NBA Finals !!!!1!!one!!

[Brian Fein]

It seemed like right after it was tied, when the Spurs knocked down the 3 right before halftime, that was the beginning of the end.  After that, it got out of hand.

But, there's no way 2 role player guys like Green and Neal can keep up that kind of performance for the next 3-4 games.  Those guys had career nights last night.  Can't count on that every game.

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

^ That's not a good judge, because game 7s go to the team that won more games in the regular season, which means that they're probably the better team to begin with.  If game 7s were randomly assigned to home/away, then you'd have a point.

Very true.

A better measure would be compare the league's overall percent of regular season games in which the home team wins. 

I didn't do the math but with a basic eyeballing of it in the NBA it looks very  significant.  In hockey and baseball not so much.  Football is less than NBA but more than the other two.   

[Spider-Dan]

From here:

Code:

League 	Home Games Won
MLB 	53.9%
NHL 	55.7%
NFL 	57.3%
NBA 	60.5%
MLS 	69.1%

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

Thanks spider.

I would say that 60-40 is a pretty significant advantage. 

[Spider-Dan]

For one game, sure.  Over the course of a series, not so much.  It certainly doesn't mean that winning two out of three games on the road is some Herculean task.

[Landshark]

For one game, sure.  Over the course of a series, not so much.  It certainly doesn't mean that winning two out of three games on the road is some Herculean task.

In the Finals it can be. And against a team like the Spurs, it most certainly is

[Spider-Dan]

It took SA two overtimes to avoid losing the first two games at home to GS.  Is GS really that much better than MIA?

[Landshark]

It took SA two overtimes to avoid losing the first two games at home to GS.  Is GS really that much better than MIA?

Perhaps they got caught looking ahead? Or Golden State presents matchup problems for San Antonio

[Brian Fein]

^^ or the Spurs aren't as good as you think.

[Sunstroke]

I think the Golden State Warriors have more talent than many folks give them credit for, and almost all of it is really young. Golden State gave the Spurs fits because they were younger, kept the pace very up-tempo and killed it from behind the 3-point line. The trio of Curry, Thompson and Barnes is a solid foundation, though they still (like many teams) need more quality big men in the frontcourt. They don't have a single pick in this year's draft, so unless they trade for a draft pick, they'll be limited to whatever big man scraps are in free agency.

I think San Antonio is, like Miami, one of the truly "elite" teams in the league, led by one of the greatest players of our generation, T-T-Timmy!! and in Popovich, they the greatest coach currently in the NBA, bar-none.  I'm worried for Miami right now... The Spurs look pretty damned tough out there.

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

For one game, sure.  Over the course of a series, not so much.  It certainly doesn't mean that winning two out of three games on the road is some Herculean task.

If the home team wins 60% of the time, then the home team should win a three game series  (2 or 3 games) 65% of the time.

Break down as follows
Home team wins sweeps -- 22%
Home team wins 2-1 -- 43%
Road team wins 2-1 --29%
Road team sweeps -- 6%
   

[Dave Gray]

Officiating was awful again in game 4, with rogue fouls and touch fouls all over the floor.  The announcers make it barely watchable.  I've never seen announcers that so clearly hate one team allowed to cover the game.  The whole playoffs, we're having someone cover the game that has a bias: Against the Bulls, we had Steve Kerr, who played his career in Chicago.  Against Indiana, we had Reggie Miller, who played his career with the Pacers, and in the Finals, we have Van Gundy, whose brother has bad blood with the team.  It's awful.

There was a really funny moment last night where Battier gets bowled over and they call it a blocking foul.  Van Gundy said, "Well clearly Battier is either in the charge circle or he didn't get his feet set."  So, they show the replay, Battier steps out of the charge circle and sets his feet well ahead of time.  <Pause>  "Um...yeah....that's close."

Despite all that BS (and a 17 to 31 free throw discrepancy), we still beat their asses.

I think that a game 5 loss for the Spurs basically ends the series.  But Miami can afford it.

[Brian Fein]

Remember this?

[el diablo]

Yep. Back during a time when I could stomach the Heat.

[Thundergod]

Yes, what a horrible group of assholes they are composed of now...