There's no question that stats play a role in revealing and gauging a player's greatness. More often than not, the stat sheet is a good indicator of how much a player is contributing on the floor.
Thanks to statistics, superstars are often measured by their production, allowing them to rank over other players in the league. But while good production often leads to wins, this isn't always the case due to the idea of stat-padding.
Stat-padding allows players to inflate their production that don't positively affect the team's chances of winning. Let's take a closer look at 10 obvious moments when NBA players only played for stats.
Jordan Clarkson stays in the game to grab his 10th rebound
Jordan Clarkson is a certified walking bucket. But in a game against the Dallas Mavericks, Clarkson was an all-around player that led the Jazz to a convincing 120-97 win.
In the game, when the Jazz were holding a comfortable lead, Will Hardy just couldn't pull Clarkson to the bench when he was closer than ever to becoming the first Jazz player since Carlos Boozer in 2008 to register a triple-double. But by staying on the floor, Clarkson managed to get his 10th rebound to finish the game with 20 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander commits a foul to keep his 30-point streak alive
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is one of the rising stars in the NBA. But just recently against the Pacers, SGA made a controversial move to intentionally foul Andrew Nembhard.
Down by at least 10 with less than 20 seconds to go, SGA knew he had yet to eclipse 30, hence the intentional foul to get the ball back. The Thunder star eventually made a layup to surpass Kevin Durant's 30-point consecutive-game streak.
Bam Adebayo keeps his steal streak alive
In an NBA Finals rematch between the Miami Heat and the Denver Nuggets, the latter reasserted their mastery over the former. But in the final 10 seconds of the game, when Jokic left the ball on the floor to show sportsmanship, the Heat big man decided to casually pick up the rock for a last-second heave.
Counted as a steal, the All-Star big man kept his steals streak alive by registering his lone steal of the night, the fifth-consecutive game he registered at least one steal.
Andray Blatche exhausts all possible ways to get a triple-double and fails
There's no question that Andray Blatche was one of the most controversial players in the NBA thanks to his antics. However, his reputation continued to grow when Blatche registered a near triple-double of 20 points, nine rebounds and 13 assists.
However, it wasn't his production that caught the fans' attention. Instead, it was Blatche's desperate measures to secure the 10th rebound. Unfortunately, Blatche failed to grab it, and the triple-double remained elusive for the rest of his career.
Ricky Davis' failed triple-double attempt
If Andray Blatche wanted a triple-double badly, he wasn't alone. Former Cavs player Ricky Davis was close to getting a triple-double, putting up 26 points, nine rebounds, and 12 assists.
Not wanting to finish with only a double-double, in the final possession, Davis intentionally missed a shot to collect a rebound. However, the league omitted the triple-double. Since then, like Blatche, Davis never got a triple-double in his career.
Giannis Antetokounmpo's failed triple-double attempt
Speaking of triple-doubles, Giannis Antetokounmpo is easily one of the best players in the NBA, having won back-to-back MVP Awards and an NBA championship with the Milwaukee Bucks. However, after needing one rebound to complete a triple-double, the Greek Freak did the unexpected by intentionally missing an easy layup to complete a triple-double.
Unfortunately for him, the NBA officials didn't consider it a rebound. During that night, he officially finished the game with 23 points, nine rebounds and 13 assists.
The Rockets help KPJ go for first triple-double
It wasn't long ago when Kevin Porter Jr. was considered to be a promising prospect. In fact, the Rockets even invested in him as one of the young pieces that will shine during the team's rebuilding phase.
In a game against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Porter's Rockets teammates were so selfless that they let him scoop up a rebound. Unfortunately, given that the ball was first tipped by Alperen Sengun, the rebound didn't count. After review, KPJ officially finished with 11 points, nine rebounds and 11 assists.
Nicholas Batum defies unwritten rule to notch his first triple-double
Nicholas Batum is a reliable starting forward who is versatile enough to be a solid two-way player. Often unselfish, Batum did make an exception in a game against the San Antonio Spurs.
With nine points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists, Batum had the ball in the final seconds of the game. Despite the game being done at the score of 112-105, Batum put up a last-second three at the buzzer, which went in. Although he earned his first triple-double, Batum ultimately felt guilty for making the shot.
The Thunder let Russell Westbrook get his rebounds
Another player who loved getting triple-doubles is Russell Westbrook. In fact, he became the first player since Oscar Robertson to average a triple-double during the regular season. But while Westbrook often stuffed the stat sheet, basketball fans also noticed how his Thunder teammates often gave up rebounds for the NBA MVP to grab them.
Jamal Murray tries to go for 51 to break the unwritten rule
Jamal Murray cooked the Boston Celtics in dominant fashion back in November 2018. As Nuggets fans will remember, Murray exploded for a career-high 48 points.
In the final seconds of the game, Murray was keen on reaching the half century mark by attempting a buzzer-beating three despite the game being sealed for good. With Kyrie Irving unhappy with the attempt, the NBA champion threw the ball into the stands.
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