Don’t look now, but the team that was self-described as playing “hot potato” with the basketball late last season in clutch games now has a spotless 5-0 record in such situations.
It’s not a large sample size six games into the 2023-24 season, but it still is a nice trend that seems to indicate that the offseason attention to end-of-game situations has had its desired impact. The latest of those was Sunday in the 124-118 victory over Charlotte at American Airlines Center, which was a one-point game with under four minutes to go.
Clutch games are defined as those in which the score is five points or closer at some point in the final five minutes.