Finally, Evidence for a Momentum Effect in the NBA

Abstract

The concept of a “momentum effect” in sports is the situation in which a team has a higher probability of winning or success had the team been playing well in the last few games. Winning streaks are often described as a team having momentum. This is similar in nature to the “hot hand,” which is mostly discussed for basketball and refers to a player having a higher probability of making a shot had he or she made the previous few shots.