The home team in the first round of the playoffs were 30-14, no thanks to the Celtics not winning in Atlanta. In the second round, home teams are 19-1, Orlando being the only team to lose at home to Detroit. Boston's home record is perfect: 7-0. Imperfect is their away record, at a playoff worst 0-5, which includes three losses to 8th seed, sub-.500 Atlanta in the first round and back to back losses in Cleveland. Detroit and Utah are the only teams still alive to have given up an first round home loss. With this year's wacky playoffs, its hard to tell who will crack the egg and win on the road. Boston is under the heaviest pressure cooker, being the #1 seed without a road win, after posting only 10 losses in 41 road games in the regular season. Losing the first 5 playoff games on the road is not a formula for a championship. Andrew Siciliano stated on Fox Sports Radio that the last team in the past 12 years to win a championship with the fewest road wins was the 2000 Los Angeles Lakers, who went 6-5 including the finals on the road. The Celtics have already met the loss total, and not even one game won on the road. Good luck, because there is obviously none to be had for the Celtics.
Three teams will require a victory on the road, on top of securing their own court, in order to move into the conference finals. The Spurs, who tonight play host to New Orleans, have been getting smeared in New Orleans, and will need to play with the same tenacity they play with in the first half on the road and their Spurs showing in San Antonio. Utah, who only lost one game on the road in the opening round against Houston, will need a game 7 win in LA, which never happens. Cleveland should be able to beat Boston at the Garden, as much as a flop they have been on the road, that should transition to a game 7 loss for Boston in Boston. Detroit won on the road, slamming the door to Orlando's bid to tie the series 2-2, and finished the job at home to win 4-1.
The Spurs are in the greatest trouble of being tossed. Their play has been shaky, and even with a big game 4 win in San Antonio, they will need double that to win in game 6 tonight against a Hornets team looking to let everyone know they are legit, too legit, for that matter, to quit.
But let's get real:
Hornets in 7
Lakers in 7
Cavaliers in 7
Remembering what LeBron did to Detroit last year, I can't see him not doing it again when it counted. Lakers will get edged in Utah, but will deliver their ever so mighty knock-out punch in game 7, barring any further injury to Kobe.
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