NBA: 4 bizarre results thanks to advanced statistics

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3. The league’s best clutch scorer

Think about to the number of times you practiced that game-winning shot in the driveway, counting down from five to zero before letting out a loud “ehhhhhhhhh” when the imaginary clock reached zero.

For many of us, we were Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Ray Allen, Scottie Pippen, Kevin Garnett, Tim Duncan or any other Hall-of-Famer.

It’s time to realize that all of those imaginary moments had a fatal flaw: Marquese Chriss wasn’t involved.

Chriss, a throw-in for two separate trades this year, clearly did not have his talents recognized until he became a Cleveland Cavalier. In the Cavs’ most recent loss, a triple-OT thriller against the Brooklyn Nets, Chriss came alive in the clutch, when a game is within five points in the last five minutes.

He poured in 14 points in the contest, shooting 62.5 percent from the field and being perfect from downtown and the charity stripe. This is a huge step up from his .440/.323/.833 splits he puts up during the regular season.

Just for kicks, the Clutch God threw in four boards and two steals. He can’t be stopped.

What would this look like in a real game?

It’s the year 2020 and the 3-77 Cavaliers are playing against the 5-70 New York Knicks. The game is tied 90-90 after Zion Williamson has dunked for 84 of the Knicks’ points. The head coach looks down the bench and past his collection of players.

“Who can take over this game?” he says to himself as he looks past salary cast-offs Brandon Knight, John Henson and Matthew Dellavedova, past the Cavs’ future draft picks and past J.R. Smith‘s hoverboard. His eyes fall on Chriss, who has shot 3-for-18 today, but whose time is crunch-time.

Chriss enters the game and rips off 10 points to give the Cavs their fourth victory of the season.