On Nov. 29, George Mason’s Jalen Jenkins made a 75-foot shot at the buzzer to defeat Manhattan, 64–63.

But the shot itself wasn’t the biggest miracle of the game. Instead, it’s more surprising that the shot followed a number of familiar phenomena (each attributable to basketball’s game clock) that often work to prevent such great finishes in basketball. The stretch leading up to Jenkins’ shot was filled with ugly basketball. George Mason deliberately fouled Manhattan FIVE times during the final minute. During that span, Manhattan made no field goal attempts — nor would they have wanted to, opting to stall as long as they could instead. George Mason managed to convert on their last four offensive possessions, despite having to rush during each one. And after Jenkins made the final shot, the officials (more precisely, the rulebook) tried unsuccessfully to dampen the celebration and provide anticlimax by initiating a video review (the review confirmed the shot should count).

Yes, given all the circumstances that conspired against an exciting finish, the real miracle was that George Mason even had an opportunity to win the game. And basketball fans are certainly familiar with those unfortunate circumstances. That probably explains why so few of those fans were left to see the end.

But perhaps I’m embellishing the rarity of such thrilling finishes in basketball, or the frequency/ineffectiveness of the aforementioned practices. I’ve looked at a sample* of NBA and NCAA games throughout November to see just what the late stages of games look like, and how much influence the game clock really has on style and quality of play.

* Specifically, all 45 NCAA games televised on ESPNU (which does not include the George Mason/Manhattan game), and 40 of 41 NBA games nationally televised on ABC/ESPN, TNT, or NBATV (the Nov. 14 Denver/Indiana game was blacked out)

DELIBERATE FOULING

Among the NCAA games, there were 24 periods during which a trailing team fouled deliberately, affecting 23 games (the Nov. 20 Charlotte/Penn State game included deliberate fouling in the second half and again in double overtime). The fouling team did not hold the lead at the end of ANY of those 24 periods. In only ONE instance did the fouling team manage to tie the game (Penn State, during the second half of the Nov. 20 game vs. Charlotte, before losing in double overtime), and in only five other instances did the fouling team manage to narrow their deficit by even one point.

Among the NBA games, there were 17 periods during which a trailing team fouled deliberately, affecting 16 games (the Nov. 26 Dallas/New York game included deliberate fouling in the fourth quarter and again in overtime). The fouling team did not hold the lead at the end of ANY of those 17 periods. And in a league with superior free throw shooters, in only ONE instance did the fouling team manage to tie the game (New York, at the end of regulation vs. Dallas, before losing in overtime), and in only ONE OTHER instance did the fouling team manage to narrow their deficit at all (Brooklyn, vs. Golden State on Nov. 13).

This strategy can extract all the excitement from even the most competitive games, as broadcaster Mike Breen noted during the aforementioned Dallas/New York game: “This was a very unexpected thrilling game that turned into kind of a free throw march down the stretch here.”

Ugh. A strategy as futile as it is boring. (“Boring” might be too nice a word in reference to the Nov. 30 Long Beach State/Xavier game, where it took an excruciating 15 minutes to play the final 1:10.)

STALLING

Of the 45 NCAA games, 44 of them included stalling during the late stages. And it’s no wonder teams do this — in the ONLY exception, San Diego’s decision not to stall arguably cost them the game vs. Western Michigan on Nov. 30. In a tie game, the Toreros inbounded the ball with 15.5 seconds remaining. Instead of holding for the last shot, a San Diego player drove to the basket and drew a foul with 7.9 seconds remaining. He missed both free throws, San Diego gave up a basket on the ensuing possession, and lost.

Even with a less accommodating shot clock, 38 of 40 NBA games included stalling during the late stages. (Exceptions: 11/1 CHI/MIN; 11/8 NOP/SAS)

SLOPPY/RUSHED PLAY

On at least 82 occasions (affecting 34 NCAA games), the game clock forced a team into a sloppy/incomplete possession or rushed shot during a crucial moment. This included a depressingly desperate sequence on Nov. 25, when Iowa State saw ugly, hurried three-point attempts clang off the rim with 17.6, 14.0, and 9.7 seconds remaining while down seven vs. Maryland (this preceded a defensive rebound and — whaddya know — a deliberate foul).

