"Unfortunately, we'll never really see what these guys can really do, because they're tired all of the time -- because of the schedule." -- Gary Vitti, former Lakers head athletic trainer

Gary Vitti uttered those words to ESPN late in the 2015-16 season, after retiring from his full-time post as the NBA's longest-tenured head athletic trainer, a position he held for 32 seasons. And that idea embodies the spirit of our our schedule alert project, which we launched the following season. Those in the NBA have long known -- perhaps as long as Vitti spent in his role -- that teams lose games because of fatigue, leading to the "schedule losses" axiom.

Our project aims to target those games using a formula that takes into account only factors related to the schedule, meaning no consideration for team/player quality. And in our first season, even after the NBA reduced the number of back-to-backs and four-in-five sets, we correctly predicted 69 percent (29 of 42) overall, including 76.5 percent (13 of 17) of red-alert games, i.e. games in which one team has an especially steep disadvantage because of the schedule.

The NBA again tweaked its schedule this season, trimming more back-to-backs, eliminating four-in-fives and starting the season earlier, among other changes. But with the Bucks' 102-86 win over the Magic on Monday, the second season of schedule alert is complete, and we correctly picked 77.8 percent (42 of 54) overall, including seven of nine of red-alert games.

For context, that success rate for schedule alert games in 2017-18 is far more successful than our formula predicted we'd be, as we applied that formula to 10 seasons' worth of games -- from 2007-08 through 2016-17 -- and the results showed that teams facing schedule alert situations lose 63 percent of the time.

The night before playing in a schedule alert game in Salt Lake City, Kings coach Dave Joerger said, "We're just trying to survive. Five games in seven nights. Five different cities, three different time zones." His squad then lost to a Jazz team that was off the night before.

Then-Bulls forward Nikola Mirotic voiced displeasure with the schedule after his team suffered a 39-point loss in a schedule alert game in January in Indiana. "I know we were talking about we were going to start earlier this season, have less back-to-backs," Mirotic said, according to the Chicago Tribune. "But I feel like so far the schedule is even worse than last year, to be honest. It's not an excuse. But it's true that it's been hard, a lot of back-to-backs and long weeks."

As we followed these games closely all season, certain trends emerged. So here, thanks to the tireless research efforts from ESPN Stats & Information, are some figures that help show the ways in which fatigue can take a toll on performance, as well as standout moments from the season and what this all could mean for the 2017-18 playoffs.

Schedule alerts* Red alerts W-L record 12-42 2-7 Avg. point differential -8.7 -11.8 Avg. second-half differential -4.7 -7.6 PPG 104.8 101.0 Blown halftime leads 10 3 *Teams predicted to lose due to the schedule

Of the 42 schedule alert losses, 11 were by 21 or more points and 17 were by at least 15 points.

Tired teams were 2-28 when behind/tied after the first quarter, 1-32 when behind/tied at halftime and 1-35 when behind/tied after the third quarter. In fact, in schedule alert games, teams were 3-36 when behind by double digits at any point in the game. So If a tired team falls behind in these games, they won't often just lose -- they often get run right out of the gym.

Only twice did a team on red-alert reach the 100-point mark. By comparison, as of Tuesday, the league scoring average this season was 106.3 PPG.

There were 10 teams on schedule alert that were ahead at halftime and still lost -- and eight of those teams were outscored by double digits in the second half. So even if a tired team is up at halftime, things often fell apart for them from then on -- and badly.

Teams with the most schedule alert losses: Nuggets (2-4) and Bulls (0-4).

Teams that lost all of their schedule alert games: Hawks (0-3), Celtics (0-1), Nets (0-2), Hornets (0-2), Bulls (0-4), Pistons (0-1), Pacers (0-2), Lakers (0-2), Grizzlies (0-2), Bucks (0-2), Suns (0-3), Kings (0-2), Raptors (0-1), Wizards (0-2), Magic (0-2).

Teams that benefited by beating two or more teams on schedule alert: Pistons (6-0), Jazz (5-0), Nuggets (5-0), Cavaliers (4-1), Heat (3-0), Warriors (2-0), Raptors (2-1), Spurs (2-1).

The Zombie awards

That's right -- the Zombies are awards we bestow to a slew of unlucky players, teams and coaches who had the misfortune of being on the wrong side of the NBA schedule and, thus, sleep-walked through their game while looking like nightmarish members of the undead.

