[weaksauce]

It's not quite true that having a couple key players on the bench in the middle of the game does not have a direct affect on the game. There are a few key things at play; one, the non key players might thrive during the middle of the game because there is less pressure on them to perform so they might score more than they would at the end of the game. Two, the defense during the middle of the game is not as intense as near the end where the stakes are higher. Three, the clutch players will probably sore more during the last moments of the game where there is more pressure for the win because they have years of experience at the end and generally do not fear the clutch shots.