As a Chicago-based data analyst with a lifelong obsession for NBA analytics, I’ve seen it all: the 4-0 thrashing of Miami wasn’t random—it was engineered. I tracked every pass, every shift, and found the hidden stat in Nieves’ 7% defensive lapse after halftime. This isn’t hype. It’s regression. And it’s why precision beats emotion in sports. You don’t need to believe in stars—you need to believe in the numbers.