trailing into fourth quarter: 3-9
Winning Percentage: .250
Record when leading into fourth quarter: 14-2
Losing Percentage: .125
Difference: .125 x 100 = 12.5
Clutch Rating: 12.5
Even more so than Paul Pierce, Kobe Bryant has a knack for hitting game-winners. As a team, the Lakers excel at maintaining leads, but they struggle to overcome deficits in the last quarter of the game.
Los Angeles has one of the most clutch players in Bryant, and although the team cracks the top 10 here, one would expect it to be higher than the eighth seed.
7. Atlanta Hawks
6 of 12Record when trailing into fourth quarter: 3-9
Winning Percentage: .250
Record when leading into fourth quarter: 15-2
Losing Percentage: .118
Difference: .132 x 100 = 13.2
Clutch Rating: 13.2
The Hawks have proved to be one of the better teams at closing out games this season. They rarely suffer defeat when entering the fourth quarter with a lead, and they have been able to steal the occasional victory by coming from behind.
Had it not been for its disappointing display against the Lakers, Atlanta's clutch rating would have been much higher.
6. Los Angeles Clippers
7 of 12Record when trailing into fourth quarter: 3-6
Winning Percentage: .333
Record when leading into fourth quarter: 13-3
Losing Percentage: .188
Difference: .145 x 100 = 14.5
Clutch Rating: 14.5
The Clippers no longer boast the likes of Chauncey "Mr. Big Shot" Billups, but they have still proven to come up big in the fourth quarter.
Los Angeles' ability to come from behind in the final period appears to be better than others, and it finds itself among the league's most clutch fourth-quarter organizations.
5. Orlando Magic
8 of 12Record when trailing into fourth quarter: 4-9
Winning percentage: .308
Record when leading into fourth quarter: 13-2
Losing Percentage: .133
Difference: .175 x 100 = 17.5
Clutch Rating: 17.5
The Magic have been a roller coaster of a team thus far, but on most occasions, they haven't allowed their lead to vanish heading into the fourth quarter.
Perhaps more impressive, though, is the team's ability to win after trailing into the fourth quarter. Most will argue that 4-9 is nothing to brag about, yet after seeing how the rest of the top teams have struggled to come from behind, Orlando's record is a step above.
4. Miami Heat
9 of 12Record when trailing into fourth quarter: 2-4
Winning Percentage: .333
Record when leading into fourth quarter: 21-3
Losing Percentage: .125
Difference: .208 x 100 = 20.8
Clutch Rating: 20.8
LeBron James' tendency to disappear during crunch time hasn't been as prevalent as it has been in the past, and it reflects in the Heat's clutch rating.
Miami is nearly unbeatable when holding onto a lead in the fourth quarter, and its chances of overcoming a deficit—at about one out of three—aren't that unfavorable either.
3. Chicago Bulls
10 of 12Record when trailing into fourth quarter: 2-7
Winning Percentage: .222
Record when leading into fourth quarter: 22-0
Losing Percentage: 0
Difference: .222 x 100 = 22.2
Clutch Rating: 22.2
While teams like the Heat and Magic have been nearly unbeatable when holding a lead into the fourth quarter, the Bulls actually have been unbeatable.
Chicago has not allowed a come-from-behind loss during crunch time this season, which has enabled it to overcome its less-than-flashy record when trailing down the stretch.
With or without Derrick Rose, the Bulls are one of the most clutch fourth-quarter teams in the NBA.
2. Oklahoma City Thunder
11 of 12Record when trailing into fourth quarter: 2-4
Winning Percentage: .333
Record when leading into fourth quarter: 19-2
Losing Percentage: .095
Difference: .238 x 100 = 23.8
Clutch Rating: 23.8
For all the talk about Kevin Durant's lack of assertion down the stretch, the Thunder have emerged as one of the league's best teams in crunch time.
Oklahoma City rarely hands over the lead when it's in its possession heading into the fourth quarter, and the likelihood of overcoming a late deficit has proved greater for the Thunder than most other teams.
When it comes to the fourth quarter, Oklahoma City has proved early on that it is up to whichever task is thrown its way.
1. San Antonio Spurs
12 of 12Record when trailing into fourth quarter: 5-7
Winning Percentage: .412
Record when leading into fourth quarter: 14-1
Losing Percentage: .067
Difference: .345 x 100 = 34.5
Clutch Rating: 34.5
No other team even came close to touching the Spurs' fourth-quarter accolades.
San Antonio has only lost once after holding a lead into the final period and has maintained a respectable come-from-behind ratio as well.
Many counted the Spurs out prior to the start of the season, but the veteran-laden team has more than proved that it can thrive under pressure as well as anyone.
