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Three For All: A Retrospective

April 26, 2012  ·  7:35AM

by Micah Hart

The 2011-12 NBA regular season will come to an end tonight, and one thing we can say for sure is the compressed 66-game slate certainly gave teams their share of challenges. Chief among those (in our eyes at least) were the back-to-back-to-back series that every team faced at least once throughout the year, a chore that never occurs during a normal 82-game calendar but was made necessary once again due to a lockout (the last time teams played three games in three nights was 1998, the last time the NBA played a shortened season due to a labor stoppage).

With 42 three-for-all sets built into the calendar, we made it our business here at All Ball to document each one, curious to see what information we might glean from them. Would it be an accurate predictor of postseason achievement? Would we see NCAA-tournament style cinderella runs from some of the lesser squads? Could anyone win what we assumed would be an incredibly grueling third game?

Let’s run through some of the numbers and see what’s what.

7 – Number of times teams went undefeated in their three for all challenge, led by the Spurs, who managed to do it twice within the span of less than a month. The Spurs’ second run saw them match the Heat with 15 points, the maximum possible score allowable for three road wins by double-digit margins. We’ll break down who’s was more impressive on Thursday night. In addition to those two, the other perfectionists were the Bulls, who maxed out their trip with 13 points (all wins were by double-digits, but they played only one road game), the Thunder, the Hawks, who amazingly found the strength to win the third game in four overtimes over the Jazz, and the Suns (more on them in a second). Of the six teams to taste perfection, only Phoenix will be sitting out the postseason.

6 — Number of times teams went winless. Would it shock you to learn that the Wizards were the only team to go defeated twice? Would it shock you further to learn the Bobcats, the worst team in NBA history, aren’t on this list? In addition to the Ashington Izards (No Ws – I R HILARIOUS), the Pistons, Clippers, Mavericks, and Suns found the going toughest. The Suns, incidentally, were the only squad to put up undefeated and winless marks, which really encapsulates their season in a nutshell, from being 12-19 to just missing out on a playoff spot after their loss in Utah on Tuesday.

4.5 — The average score for the 42 attempts was 4.5 points. The most common score was 2 points, accomplished 10 times, while no one scored 14 or 9.

22-20 – Record for teams in the third game of the three for all. I gotta tip my cap to these guys, I would have pegged this mark to be much worse before the season started.

And now for some superlatives, after the jump.

(more…)

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Three For All Round Up: Hawks, Bucks, Pacers, Spurs, and Wizards

March 29, 2012  ·  12:57AM

by Micah Hart



As everyone knows by now, the compressed NBA schedule will force every team to play three games in three nights at least one this season (42 times in total). With only 66 games to stake a claim to a playoff spot or seed, how teams perform during these killer slates could have a large impact on how their seasons turn out.

With that in mind, we’re going to keep track of each of the 42 three-plays to see which teams take advantage and which teams fall apart. 

As we near the season’s home stretch (my god it’s weird to say that, but it’s true — the Bobcats became the first team to officially be eliminated from postseason qualification with tonight’s loss to the Timberwolves), we’ve seen so many teams face back-to-back-to-back challenges over the past few days that it’s hard to keep it all straight.

For the sake of brevity, we’ll run down each of the five teams that completed the threeplay along with a few comments about their performances.

Indiana Pacers (Mar. 22-24): A road win in Washington, a loss at home to the Suns, and a blowout win over the Bucks in game three nets the Pacers 8 points (2-1+7) for their three for all, good enough for a tie for seventh-best mark so far this season. The win over the Wiz was particularly impressive, as Indy rallied from down 22 to win. A pessimist might wonder how they got down to the Wizards by 22 in the first place, but there’s no room for that kind of negativity here.

Milwaukee Bucks (Mar. 22-24): Not a great showing for the Bucks, who sandwiched two home losses to the Celtics and Pacers around a double-digit win in Charlotte over the Bobcats. Big deal. My local rec league team could beat the Bobcats in Charlotte at this point. Or Kentucky, one of those two. One highlight of their threebie was the game with the Pacers, which was the first game this season between two teams on the final leg of the back-to-back-to-back. 3 points (-2+5+0) for the Bucks, a team that better get a hitch in their giddy-up pretty soon if they want to make the playoffs.

Atlanta Hawks (Mar. 23-25): And we have another undefeated entry! The Hawks become the fifth team to sweep a three-play, beating the Nets at home, the Wizards on the road, and the Jazz at home, a game that went to quadruple-freaking-overtime. I am so impressed by the Hawks winning the third game of their series in 4OTs, I’m hereby awarding them an extra point. THIS I DECREE! From now on, any team that wins a three for all game in 4OT gets an extra point. 11 points (1+4+6), and I promise to update the scoring system chart soon to reflect the change. Also, the Hawks are the only team now with two top-ten finishes in the three for all.

