Part 2 of this series on pressure is more than just understanding how pressure is a common denominator in sports, it is about understanding how pressure can affect an athlete’s ability to relax, destroying good shot selection, negatively impacting assist to turnover ratios, lowering shooting percentages, and negatively affecting overall clutch performance. This discussion will also focus on a highly practical first step to excelling in pressure situations, namely a team’s ability to manage their

The current Central Division leaders and second place of the Eastern Conference, the Cleveland Cavaliers, got their 37th victory of the season by beating the Detroit Pistons 90-80 on Sunday. In their previous meeting against the Pistons, the Cavs had some troubles and lost against them as visitors.

The purpose is to provide a strong reminder of the critical link between tight games, clutch situations and pressure, a concept and a link that is not so well understood. More than anything else, pressure affects an athlete’s ability to relax, which in turn can alter shot selection, assist to turnover ratios, shooting percentages, overall clutch performance, and the list goes on and on.

Of the four major sports in the USA, basketball is the one easiest to bet on. Along with football, basketball uses the point spread for evening out the wagering on sides, as it were. If it weren't for the point spread, many games would be so obviously one sided there would be no betting opportunity.

There are gamblers and there are serious sports betting enthusiasts. Which one are you? There are even several types of gamblers, including the guys who really get their biggest kick from gambling from the risk itself. The entire rush for these individuals comes from the unlikely but still possible chance that they will win. If you are one of these big risk guys, you will not find this article useful, because I spent a big part of my life trying to reduce your risk.