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When the game is on the line, these are the teams and players who step up. Fourth quarter dominance separates contenders from pretenders.
| # | Team | Q4 PPG | Q4 +/- |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York Knicks | 30.6 | +2.1 |
| 2 | Denver Nuggets | 30.6 | +2.1 |
| 3 | Oklahoma City Thunder | 30.8 | +2 |
| 4 | Cleveland Cavaliers | 31.9 | +1.9 |
| 5 | Dallas Mavericks | 31.5 | +1.9 |
| 6 | Boston Celtics | 31.3 | +1.8 |
| 7 | Miami Heat | 30.5 | +1.7 |
| 8 | Minnesota Timberwolves | 31.3 | +1.7 |
| 9 | Phoenix Suns | 30.5 | +1.7 |
| 10 | Indiana Pacers | 30.6 | +1.5 |
| 11 | Philadelphia 76ers | 29.8 | +1.4 |
| 12 | Milwaukee Bucks | 30.8 | +1.3 |
| 13 | Los Angeles Lakers | 31.2 | +1.3 |
| 14 | Atlanta Hawks | 30.4 | +1.2 |
| 15 | Orlando Magic | 31.4 | +1.1 |
| 16 | Los Angeles Clippers | 29.8 | +1.1 |
| 17 | New Orleans Pelicans | 30.1 | +1.1 |
| 18 | Memphis Grizzlies | 29.3 | +1 |
| 19 | Sacramento Kings | 29.9 | +0.9 |
| 20 | Houston Rockets | 29.1 | +0.9 |
| 21 | Golden State Warriors | 30.9 | +0.7 |
| 22 | Chicago Bulls | 30.2 | +0.5 |
| 23 | San Antonio Spurs | 28.6 | +0.4 |
| 24 | Brooklyn Nets | 29.9 | +0.2 |
| 25 | Utah Jazz | 29.1 | +0.2 |
| 26 | Toronto Raptors | 29.7 | +0.1 |
| 27 | Charlotte Hornets | 29.7 | 0 |
| 28 | Washington Wizards | 28.5 | 0 |
| 29 | Detroit Pistons | 28.6 | -0.2 |
| 30 | Portland Trail Blazers | 28.4 | -0.3 |
| # | Player | Q4 PPG | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Joel Embiid | PHI | 9.7 |
| 2 | Luka Doncic | DAL | 9.5 |
| 3 | Giannis Antetokounmpo | MIL | 8.5 |
| 4 | Shai Gilgeous-Alexander | OKC | 8.4 |
| 5 | Jalen Brunson | NYK | 8 |
| 6 | Kevin Durant | PHX | 7.6 |
| 7 | Devin Booker | PHX | 7.6 |
| 8 | Jayson Tatum | BOS | 6.5 |
| 9 | Donovan Mitchell | CLE | 6.4 |
| 10 | De'Aaron Fox | SAC | 6.4 |
| 11 | Nikola Jokic | DEN | 6.3 |
| 12 | Stephen Curry | GSW | 6.3 |
| 13 | Anthony Edwards | MIN | 6.2 |
| 14 | LeBron James | LAL | 6.2 |
| 15 | Trae Young | ATL | 6.2 |
| 16 | Ja Morant | MEM | 6 |
| 17 | Anthony Davis | LAL | 5.9 |
| 18 | Damian Lillard | MIL | 5.8 |
| 19 | Jaylen Brown | BOS | 5.5 |
| 20 | Tyrese Haliburton | IND | 4.8 |
Download 4th quarter analytics data.
Fourth quarter performance is heavily influenced by conditioning, depth, and coaching adjustments. Teams that dominate the final frame typically have deeper rotations that keep stars fresh for crunch time. Players like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Luka Doncic are among the most lethal closers in today's NBA.
The NBA officially defines clutch time as the last 5 minutes of the 4th quarter or overtime when the score differential is 5 points or fewer. This is when games are truly on the line.
Common causes include fatigue from shallow rotations, over-reliance on isolation plays, poor free throw shooting under pressure, and defensive breakdowns caused by foul trouble.
Partially. While some variance exists, teams with elite closers and disciplined systems consistently outperform in crunch time. However, extreme clutch records tend to regress toward the mean over time.