Statistics in basketball are kept to evaluate a player's or a team's performance. Examples Examples of basketball statistics include: GM, GP; GS: games played; games started PTS: points FGM, FGA, FG%: field goals made, attempted and percentage FTM, FTA, FT%: free throws made, attempted and percentage 3FGM, 3FGA, 3FG%: three-point field goals made, attempted and percentage REB, OREB, DREB: rebounds, offensive rebounds, defensive rebounds AST: assists STL: steals BLK: blocks TO: turnovers TD: triple double EFF: efficiency: NBA's efficiency rating: (PTS + REB + AST + STL + BLK − ((FGA − FGM) + (FTA − FTM) + TO)) PF: personal fouls MIN: minutes AST/TO: assist to turnover ratio PER: Player Efficiency Rating: John Hollinger's Player Efficiency Rating PIR: Performance Index Rating: Euroleague's and Eurocup's Performance Index Rating: (Points + Rebounds + Assists + Steals + Blocks + Fouls Drawn) − (Missed Field Goals + Missed Free Throws + Turnovers + Shots Rejected + Fouls Committed) Averages per game are denoted by *PG (e.g. BLKPG or BPG, STPG or SPG, APG, RPG and MPG). Sometime the players statistics are divided by minutes played and multiplied by 48 minutes (had he played the entire game), denoted by * per 48 min. or *48M. A player who makes double digits in a game in any two of the PTS, REB, AST, STL, and BLK statistics is said to make a double double; in three statistics, a triple double; in four statistics, a quadruple double. A quadruple double is extremely rare (and has only occurred four times in the NBA). There is also a 5x5, when a player records at least a 5 in each of the 5 statistics. The NBA also posts to the statistics section of its Web site a simple composite efficiency statistic, denoted EFF and derived by the formula, ((Points + Rebounds + Assists + Steals + Blocks) − ((Field Goals Attempted − Field Goals Made) + (Free Throws Attempted − Free Throws Made) + Turnovers)). While conveniently distilling most of a player's key statistics in one numerical score, the formula is not highly regarded by the statistics community, with the alternative Player Efficiency Rating developed by ESPN basketball statistician John Hollinger being more widely used to compare the overall efficiency of players. Tempo-free statistics Examples of tempo-free statistics including the following Pace: Possessions per game (typically ranges from 60 to 75) PPP: Points per possession, the points a