The Miami Heat Is Pretty Much Twice As Good As Every Other NBA Team In The Clutch

The Miami Heat outscored the Atlanta Hawks 40-17 in the fourth quarter last night, turning a 73-63 deficit into a 103-90 win.

It's not a one-time thing either.

The Heat have been coasting through three quarters all year, only to turn it on in the fourth quarter and win.

Miami doesn't have the best record in the NBA, but their eye-popping numbers in the clutch indicate that they have a gear that no other team can reach.

Here are Miami's stats in the clutch, courtesy of the NBA's excellent new stats website (clutch is defined as the final five minutes of a game where the score is within five points):

• They've scored 121.4 points per 100 possessions — the best in the NBA, and 11 points above their overall average.
• They've allowed just 88.6 points per 100 possessions — the second-best number in the NBA, and 13 points below their overall average.
• They've outscored their opponents by 91 points in the clutch. The second-ranked team has outscored their opponents by 50 points.
• Their net efficiency (net points per 100 possessions) is nearly twice as good as any other team in the league.

So in the final five minutes of close games, Miami's already league-best offense gets even better, and their defense suddenly becomes the second-best defense in the league.

That's scary.