San Antonio Spurs (Mar. 23-25): Of course the Spurs would also go undefeated at the very same time the Hawks do. Can Atlanta never have the spotlight to themselves? Naturally San Antonio did it better, beating the defending champs and Atlantic-leading Sixers by double-digits and escaping the plucky Hornets on the road in New Orleans. 12 points (2+4+6) for Los Spurs, good for a tie with the Thunder for third best overall score this season. And did we mention the win over Philly came without the services of Tim Duncan, who was apparently too old to play?

Washington Wizards (Mar. 24-26): We spend a lot of time around NBA.com arguing about which teams are the best, and thankfully we have the playoffs to settle any questions of team dominance. But what of the league’s worst teams? How will we ever know which team is more terrible between the Bobcats and Wizards? Yes, Charlotte may have four fewer wins at present, but they did put up 3 points in their three for all earlier this season. The Wizards? Bagel. -3 points (I’m not even adding the math here because the – and + get confusing with the negative numbers — just trust me they had -3) for Washington, which lost home games to the Hawks and Pistons and on the road at Boston. Washington is the fifth team to take the collar, but they do get another crack at it Apr. 4-6. Goody?

Up next: Things slow down for a few days, then the Memphis Grizzlies play three straight April 2-4.

Three for all Top Ten:
– Miami Heat (15 points)
– Chicago Bulls (13 points)
– San Antonio Spurs I (12 points)
– OKC Thunder (12 points)
– Atlanta Hawks II (11 points)
– Phoenix Suns II (10 points)
– Indiana Pacers II (8 points)
– New Jersey Nets II (8 points)
– Atlanta Hawks I (8 points)
– Houston Rockets (7 points)
– Portland Trail Blazers (6 points)

Full Three for all standings

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Three for all: New Jersey Nets

January 24, 2012  ·  2:03PM

by Micah Hart



As everyone knows by now, the compressed NBA schedule will force every team to play three games in three nights at least one this season (42 times in total). With only 66 games to stake a claim to a playoff spot or seed, how teams perform during these killer slates could have a large impact on how their seasons turn out.

With that in mind, we’re going to keep track of each of the 42 three-plays to see which teams take advantage and which teams fall apart. Up next, the New Jersey Nets, who played three straight from Jan. 21-23.

So far we’ve had two teams go undefeated in their three for alls, a surprising and impressive feat indeed. But for every yin there is a yang, and with some really terrible NBA teams this season, surely one of them will post an oh-fer at some point right? The Nets, with no Brook Lopez, seem like a good candidate — let’s see how they did.

Game 1: Thunder 84, Nets 74 - Hard to blame them for a loss to the Thunder, current owners of the best record in the Western Conference, even at home. Deron Williams shot 5-18 in this game, and let’s be honest — the Nets ain’t winning many games when he has any kind of an off night. -2 points

Game 2: Nets 97, Bobcats 87 - Hooray! No zero-output for the Nets after all! You know it might actually be hard to go defeated in these situations because there are so many terrible teams, you’re bound to get to play one of them. Case in point the Bobcats, who make the Nets look like championship contenders by comparison. MarShon Brooks had 20 points, and he’s been a nice find for the Jers so far. 4 points (3 for win, 1 for +10 margin)

Game 3: Bulls 110, Nets 95 - New Jersey had to be like “Come on D-Rose, don’t you want to sit out one more game?” But Rose wasn’t listening, and dropped 22 on them while dragging a bum toe around all game. 0 points

A final tally of 2 total points for the Nets, an effort I’m sure they’ll improve on when they trade for Dwight Howard and play three games in three nights next season, both of which seem to have the same likelihood of happening.

Up next: The Portland Trail Blazers play three straight Jan. 23-25 when they host Sacramento and Memphis, then travel to Golden State to take on the Warriors.

Three for all Scoreboard:
– Chicago Bulls (13 points)
– OKC Thunder (12 points)
– Atlanta Hawks (8 points)
– Houston Rockets (7 points)
– L.A. Clippers (6 points)
– Philadelphia 76ers (6 points)
– Denver Nuggets (6 points)
– Orlando Magic (5 points)
– L.A. Lakers (3 points)
– Charlotte Bobcats (3 points)
– New Jersey Nets (2 points)
– Sacramento Kings (2 points)
– Minnesota Timberwolves (2 points)
– Toronto Raptors (1 point)

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Bobcats dancer shoots for her dreams on American Idol

January 20, 2012  ·  11:51PM

by Micah Hart

I’m not an American Idol watcher by nature (I’m more of an America’s Kids Got Singing fan), but its hard not to root for Bobcats dancer Brittany Kerr as she takes her shot at stardom on America’s favorite singing competition:

It’s easy to mock the show (and lord knows I have), but Kerr is right when she talks about how difficult it is to go out there and let America judge you, for better or worse.

