Miami Heat: Is The Three-Point Line Breaking Basketball?
In Game 1 of the Dallas vs. Golden State series, the Warriors shoot 34 percent from downtown to the Mavericks 22 percent.
“But Colton, the second game was close with a big comeback,” says the reader at this point.
True, but the same wild swings took place in the second game, the likes of which we have seen from game to game everywhere else.
The Mavericks scored 72 points in the first half and shot 55 percent from three, while the Warriors roared back with 68 points in the second half, shooting 46 percent from three.
Still not convinced?
Go back further into the playoffs.
In Game 7 of their last series, Boston outshoots the Milwaukee Bucks by knocking down 40 percent to 12 percent in a double-digit victory. In a crushing win, the Mavericks closed out the Phoenix Suns shooting 48 percent from deep to their 35 percent.
Going back further in time, you can find evidence like Game 5 in the Warriors vs. Memphis, where the Grit n’ Grind Grizz outshot The Bay, 43-33, in a lopsided outing.
Now, I’m not going so far as to say the hot shooting is the only reason these teams are here. The opening two rounds featured plenty of tight contests, the types of games we remember years from now fondly.
It is also no accident the last four teams on the table all finished inside the top seven in defensive rating in the regular season.