Why Are We So Bad In The 3rd Quarter??

[Phantom255x]

Seriously, it seems like regardless if we're up 20 at halftime, or down 20, the one thing that always stays consistent is we have a dreadful 3rd quarter. And it's not just us simply getting outscored, it's how we play for much of the quarter especially on the defensive end (like headless chickens).

No, this wasn't the sole reason we lost last night, but although we had a bad last few minutes to end the 1st half, we still went into halftime up by 9. Yet we come out and in just 3-4 minutes the Lakers go on a 15-6 run to tie it up. We got outscored 42-27 in the 3rd. We gave up 42!?!?

Also, I remember in the Nets ROAD game we played like a month ago, it was a fairly close game at halftime, but then we got outscored 44-20 in the 3rd quarter. We lost 109-102 but trust me, the final score does no justice to the Nets as they were pretty much blowing us out for much of the 2nd half.

I don't know how to explain it or why this is the case, but it's troubling. Last season we were such a great 2nd half team but this year it feels like we're only a great 4th quarter team. I feel like out of our 20 losses so far this season, 7-8 of them have been games we started well, went into halftime with a big lead, but then blew it completely in the 3rd and ultimately lost a close game.

This just won't fly in the playoffs. We've got to play a full 48 minutes and having bad 3rd quarters where we're prone to giving up like 35-45 is unacceptable. Something's got to change.

[droopdog7]

I’m curious whether the stats back up the idea of third quarter woes?

[Phantom255x]

I’m curious whether the stats back up the idea of third quarter woes?

Well, it's mostly the eye test, but we're averaging 28 PPG in 3rd quarters, but we also give up about 27.4 PPG. In the 4th though, we average a little over 28 PPG but give up just 25 PPG.

Sure, average-wise it doesn't look like a big difference but for the most part the 3rd quarter has actually looked like our worst quarter this season.

[ederson]

stats from www.teamrankings.com

1st quarter margin +2.6p (2nd in NBA)
2nd                       +0.2p (17nth!!!)
3rd                        +1p (10nth)
4th                        +2.5(1st)


1st quarter off        28p (16nd in NBA)
2nd                       27.2p (21nth!!!)
3rd                        28.4p (9nth)
4th                        28.3(3st)

1st quarter def       25.3p (2nd in NBA)
2nd                       27p (7th)
3rd                       27.4p (16nth)
4th                       25.8p (7nth)   

i don't see a problem.

[bdm860]

I’m curious whether the stats back up the idea of third quarter woes?

Well, it's mostly the eye test, but we're averaging 28 PPG in 3rd quarters, but we also give up about 27.4 PPG. In the 4th though, we average a little over 28 PPG but give up just 25 PPG.

Because I don't want to do my real work right now...

After the 10-10 start, in which the team is currently 25-10, average scoring differential by quarter (1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, OT, Total):

In L's: -1.0, -0.3, -7.3, 0.3, 0.0, -8.3
In W's: 5.6, 1.7, 4.3, 4.4, 6.0, 16.52
Total: 3.7, 1.1, 1.0, 3.3, 6.0, 9.4

So if you can read that data, the 3rd quarter has definitely been a problem in losses, by a wide margin.

Of the total 140 quarters played (both W's and L's, excluding OT, since team is 2-0 there), the C's have been outscored 52 times (and 3 times it was ties, 85 times the C's outscored their opponent), of those 52 times, 10 came in the 1st, 15 in the 2nd, 17 in the 3rd, 10 in the 4th. So the C's have been outscored in the 3rd more than any other quarter.

Now if we look at just deficits of 10 or more, that's happened 13 times, 4 in the 3rd, 5 in the 2nd.

But if we look at deficits of only 5 or more, that's happened 28 times, 10 in the 3rd, 7 in both the 2nd and 4th.

The largest single quarter deficits have all happened in the 2nd or 3rd quarter.

-23 (3rd, Brooklyn)
-20 (2nd, Memphis)
-16 (3rd, Spurs)
-15 (2nd Memphis)
-15 (3rd Lakers)
-14 (2nd Miami)
-13 (1st Milwaukee)
-12 (3rd Minnesota)
-12 (2nd Miami)
-11 (4th Miami)
-11 (4th Charlotte)

Looking at the data, it seems like 3rd could be a problem (but 2nd as well).  It's anyone's guess as to why.  The issue with the 3rd makes it seem like a problem with the starters.  The issue with the 2nd seems like it's the bench.  Maybe the team's complacent in the 3rd or doesn't do well at anticipating the opponents adjustments after the half?

[RodyTur10]

I’m curious whether the stats back up the idea of third quarter woes?

Well, it's mostly the eye test, but we're averaging 28 PPG in 3rd quarters, but we also give up about 27.4 PPG. In the 4th though, we average a little over 28 PPG but give up just 25 PPG.

Because I don't want to do my real work right now...

After the 10-10 start, in which the team is currently 25-10, average scoring differential by quarter (1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, OT, Total):

In L's: -1.0, -0.3, -7.3, 0.3, 0.0, -8.3
In W's: 5.6, 1.7, 4.3, 4.4, 6.0, 16.52
Total: 3.7, 1.1, 1.0, 3.3, 6.0, 9.4

So if you can read that data, the 3rd quarter has definitely been a problem in losses, by a wide margin.