Kerr is headed to Hollywood, so she has survived the first cut (spoiler alert), so we’ll keep tabs on her as she keeps going.

Good luck Brittany!

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Three for all: Orlando Magic

January 20, 2012  ·  6:35PM

by Micah Hart

As everyone knows by now, the compressed NBA schedule will force every team to play three games in three nights at least one this season (42 times in total). With only 66 games to stake a claim to a playoff spot or seed, how teams perform during these killer slates could have a large impact on how their seasons turn out.

With that in mind, we’re going to keep track of each of the 42 three-plays to see which teams take advantage and which teams fall apart. Up next, the Orlando Magic, who played three straight from Jan. 16-18.

I’ll be honest. I haven’t paid that much attention to Orlando’s on-court product so far this season, as I assumed like most of you the only thing anyone cared about with the Magic is if and/or when Dwight Howard gets traded. However, wouldn’t you know they decided to play their games anyway and remind everyone they can still play this game a little?

Game 1: Magic 102, Knicks 93 - Also drowned out by the speculation over Howard’s potential whereabouts? Ryan Anderson‘s impressive start. Anderson knocked down seven 3′s on his way to a career-high 30 as the Magic knocked off the Knicks at MSG. 2 points (1 for win, 1 for road)

Game 2: Magic 96, Bobcats 89 - 25 and 17 for Superman, but Orlando leaves points on the board (for our purposes) in what should have been a much easier home win over the hapless Bobcats. 3 points

Game 3: Spurs 85, Magic 83 - Oooooh, this one had to sting a little. The Magic came justthisclose to becoming the third team (after the Bulls and Thunder) to sweep their three-play, but J.J. Redick‘s three-pointer came a split second after the final buzzer sounded. Can’t fault Orlando for running out of gas in an overtime game at the tail end of the trip. Also of note: It was the first road win of the season for the Spurs. 0 points

The Magic are having a nice season so far despite all the distractions, but they fall to the bottom half of the table with 5 total points.

Up next: The L.A. Clippers also played three straight Jan. 16-18.

Three for all Scoreboard:
– Chicago Bulls (13 points)
– OKC Thunder (12 points)
– Atlanta Hawks (8 points)
– Houston Rockets (7 points)
– Philadelphia 76ers (6 points)
– Denver Nuggets (6 points)
– Orlando Magic (5 points)
– L.A. Lakers (3 points)
– Charlotte Bobcats (3 points)
– Sacramento Kings (2 points)
– Minnesota Timberwolves (2 points)
– Toronto Raptors (1 point)

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Three for all: Charlotte Bobcats

January 15, 2012  ·  10:59AM

by Micah Hart

As everyone knows by now, the compressed NBA schedule will force every team to play three games in three nights at least one this season (42 times in total). With only 66 games to stake a claim to a playoff spot or seed, how teams perform during these killer slates could have a large impact on how their seasons turn out.

With that in mind, we’re going to keep track of each of the 42 three-plays to see which teams take advantage and which teams fall apart. Up next, the Charlotte Bobcats, who played three straight from Jan 12-14.

Let’s be honest – the Bobcats are among the worst teams in the NBA. We’d probably expect them to lose three straight games at any point on the schedule, whether those games were six days apart or back-to-back-to-back. Still, they went through all the trouble of showing up at the arenas at the scheduled times, so we may as well take a look at how they did.

Game 1: Hawks 111, Bobcats 81 - One might think the Bobcats would have a chance in the Hawks’ first game after losing Al Horford for the season, but one would be incorrect. Oh one — always making mistaken assumptions. -2 points

Game 2: Pistons 98, Bobcats 81 - Hey at least the Hawks game was on the road. How to explain letting the Pistons — 2-9 coming into the game — win by 17 on Charlotte’s home court? I have an explanation, but the Bobcats aren’t going to like it. -1 point

Game 3: Bobcats 112, Warriors 100 - Just when you think we’re headed for the first shutout, the Bobcats summon their strength and top the Warriors by a dozen to salvage a win. Rookie Kemba Walker justified his first professional start with a career-high 23 points, so expect to see him in the first five more often going forward. 6 points (5 for win, 1 for 10+ margin)

The Bobcats are lucky (lucky I say!) my arbitrary scoring system doesn’t penalize for double-digit losses, or any losses to the Pistons for that matter. Teams are now 8-3 in the third games of the three-for-all, and the Bobcats are in the clubhouse with 3 total points.