Even in the NBA, where players are used to playing at a quicker pace, at least 61 rushed possessions/shots affected 29 games during crunch time. These figures do not include a number of instances when a team actually converted (albeit with a strikingly low success rate) during a rushed possession.

Unfortunately, these sloppy possessions often include THE MOST IMPORTANT POSSESSION OF THE GAME. Consider that during the 45 sampled NCAA games, 10 potentially final periods (in other words, the second half or overtime) ended with a possession during which the offensive team had a chance to tie or win the game. NONE of those possessions was successful:

11/17 Florida’s Michael Frazier II misses fallaway long two-pointer off backboard and rim vs. Miami

11/20 Texas A&M’s Alex Caruso misses halfcourt shot off backboard and rim vs. Dayton

11/20 (second half) Charlotte’s Braxton Ogbueze misses three-quarter court shot high off backboard vs. Penn State

11/20 (OT) Charlotte’s Torin Dorn three-quarter court shot sails past the right side of the backboard vs. Penn State

11/21 South Carolina’s Sindarius Thornwell misses catch-and-shoot three-pointer off backboard and base of rim vs. Charlotte

11/23 South Florida’s Corey Allen Jr. misses halfcourt shot off back of rim vs. North Carolina State

11/27 St. Joseph’s DeAndre Bembry misses three-pointer from hash mark off side of rim vs. Western Kentucky

11/30 San Diego’s Johnny Dee misses halfcourt shot to the right of the backboard vs. Western Michigan

11/30 Xavier’s Myles Davis misses halfcourt shot off backboard vs. Long Beach State

11/30 Rhode Island’s EC Matthews misses three-pointer just inside halfcourt off side of rim vs. Georgia Tech

In the NBA, 10 potentially final periods (in other words, the fourth quarter or overtime) ended with a possession during which the offensive team had a chance to tie or win the game. Again, NONE of those possessions was successful:

11/1 Minnesota’s inbounds pass (intended for Andrew Wiggins) deflected away by Chicago’s Pau Gasol

11/2 Charlotte’s Lance Stephenson receives inbounds pass from opposite baseline at frontcourt hash mark; shoots while jumping, catching, and spinning; ball falls 20 feet short vs. New York

11/5 (4th Q) Washington’s Paul Pierce misses double-pump three-pointer off back of rim vs. Indiana

11/5 (OT) Indiana’s Chris Copeland misses put-back vs. Washington

11/7 Oklahoma City’s Serge Ibaka misses catch-and-shoot three-pointer off back of rim vs. Memphis

11/8 San Antonio’s Kawhi Leonard recovers blocked shot on the run toward basket; misses floater off rim vs. New Orleans

11/22 Dallas’s Chandler Parsons secures offensive rebound and backpedals beyond three-point line; time expires just before he is able to release shot (ball hit bottom of backboard anyway) vs. Houston

11/23 Charlotte’s Al Jefferson misses tip-in from point blank range vs. Miami

11/26 (4th Q) Dallas’s Tyson Chandler fails to control lob with left hand vs. New York; time expires as ball rolls away

11/29 New Orleans’ Tyreke Evans misses contested three-pointer that barely grazes front of rim vs. Washington

Even if you broaden the definition of a buzzer-beater to any possession during which the offensive team can tie or take the lead with the shot clock turned off (not necessarily the final possession), NCAA teams converted only three of 19 such chances, and NBA teams converted only four of 22 such chances.

CONCEDING

I mentioned that 23 of the 45 NCAA games included deliberate fouling. Of the remaining 22 games, only two (11/20 Dayton/Texas A&M; 11/30 Western Michigan/San Diego) were foul-a-thon-free because the game was close enough to offer the trailing team another strategy (ya know, playing real basketball!). In the other 20 games, the trailing team decided not to bother with fouling.

16 of the 40 NBA games included deliberate fouling. Of the remaining 24 games, only five (11/1 CHI/MIN; 11/8 NOP/SAS; 11/22 HOU/DAL; 11/23 MIA/CHI; 11/29 WAS/NOP) were foul-a-thon-free because the game was close enough to offer the trailing team another strategy. In the other 19 games, the trailing team decided not to foul. We’ve become so accustomed to conceding that we’re often surprised when teams DON’T give up! On Nov. 26, in a particularly dire situation for New York vs. Dallas, Mike Breen remarked “For some reason, Shumpert fouls Jefferson” when the Knick committed a deliberate foul.