Of the total 140 quarters played (both W's and L's, excluding OT, since team is 2-0 there), the C's have been outscored 52 times (and 3 times it was ties, 85 times the C's outscored their opponent), of those 52 times, 10 came in the 1st, 15 in the 2nd, 17 in the 3rd, 10 in the 4th. So the C's have been outscored in the 3rd more than any other quarter.

Now if we look at just deficits of 10 or more, that's happened 13 times, 4 in the 3rd, 5 in the 2nd.

But if we look at deficits of only 5 or more, that's happened 28 times, 10 in the 3rd, 7 in both the 2nd and 4th.

The largest single quarter deficits have all happened in the 2nd or 3rd quarter.

-23 (3rd, Brooklyn)
-20 (2nd, Memphis)
-16 (3rd, Spurs)
-15 (2nd Memphis)
-15 (3rd Lakers)
-14 (2nd Miami)
-13 (1st Milwaukee)
-12 (3rd Minnesota)
-12 (2nd Miami)
-11 (4th Miami)
-11 (4th Charlotte)

Looking at the data, it seems like 3rd could be a problem (but 2nd as well).  It's anyone's guess as to why.  The issue with the 3rd makes it seem like a problem with the starters.  The issue with the 2nd seems like it's the bench.  Maybe the team's complacent in the 3rd or doesn't do well at anticipating the opponents adjustments after the half?

TP for the work.

Nice teams also on that list. Miami three times, Memphis twice. 

[Phantom255x]

I’m curious whether the stats back up the idea of third quarter woes?

Well, it's mostly the eye test, but we're averaging 28 PPG in 3rd quarters, but we also give up about 27.4 PPG. In the 4th though, we average a little over 28 PPG but give up just 25 PPG.

Because I don't want to do my real work right now...

After the 10-10 start, in which the team is currently 25-10, average scoring differential by quarter (1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, OT, Total):

In L's: -1.0, -0.3, -7.3, 0.3, 0.0, -8.3
In W's: 5.6, 1.7, 4.3, 4.4, 6.0, 16.52
Total: 3.7, 1.1, 1.0, 3.3, 6.0, 9.4

So if you can read that data, the 3rd quarter has definitely been a problem in losses, by a wide margin.

Of the total 140 quarters played (both W's and L's, excluding OT, since team is 2-0 there), the C's have been outscored 52 times (and 3 times it was ties, 85 times the C's outscored their opponent), of those 52 times, 10 came in the 1st, 15 in the 2nd, 17 in the 3rd, 10 in the 4th. So the C's have been outscored in the 3rd more than any other quarter.

Now if we look at just deficits of 10 or more, that's happened 13 times, 4 in the 3rd, 5 in the 2nd.

But if we look at deficits of only 5 or more, that's happened 28 times, 10 in the 3rd, 7 in both the 2nd and 4th.

The largest single quarter deficits have all happened in the 2nd or 3rd quarter.

-23 (3rd, Brooklyn)
-20 (2nd, Memphis)
-16 (3rd, Spurs)
-15 (2nd Memphis)
-15 (3rd Lakers)
-14 (2nd Miami)
-13 (1st Milwaukee)
-12 (3rd Minnesota)
-12 (2nd Miami)
-11 (4th Miami)
-11 (4th Charlotte)

Looking at the data, it seems like 3rd could be a problem (but 2nd as well).  It's anyone's guess as to why.  The issue with the 3rd makes it seem like a problem with the starters.  The issue with the 2nd seems like it's the bench.  Maybe the team's complacent in the 3rd or doesn't do well at anticipating the opponents adjustments after the half?

TP for the work.

Nice teams also on that list. Miami three times, Memphis twice. 

Yep, TP to @bdm860 for the stats work!

And yeah, that's what I mean too, we've lost some extremely winnable games to average teams because of our bad 3rd quarters and that looks like the difference between us being a 4-5 seed and a 2 seed.

[CelticsQuestFor18]

Welp. Another horrible 3rd. This is definitely a concern.

[Phantom255x]

SMH 12 points in the 3rd quarter?!?!

[ozgod]

Lack of focus. I'd be interested to see the stats where we had a solid first half followed by a dismal 3rd quarter, and against which teams this was (I'd be willing to bet that they'd be also-ran teams).

[ederson]

Lack of focus. I'd be interested to see the stats where we had a solid first half followed by a dismal 3rd quarter, and against which teams this was (I'd be willing to bet that they'd be also-ran teams).

It looks like that .....  Apart from the MIL game the rest collapses are against average to bad teams. I guess that in most cases we had a solid lead and got comfortable

BTW The forth quarter yesterday was as bad (-16)  but we seem to ignore it...

[ozgod]

Lack of focus. I'd be interested to see the stats where we had a solid first half followed by a dismal 3rd quarter, and against which teams this was (I'd be willing to bet that they'd be also-ran teams).

It looks like that .....  Apart from the MIL game the rest collapses are against average to bad teams. I guess that in most cases we had a solid lead and got comfortable

BTW The forth quarter yesterday was as bad (-16)  but we seem to ignore it...

Or...they got a solid lead and started playing for their own personal achievements instead of continuing to be unselfish and pass the ball around. Since the lead's so big, they're probably going to win, may as well beef up the stat lines right? I wonder if there's some truth to that.