Dating to his first season with the Lakers in 1999-2000, Phil Jackson is 27-7 in games in which the Lakers have a chance to send their opponent into the offseason. That includes a 4-0 record in 2010, when the Lakers repeated as NBA champions.

Jackson’s unorthodox coaching methods have been a topic of discussion through the years. But one thing is certain, the Lakers under Jackson rarely have slipped when faced with the opportunity to move on in the playoffs or clinch an NBA title.

The only major blip on Jackson’s closeout record occurred in 2006, when the Lakers had a 3-1 first-round playoff series lead over the Phoenix Suns. The Suns, on their way to the Western Conference finals, won three consecutive games to shockingly oust the Lakers from the playoffs.

But during title runs in 2000, 2001 and 2002, the Lakers were 12-2 in closeout games. During the Lakers’ current two-year championship run, they were 8-1 in closeouts.