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How teams perform on the second night of back-to-backs. Average scoring drop: 3.7 PPG. Average win rate decline: 12%.
-3.7
Avg PPG Drop
-12%
Win% Drop
14
Avg B2B Games
| # | Team | B2B | B2B W-L | B2B W% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oklahoma City Thunder | 15 | 10-5 | 67.7% |
| 2 | Boston Celtics | 12 | 8-4 | 63.5% |
| 3 | Cleveland Cavaliers | 13 | 8-5 | 62.2% |
| 4 | New York Knicks | 14 | 8-6 | 59.4% |
| 5 | Denver Nuggets | 14 | 8-6 | 57.9% |
| 6 | Dallas Mavericks | 13 | 7-6 | 55.3% |
| 7 | Milwaukee Bucks | 13 | 7-6 | 55.2% |
| 8 | Minnesota Timberwolves | 14 | 8-6 | 53.6% |
| 9 | Orlando Magic | 15 | 8-7 | 51% |
| 10 | Los Angeles Clippers | 12 | 6-6 | 51% |
| 11 | Indiana Pacers | 15 | 7-8 | 49.4% |
| 12 | Los Angeles Lakers | 12 | 6-6 | 48.2% |
| 13 | Miami Heat | 12 | 6-6 | 48.1% |
| 14 | Philadelphia 76ers | 13 | 6-7 | 46.9% |
| 15 | Phoenix Suns | 12 | 6-6 | 46.6% |
| 16 | New Orleans Pelicans | 16 | 7-9 | 45.6% |
| 17 | Sacramento Kings | 12 | 5-7 | 43.8% |
| 18 | Atlanta Hawks | 15 | 6-9 | 42.8% |
| 19 | Golden State Warriors | 16 | 7-9 | 41.2% |
| 20 | Memphis Grizzlies | 14 | 5-9 | 38.6% |
| 21 | Houston Rockets | 15 | 6-9 | 36.9% |
| 22 | Chicago Bulls | 12 | 4-8 | 35.5% |
| 23 | Brooklyn Nets | 12 | 3-9 | 28.9% |
| 24 | Utah Jazz | 13 | 4-9 | 28.9% |
| 25 | Toronto Raptors | 13 | 4-9 | 27.2% |
| 26 | San Antonio Spurs | 13 | 3-10 | 26.1% |
| 27 | Charlotte Hornets | 15 | 4-11 | 24.7% |
| 28 | Portland Trail Blazers | 15 | 3-12 | 18.8% |
| 29 | Detroit Pistons | 14 | 2-12 | 16.1% |
| 30 | Washington Wizards | 16 | 2-14 | 14.8% |
Download back-to-back performance data.
Back-to-back games are the NBA schedule's biggest fatigue factor. On the second night, teams see a scoring decline of 2-4 points per game and a shooting percentage drop of 1-2%. The effect is worse on the road, where travel fatigue compounds the lack of rest. Teams with deeper benches handle B2Bs better because they can distribute minutes more evenly.
Each team plays approximately 12-15 back-to-back sets per season. The NBA has reduced this number significantly from the 20+ B2Bs common in the early 2000s.
Load management has become common, with many star players sitting the second night of B2Bs, especially early in the season. This practice is controversial but backed by injury prevention data.
On average, teams score 2-4 fewer points, shoot 1-2% worse from the field, and have their win probability reduced by roughly 10%. Teams with rest advantages gain even larger edges against B2B opponents.