Up next: The L.A. Clippers and Orlando Magic both play three straight Jan 16-18.

Three for all Scoreboard:
– Chicago Bulls (13 points)
– OKC Thunder (12 points)
– Atlanta Hawks (8 points)
– Houston Rockets (7 points)
– Philadelphia 76ers (6 points)
– Denver Nuggets (6 points)
– L.A. Lakers (3 points)
– Charlotte Bobcats (3 points)
– Sacramento Kings (2 points)
– Minnesota Timberwolves (2 points)
– Toronto Raptors (1 point)

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Three for all: Atlanta Hawks

January 8, 2012  ·  11:48AM

by Micah Hart

As everyone knows by now, the compressed NBA schedule will force every team to play three games in three nights at least one this season (42 times in total). With only 66 games to stake a claim to a playoff spot or seed, how teams perform during these killer slates could have a large impact on how their seasons turn out.

With that in mind, we’re going to keep track of each of the 42 three-plays to see which teams take advantage and which teams fall apart. Up next, the Atlanta Hawks, who played three straight from Jan 5-7.

Before I get into the meat of the Hawks triumvirate of games, I should make note (for those that didn’t know) that I spent six years working for the franchise before coming over to NBA.com. I mention this because as far as I am concerned, these three games perfectly encapsulate what it’s like to root for them. They were the Hawksiest Hawks games I’ve ever seen.

Game 1: Heat 116, Hawks 109, 3OT - The Heat were without LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, and if you know these Hawks, you know that spells trouble. Missed free throws, missed opportunities, Hawks loss. They made history by becoming just the 10th team in history to go scoreless in an overtime period (the third), so there’s that. -2 points

Game 2: Hawks 102, Bobcats 96, OT - Atlanta always seems to struggle in Charlotte, and despite the Bobcats being one of the worst teams in the league, they nearly pulled out the home win. I give the Hawks credit for perseverance if not style. 4 points

Game 3: Hawks 109, Bulls 94 – Just when you are ready to bury the Hawks, they turn around and blow out the Bulls in Game 3, snapping Chicago’s six-game win streak in the process. Josh Smith had one of those games that makes you simultaneously gobsmacked by his abilities (25 points, five rebounds, five assists, six blocks) and depressed because he often eschews them in favor of low-percentage jump shots. 6 points

What to do with this team? Do you focus on the fact that they lost at home to a Heat team playing Chris Bosh and the JayVees? Or do you notice the squad that was talented enough to go up 30 on Chicago in the third game — especially impressive given they’d played almost an extra half of basketball the previous two nights thanks to overtime? Shoot, the Hawks were a few missed free throws away from going 5-0 last week, with four of the games coming against the reigning Eastern Conference finalists.

Yet with all my griping and complaining, with settled dust and cleared smoke the Hawks somehow managed to post a new high score for the three-play, putting up 8 total points. Go figure.

Up next: The Oklahoma City Thunder are right on the Hawks tails, with three games in a row Jan. 6-8: home and home against the Rockets, and tonight against the Spurs.

Three for all Scoreboard:
– Atlanta Hawks (8 points)
– Houston Rockets (7 points)
– Denver Nuggets (6 points)
– L.A. Lakers (3 points)
– Sacramento Kings (2 points)

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NBA fans really “like” the Lakers

December 8, 2011  ·  1:41PM

by Micah Hart


If you were wondering which NBA franchise is having the most success expanding their brand around the globe, the answer probably won’t surprise you.

According to their team website, the Lakers have become the first North American sports franchise to surpass 11 million Facebook friends, despite only having a FB page since 2008.

The Celtics are second in the NBA, with over 5.6 million, while the Bobcats (not surprisingly either) bring up the rear with just over 85,000 fans.

Worldwide, the Lakers are have the fourth-most Facebook fans of any sports franchise, behind only soccer behemoths Manchester United, FC Barcelona, and Real Madrid.

H/T FutureSport

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In case you were wondering …

July 19, 2011  ·  10:07AM

by Micah Hart

Yeah, he’s still got it:

 

Effortless. I just hope I can get the ball over the rim when I’m 48.

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I’m not certain this will come in handy, but it’s impressive

June 17, 2011  ·  2:54PM

by Micah Hart

Remember a few years back when a big ruckus was created because Kevin Durant couldn’t bench press 185 pounds? So this is sort of the opposite of that — its video of 2011 Draft prospect Tristan Thompson dunking the ball 100 straight times in one sitting in a workout for the Charlotte Bobcats:

I don’t know how helpful a skill this is for Thompson (also a University of Texas product — Hook ‘em!), as it’s rare you get the opportunity in a game to dunk more than, you know, once in a row, let alone 100. Still pretty cool though.

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