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And then
there were four.
From a
survival cast consisting of the Lakers, the Nuggets, the
Jazz, the Rockets, the Spurs, the Suns, the Hornets and
the Mavs in the West; and the Celtics, the Hawks, the
Cavaliers, the Wizards, the Magic, the Raptors, the
Pistons and the Sixers in the East, the semifinal
showdown has been limited to four: the Lakers and the
Spurs in the West, the Celtics and the Pistons in the
East.
Interesting to note that save for the Celtics, the
Lakers, the Pistons and the Spurs have been constant
players in the finals drama of the National Basketball
Association (NBA) since 2000. Come on, ride on the time
machine with me. In 2000, the NBA Finals was between the
Lakers and the Pacers; in 2000, the Lakers and the
Sixers; in 2002, the Lakers and the Nets; in 2003, the
Spurs and the Nets; in 2004, the Lakers and the Pistons;
in 2005, the Pistons and the Spurs. 2006 was a fluke,
with the Heat and the Mavs grabbing the limelight from
the usual suspects.
Last
year, the Spurs giddy-yapped their way into the finals
again against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Remember that
lopsided 2007 NBA finals that San Antonio dealt LeBron’s
Cavs? A four-game sweep it was, in fact.
San Antonio
all the way.
The
2007-08 season is interesting because, for the first
time in decades, there appears to be a possibility that
the Lakers and the Celtics—the Crispa-Toyota and Ateneo-La
Salle of the NBA—would meet up again after 23 years in
an NBA finals.
Both
teams are slaying their dragons right now, so to speak,
in their respective divisions. And we don’t really know
how the flow will go. But if the Lakers complete their
domination of the Spurs in the West (as their record now
stands 3-1 after yesterday’s battle), and the Celtics
master the hot-trotting Pistons in the East, we would
have a classic NBA finals this year, something that NBA
fans would go gaga about, as it would bring back a big
wave of memories from the Johnny Havlicek-Jerry West and
the Magic Johnson-Larry Bird eras. This time the battle
will be waged by the Celtics’ Big Three vs. Kobe Bryant
and his gang. Another intriguing angle to watch out for,
if ever this epic matchup does take place, is KG vs. KB,
who, incidentally, were also up against each other for
the MVP title this season.
Some
wags like to place a lot of importance on home-court
advantage. After all, the NBA finals are all about the
better team’s earning the right to have the last
game—Game Seven—played in their home court, if that last
game is necessary.
Playing
the game at home is definitely a perk. Most of the time
it works—as in the Celtics’ 7-1 home wins in the current
playoffs. But it doesn’t always add up, as when the
Pistons conquered the Celts right in their own Garden in
Game Two. And the Celtics likewise tripped the Pistons
in Detroit in Game Three.
This
matter of home-court advantage has intrigued a lot of
people for years such that scientific researches have
been conducted to find out just what it is and why teams
that play at home more often win than lose.
Many
theories and analyses have explored the phenomenon and
have cited factors such as heightened aggression of the
home team (Schwartz and Barsky, 1977), psychological
influence of a crowd (Whyte, 1943) and familiarity of
the players with the playing field (Schwartz and Barsky,
1977).
Other
factors include the fact that home teams stay in their
homes or turfs rather than in a hotel, the absence of
the “travel fatigue factor” and rowdy hometown support.
Notice
how the crowd often makes as much noise and distraction
as it can for the visiting team when it is about to run
a play or take a free throw. These distractions require
nerves of steel and unflinching confidence for the
participants involved.
Sometimes the advantage all boils down to peculiar
environmental conditions at home. Weather, humidity and
temperature all work their weird magic. Denver, for
instance, is a mile (1,609 m) above sea level, and has
thinner air. That greatly affects the stamina of
athletes who are not used to the situation.
The
playing arena itself can do some mumbo-jumbo for the
team that owns it. The Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome’s
unique off-white Teflon-coated roof traps is said to
reflect so much noise that visiting players get
distracted and irritated when they play there. The
unusual color of the roof also disconcerts, such that
visitors tend to commit more errors in the Dome than in
other ballparks.
Team
schedules may also affect the outcome of games. Teams
that play a greater proportion of their “easy” games at
home, when compared with their “tough” road games, have
a much higher home-court advantage than teams with
opposite schedules. This was borne out by a study
conducted by a Duke University professor (Thomas H.
Giedgowd) entitled “The Home Court Advantage in
Contemporary College Basketball (1998-2001).”
In our
opinion, however, if a team (or athlete) can be so
focused and place itself (him/herself) so much in the
zone, playing in unfamiliar territory with a hostile
crowd can be rendered insignificant as a matter of fact
as a referee’s bad call or a trash-talking opponent.
As we
approach June, we’re now really headed for more drama
and intensity in the NBA tilts. Home-court advantage
notwithstanding, soon there will be two. |
