Home and Away

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1For several reason, I don’t think who’s home and who’s away is that important in this series. TV analysts, ceaselessly in search of simple explanations, love to make a big deal out of which building they are in. But when you are discussing Spurs-Mavericks, I think the impact of the game’s location diminishes rapidly.

First and foremost, the Spurs have never struggled on the road in the playoffs. In fact, we have won more road playoff games than any other team over the last decade. We have also lost several key games at home (Game 6 of the 2005 NBA Finals; Game 7 of the 2006 Western Conference Semi-Finals). And as Saturday reminded us, we have a tendency to lose the first game of Round One when we have home court advantage.

On other hand the Mavs have been a notoriously bad road team, both in recent postseasons and during the 2008-09 regular season. But one arena the Mavs have never struggled in is the AT&T Center. Their last playoff road win before Saturday came during the 2006 Western Conference Finals. Meanwhile, the American Airlines Arena has never been a fortress during the playoffs. The Miami Heat won Game 6 of the 2006 Finals on Dallas’ home floor. Dallas has dropped a home game in each of their last two playoff exits.

Dallas is tied with Orlando for the 8th best home record in the league at 32-9, which is respectable. But during the regular season the Spurs proved they can win in Dallas, just as the Mavs proved they can win in San Antonio. On Thursday, we are not headed to TD Banknorth, Energy Solutions, or Quicken Loans. We are headed to a place where we have won and lost enough times that the mental and emotional imbalance brought on by travel has been numbed. I expect the Spurs to execute with the same precision and intensity on both ends of the floor, no matter whose logo they are standing atop.

  • SpurredOn

    Graydon,

    One quick fix: the Mavs’ last road playoff win was game 6 of the 2006 WCF at Phoenix. Easy to overlook since the Spurs-Mavs series was truly the WCF but due to the odd NBA seeding rule, they had to play in round 2.

    I’m never concerned about our guys on the road come playoff time. This year is a bit different, as part of our road success is having a road assassin. Plenty of reasons exists for why the road record has been so solid: great defense, mental toughness, patience, calmness, focus and just plan old being better. But one intangible is having a player or two who relishes the opportunity to silence the crowd, whether at the buzzer, leading a comeback or breaking a home team’s scoring run. Manu was our number one guy and for the previous five seasons, so was Horry. This is not to say that TD, Bowen, Finley or Tony haven’t hit HUGE shots that changed the complexion of a road game and helped lead us to victory. Just think of Bruce’s corner 3 beating Phoenix in game 5, 2007. Or Finley’s would’ve been game winning 3 in game 4 at Dallas, 2006 (before the phantom foul on Bowen allowed Dirk to send the game to overtime).

    Who will now be that player? Such cold blooded scores usually come as a well guarded jump- shot or with a determination to create and take contact followed by successful FT attempts. Mason has shown he’s capable at & near the buzzer. I think along with the obvious guys we trust (TD, Finley and Bowen) it has to be Parker or Mason. The good news? Since 2002, when we’ve faced a road game in a 1-1 series, the player who has most often stepped up and led the way with a huge game is Tony Parker, starting with his first vs Gary Payton.

  • Will

    What I don’t like about dropping the first game this time is that it will be harder for the Spurs to finish at home. Obviously the Spurs have managed to close a few series on the road before – but right now it means either going 7 games (which I don’t like at all) or win at least 2 in Dallas (which I don’t like too much either).

  • John

    I don’t think that home court helps or hurts either team in this series offensively. But I do think that the energy from the crowd will help the home team dig in on defense. And this could in turn have an effect on the other team’s offense. So although I think both teams can win on the road, I think home court helps the home team play with energy on defense.

  • http://www.48minutesofhell.com Graydon Gordian

    SpurredOn,

    You’re right about the 2006 WCFs. Thanks for the heads up. I edited the post to reflect that.

  • Navin

    In spite of the so called parity and depth of the Western conference (at least in the last few years) isnt it strange that only 3 teams have represented the West in the NBA finals in the last decade, Lakers (5 times and fave this year, 3 champs); Spurs (3/3) and Mavs (1, choked)? The East by contrast has had 6 teams, Sixers, Nets, Pistons, Heat, Cavs and Celtics (3 championships put together).

  • http://www.48minutesofhell.com Graydon Gordian

    Navin,

    I also think it is funny that people constantly reference the West’s dominance or have treated this season as the year the East caught up to the West. If you have to go back to 2002 to find a Western Conference team other than the Spurs that won a title, is the conference really that dominant?

  • Will

    It’s been 50-50 in recent years (West, or rather Spurs, in odd years – East in even years). But on the other hand looking at the last 10 years the record is still 7-3 in favor of the West, and that’s pretty big (4 for Spurs, 3 for Lakers, 1 Pistons, 1 Heat, 1 Celtics).

    Also the West team has swept the East team twice in the past 10 years (Lakers over Nets and Spurs over Cavs) and that really sends the message that the East team does not deserve to be there in the first place… Eastern teams have never swept Western teams, best was Detroit 4-1 over Lakers, the other 2 Finals went 4-2.