NBA: 10 Noteworthy Stats Through The First Quarter Of The Season

By Ryan Piers | Dec 6, 2016

Dec 4, 2016; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) shoots the ball over New Orleans Pelicans guard Jrue Holiday (11) during the fourth quarter at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports /

4 of 11

Dec 4, 2016; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks forward Kristaps Porzingis (6) shoots a free throw during the fourth quarter against the Sacramento Kings at Madison Square Garden. New York Knicks won 106-98. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports /

Nine teams separated by 3.5 games in the East

Stat: 3.5 games separates the 7th from the 1st seed

The right to lose, eh, face LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference playoffs is tight.

Why is this noteworthy? Well, in the past, the East was marred by mediocrity. But this year there are 11 pretty good squads. There’s the very good Toronto Raptors and then the echelon of the conference, the Cavaliers.

Expect the race to remain tight until the finish. Doesn’t really matter, though, because we all know what the final outcome will be.

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