On to the winners (or losers, depending on how you look at it):

Worst night of the year: March 10

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The Wizards were playing their third game in five days and the second of a back-to-back set. They played in New Orleans the night before, then headed out immediately after for Miami, losing an hour along the way. "There's no excuses for being tired," Wizards guard Jodie Meeks said -- even though the scoreboard told a different story: 129-102, Miami.

The Grizzlies were playing in a red-alert game, as it marked their fifth game in eight days, third game in four days and the second of a back-to-back set. They hosted the Jazz the day before, then flew out immediately after for Dallas, where they faced a Mavericks squad that entered the game with an enormous three-day rest advantage. The Mavericks rolled 114-80, clocking their largest margin of victory this season.

Most egregious travel snafu: Chicago Bulls

This was a tough one, but the Bulls get it for their airplane mishap while flying to Cleveland for a Dec. 21 matchup. As Bulls.com reporter Sam Smith eloquently wrote, "It was an NBA milestone of sorts, as the regular team plane was replaced by one much smaller, NBA players, it was believed, for the first time in more than two decades traveling in what approximated coach class. And then with the plane too small for the stairs in Cleveland, so the players after almost an hour wait on the plane had to exit climbing down a makeshift luggage conveyor braced up against the plane. This was a case of the baggage waiting for the passengers. It didn't seem like an ideal harbinger."

The Bulls hosted the Magic the night before, then headed out immediately after -- losing an hour along the way -- to face a Cavaliers squad that had a one-day rest advantage. Give it to the Bulls, though, for keeping it close, losing 115-112.

Most night/day shooting performance: Giannis Antetokounmpo

The 23-year-old Greek Freak is almost unstoppable -- unless he's playing with serious fatigue.

Antetokounmpo scored 14 or fewer points in two schedule alert games this season and averaged just 12.5 points in those outings, compared to 25.7 PPG in his non-schedule alert contests. That minus-13.2 drop in scoring average between schedule alert and non-schedule alert games is the worst among any player to play in at least two schedule alert games.

Just look back to Nov. 1, when Milwaukee played a schedule alert game in Charlotte. The Bucks hosted the Thunder the night before, then flew out after the game -- losing an hour along the way -- for Charlotte, where they would close out a back-to-back set and play their third game in four days the next night.

Entering this game, Antetokounmpo was leading the NBA in scoring at 33.7 PPG, but then he was held to just 14 points and scored only five points in the final three quarters. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel also noted that Antetokounmpo missed layups and air-balled a floater.

"I can shoot over guys easily," he said, according to the Journal Sentinel, "but there were no legs tonight."

Most lopsided beatdown: Chicago Bulls

The Bulls gets the Zombie for a whopping 39-point loss to the Pacers on Jan. 7. For the Bulls, it marked their fifth game in seven days, third game in four days and the second of a back-to-back set. They played in Dallas the night before, then headed out -- losing an hour along the way -- for Indianapolis, not arriving at their downtown hotel until 3 a.m. on the same day that they would be playing a Pacers squad that had been resting for two days.

Add it all up, and that's why this game triggered our third-highest MahScore of the season: 9.5.

The Bulls trailed by as many as 41 points during this bloodbath.

Biggest upset: Dallas Mavericks

The Mavs pulled off a red-alert upset of the Charlotte Hornets on Jan. 10 even though they faced the worst fatigue-related obstacles of any team this season, according to our formula, registering as our highest MahScore (10).

The Mavericks were playing their fifth game in eight days, their third game in four days and the second of a back-to-back set that required overnight travel over a time zone. The night before, they beat the Magic in Dallas, then they headed out immediately after -- losing an hour along the way -- for Charlotte, where they arrived at 3 a.m. local time to face a Hornets squad entering the game with a four-day rest advantage.

Four days!

But the Mavericks got a huge game from Yogi Ferrell, who made a career-high seven 3-pointers.

Shortest fuse: Wolves-Jazz on March 2

This was one of our nine red-alert games, as the Timberwolves were facing some serious fatigue-related obstacles.

As we've noted before, sleep loss can affect the parts of the brain that control emotional reaction and judgement, such as one's ability to lose their temper if, say, they don't like an officiating decision. How does that play out in NBA games? Technicals and ejections.

And this game featured both in spades! Two Timberwolves players were ejected: forward Karl-Anthony Towns late in the first half for arguing with officials and guard Jeff Teague late in the game for hip-checking Jazz guard Ricky Rubio. Jazz forward Jae Crowder was also ejected after jawing with Timberwolves coach Tom Thibodeau, who also received a technical.