In all, trailing teams eventually conceded 31 of the NCAA games and 26 of the NBA games, whether by deciding not to foul deliberately in a situation that calls for it, or by deciding not to play at a frantic pace on offense, or by taking their best players out of the game.

UNCONTESTED MADE FIELD GOALS

Trailing teams were able to score at least seven uncontested field goals during the late stages of NCAA games (including an important basket by Penn State during the second half of their Nov. 20 loss vs. Charlotte), and at least three such baskets during NBA games, because the leading defense thought it better than risking a clock-stopping foul.

CLOCK ERRORS/MALFUNCTIONS/REVIEWS

Two NCAA games included clock reviews, including a four-minute delay near the end of the Nov. 20 Dayton/Texas A&M game (it reset the clock from 0.9 to 1.0 seconds, and ensured an anticlimactic ending in the process).

Three NBA games included clock issues. On Nov. 10, the clocks froze late in the Atlanta/New York game, leading to a 1–2 minute delay. On Nov. 11, a 2–3 minute review provided a most anticlimactic ending to the Toronto/Orlando game (after the clock was reset from 0.0 to 0.5 seconds following an Orlando deliberate foul). On Nov. 10, a 3–4 minute clock review was part of a comical ending to the San Antonio/L.A. Clippers game (after the clock was reset from 0.0 to 1.4 seconds following an illegally called timeout by Blake Griffin).

ROLLED INBOUNDS PASSES

Trailing NCAA teams attempted to conserve time in at least six instances with a rolled inbounds pass, including on Nov. 16, when Robert Morris employed the strategy while down by 45 points with 1:11 remaining vs. North Carolina!

I did not track this phenomenon for NBA games, because teams often roll inbounds passes due to the stingier shot clock (not necessarily because of the game clock). However, on Nov. 17, Denver’s Ty Lawson effectively used the strategy to EXHAUST time while leading vs. Cleveland. After Cleveland made a basket with 2:25 remaining, the ensuing inbounds pass was rolled in gently, and facing no pressure from the Cleveland defense, Ty Lawson waited to pick up the ball near midcourt at the 2:10 mark!

ANTICLIMACTIC OVERTIMES

One NCAA game (Nov. 20 Charlotte/Penn State) went to overtime. After tense finishes to regulation and the first overtime, Charlotte pulled away for a nine-point victory in double overtime. During the final period, Penn State did not have possession of the ball within three points of the lead for the final 4:15.

Two NBA games proceeded to overtime. And while the extra session provided an adequate follow-up to regulation during the Nov. 5 Washington/Indiana game, overtime failed to do so during the Nov. 26 Dallas/New York game, where the Knicks did not have possession within three points of the lead for the final 1:23 (which spanned nearly 12 minutes in actual time).

FOULS-TO-GIVE PUNISHMENT

Fortunately, no NCAA trailing team had fouls-to-give during a situation that called for deliberate fouling — in other words, no one was punished for not having fouled enough earlier in the half!

However, on four occasions, a trailing NBA team had to foul twice when they wanted only to send their opponent to the line (11/7 MEM/OKC; 11/13 GSW/BKN; 11/15 POR/BKN; 11/26 DAL/NYK). This was especially costly to Oklahoma City on Nov. 7, when a foul-to-give required them to exhaust an extra 0.8 seconds (from 3.8 to 3.0) in a game they lost on a missed buzzer-beater attempt.

GAME CLOCK-RELATED FOUL-OUTS

At least five NCAA players fouled out in a manner that was attributable to the game clock (three for fouling deliberately in an effort to stop the game clock in regulation, one who fouled out unintentionally in overtime, and one who fouled out deliberately in overtime).

On two occasions, an NBA player fouled out in such a manner (one deliberately in regulation, one deliberately in overtime). For what it’s worth, New York’s Amare Stoudemire was the player in both instances.

And so, it can be awfully tough to find an exciting final stretch where good basketball is played throughout, much less a perfect final stretch that avoids all of the above and where the game ends with a made basket.