Can Someone Explain the NBA Playoffs to Me???

[flippy]

Why did the Celtics have game 5 as a home game?

If they win (which they did), they go up 3-2 over the home team and get a bit of momentum or an edge going into games 6-7. That doesn't seem like home court advantage to the home team (Lakers).

Shouldn't a home team get first crack at an advantage in a series? Shouldn't the Lakers have hosted Game 5? Then Celtics get Game 6. And then back to LA for Game 7?

By the home team for the series (Lakers) hosting game 5, they would seem to get an advantage to closing out the series.

I'd almost rather be the visiting team for the series the way it's set up in the NBA.

Do they always go 2 home, 3 away, and then 2 home games? Or did they do this for logistics so the teams didn't have to fly across the country as much?

[RuthlessBurgher]

I don't think anyone likes the 2-3-2 format for a 7 game series in any sport. It's gotta be 2-2-1-1-1.

[flippy]

The only case I could come up with for 2-3-2 was if the home team was random and the 2-3-2 was to balance it out for the away team.

But if it's based on record, it has to be 2-2-1-1-1 to preserve advantage for the home team in game 5.

[D Rock]

how do the baseball playoffs work?


I agree 100% 2-2-1-1-1 is the way to go

[kiwi_sarah]

I never pay attention to these things, but even I thought it was a strange set-up.

Next game's a must-win for the Celtics (despite Pierce's mumbles about having two chances) if they don't put it away in game 6 I don't see them beating the Lakers in an LA based game 7.

[flippy]

how do the baseball playoffs work?


I agree 100% 2-2-1-1-1 is the way to go

2-3-2, but they determine the home team based on the all star game. if the AL wins the all star game, the AL champ is the home team in the World Series.

I'm ok with this set up because home field is a bit random, so giving the visiting team game 5 at home evens things out a bit imho.

If the teams competed and controlled their destiny to get HFA, I'd be for 2-2-1-1-1. But since they aren't game 5 seems like a reasonable compromise to the team that only gets 3 home games.

[flippy]

I found home court advantage is based on record. So 2-2-1-1-1 is the only fair way to do it.

I think the Lakers may have gotten a bit hosed.