What's the most important game in a Series?

No_20 · Post #1 » by **No_20** » Sat Apr 19, 2014 12:35 am

(Not counting a elimination game)

Is it Game 1, Game 3 or Game 4? Or Game 2?

Example. Miami Heat has been pretty good in Game 4's:

Spurs last year, Pacers and Thunder in 2012, Celtics and Bulls in 2011.

But they've struggled in Game 1:

Lost Game 1 against Bulls in 2011, Thunder in 2012, Bulls and Spurs in 2013. They still ended up winning all these series.

For me, the Game 4 is the big one. If it's 2-1 or 1-2. The difference between 3-1/1-3 and 2-2 is so big.

Post #2 » by **LLcoleJ** » Sat Apr 19, 2014 12:38 am

The 4th win.

Bankai · Post #3 » by **Bankai** » Sat Apr 19, 2014 12:39 am

Bill Russell once said Game 1 is only a feel out game.

Irishock · Post #4 » by **Irishock** » Sat Apr 19, 2014 12:48 am

Game 4, huge difference between being up 3-1 and tied in the series.

ceiling raiser · Post #5 » by **ceiling raiser** » Sat Apr 19, 2014 12:50 am

Game 5

StatLine · Post #6 » by **StatLine** » Sat Apr 19, 2014 12:54 am

Game 7

fallacy · Post #7 » by **fallacy** » Sat Apr 19, 2014 1:05 am

Besides the obvious game 7, game 4

TheUroborosWorm · Post #8 » by **TheUroborosWorm** » Sat Apr 19, 2014 1:09 am

If you're Phil Jackson... game 1.

BodieB · Post #9 » by **BodieB** » Sat Apr 19, 2014 1:14 am

I'm not sure about the percentages or anything but from all I've watched over the years Game 1 seems like the LEAST important. After that they all seem very important.

TheMidnightSun · Post #10 » by **TheMidnightSun** » Sat Apr 19, 2014 1:17 am

it depends

if a series is 1-0 then the home team wants to defend home court advantage and the road team wants to steal home court, so game 2 is big because the difference between being 1-1 and 2-0 is huge

if a series is 2-1 then game 4 is going to be huge because the percentage of teams that come back down 3-1 is really low

if the series is 2-2 then game 5 know as a swing game is the biggest game of the series potentially, if the road team wins game 5 they can close out the series at home in game 6, if the home team wins then they get two opportunities to close out the series with the comfort of a game 7 being at home

if a series is 2-0 then game 3 is the most important game because no team has come back down 0-3 in the nba,

each game is the most important game, game 1 is kind of a feel out game and indicates nothing that will come in the rest of the series, if a team is up 3-0 that doesn't mean that game 4 isn't important because you want to wrap up a series and prevent potential injuries and rest for the next round

TheUroborosWorm · Post #11 » by **TheUroborosWorm** » Sat Apr 19, 2014 1:18 am

BodieB wrote:I'm not sure about the percentages or anything but from all I've watched over the years Game 1 seems like the LEAST important. After that they all seem very important.

Well iirc, Phil's record when winning G1 of a series... is 44-0 so i guess it's kind of important.

wicked_crossova · Post #12 » by **wicked_crossova** » Sat Apr 19, 2014 1:25 am

TheMidnightSun wrote:it depends

if a series is 1-0 then the home team wants to defend home court advantage and the road team wants to steal home court, so game 2 is big because the difference between being 1-1 and 2-0 is huge

if a series is 2-1 then game 4 is going to be huge because the percentage of teams that come back down 3-1 is really low

"If"? 1-0 and 2-1 are unavaoidable scenarios :wink:

TheMidnightSun · Post #13 » by **TheMidnightSun** » Sat Apr 19, 2014 1:29 am

wicked_crossova wrote:
TheMidnightSun wrote:it depends

if a series is 1-0 then the home team wants to defend home court advantage and the road team wants to steal home court, so game 2 is big because the difference between being 1-1 and 2-0 is huge

if a series is 2-1 then game 4 is going to be huge because the percentage of teams that come back down 3-1 is really low

"If"? 1-0 and 2-1 are unavaoidable scenarios

haha, i knew i made more mistakes, 2-1 is not a given though

Okada · Post #14 » by **Okada** » Sat Apr 19, 2014 1:54 am

I'ves always thought game 4 since it's the difference between 2-2 and 3-1, and not many teams have successfully come back from being down 3-1 (assuming the series doesn't start 3-0, in which case, you're **** anyways).

BodieB · Post #15 » by **BodieB** » Sat Apr 19, 2014 2:02 am

TheUroborosWorm wrote:
BodieB wrote:I'm not sure about the percentages or anything but from all I've watched over the years Game 1 seems like the LEAST important. After that they all seem very important.

Well iirc, Phil's record when winning G1 of a series... is 44-0 so i guess it's kind of important.

Not a significant number when discussing a league wide staple.

dr3am · Post #16 » by **dr3am** » Sat Apr 19, 2014 3:25 am

1.) Game 3. That usually either lets you know if a team up 2-0 is going to win the series or whether a team is tied 1-1 will get the momentum of a series

2.) Game 5 is second because it only matters the most when a series is tied 2-2

3.) Game 7...Not to much to be said

GoBobs · Post #17 » by **GoBobs** » Sat Apr 19, 2014 4:15 am

I think for the Bobcats its game one. They need to make it a series by winning a game as fast as possible. Winning the first game would be huge for their confidence and fan interest.

bape_lovers · Post #18 » by **bape_lovers** » Sat Apr 19, 2014 4:24 am

every game is important..but i think game 2 is most important..because 1-1 losing home court will be tough to come back

zronv7 · Post #19 » by **zronv7** » Sat Apr 19, 2014 4:32 am

game 3

KennyDuwayne · Post #20 » by **KennyDuwayne** » Sat Apr 19, 2014 4:34 am

zronv7 wrote:game 3

This.

0-2 is doable. 0-3 is impossible.