Glossary
Briefly explained, in the order you meet them.
Terms
- Game night
- All games of one NBA game day. The day is determined in US Eastern time, not yours — a game at 10 p.m. local time in Los Angeles still belongs to the same game day.
- Total score
- The weighted mean of the categories, 0 to 100. You set the weights.
- Band
- The four steps of the total: from 80 must watch, from 60 worth watching, from 40 so-so, below that probably skip. Each step also has its own shape, so it does not depend on colour alone.
- Flow
- The course of the game: how the lead developed across the quarters.
- Blowout
- A game that ends 25 or more points apart without a comeback along the way.
- Game score
- A metric by John Hollinger that condenses an individual performance into one number. Around 10 is a solid night, 40 an exceptional one.
- Triple-double
- Double-digit figures in three of the five categories points, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks.
- Rebound
- A ball secured after a missed shot.
- Assist
- The pass that leads directly to a basket.
- Steal
- A ball taken from the opponent.
- Block
- A shot deflected away.
- Starters and bench
- The five players who begin, and everyone who comes on later.
- Overtime
- Five extra minutes when scores are level after regulation, repeated until a decision.
- Clutch
- The closing phase of a tight game. This site is named after it.
- Tier
- A player’s classification as superstar, All-Star level or familiar name.