Home vs. Away: why the big difference?!

[fictionality]

I just don't understand it. Why do teams play so much better at home?

The best explanation to me is adrenaline -- that a home crowd helps to bring out adrenaline in the home team and to play at the top of their capabilities for longer amounts of time. Whereas if you're the road team, the quiet crowd keeps your adrenaline damp and you've got to activate it from within yourself or the team.

[G35]

Why is this a surprise that teams play better at home?

Are teams suppose to play better on the road? Home teams play better in all sports.....

[A.J.]

Crowd plays a huge factor.

[Jordan45822]

Homecourt advantage just important this year. But looks like the Pistons-Celtics series will be evenly oriented with road and home.

[Prophet_C]

That's why they call it home

[TommyPoints]

Home teams play better in all sports.....

There are differences though. For instance in football the home crowd is quiet when the home team is on offense and get loud when the home team is on defense to make it harder for the other team to communicate.

[A.J.]

Why is this a surprise that teams play better at home?

Are teams suppose to play better on the road? Home teams play better in all sports.....

Not in baseball. For example, the Red Sox completed a sweep agaisnt the Rockies and the White Sox swept he Astros.

Both teams clinched on the road.

[Prophet_C]

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Not in baseball. For example, the Red Sox completed a sweep agaisnt the Rockies and the White Sox swept he Astros.

Both teams clinched on the road.

Sox just got swept in Oakland today. Good examples.

[richboy]

When you have two teams that are very even often the home court advantage is really the only thing that seperates them. That added boost that many role players get by playing in front of the home crowd. Getting a few more calls. Playing in familiar surrounding can be the difference when two teams play at comparable levels.

[A.J.]

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Sox just got swept in Oakland today. Good examples.

Regular season dont mean squat. Playoffs is what matters.

[mattlanta]

Home team plays off the energy of the crowd. It's hard to shoot those free throws when you've got thousands and thousands of fans screaming at you. And it's harder to make those shots when you're also getting screamed at and booed at.

[Prophet_C]

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Regular season dont mean squat. Playoffs is what matters.

You realize you're trying to argue a point basically saying that home vs away doesn't matter?

[PopAGat]

Crowd is a huge factor.

[Patterns]

+ referees usually favor the home team

[JordansBulls]

I just don't understand it. Why do teams play so much better at home?

The best explanation to me is adrenaline -- that a home crowd helps to bring out adrenaline in the home team and to play at the top of their capabilities for longer amounts of time. Whereas if you're the road team, the quiet crowd keeps your adrenaline damp and you've got to activate it from within yourself or the team.

Just take a look at the playoff records all time.

http://www.nba.com/history/records/allt ... .html#Road

This is why a team with HC Advantage should win the series.

[ninetyone4ever]

While I agree the crowd can be a factor, I think the biggest reason home teams have a slight advantage is simply because they all sleep in their own bed the night before the game, have breakfast with/wake up next to their significant other (although i think Shawn Kemp probably woke up next to someone plenty of times on the road, haha) get a chance to get in their zone, etc. while the road team wakes up in a hotel, has to pack up the bus, may be in a different altitude/time zone than they are used to waking up in, etc.

[JO7]

just listen to dorothy from the wizard of oz, "there's no place like home"

[Reks]

In some cases I think it's mental. When you miss a shot the opposing team's crowd can get inside your head and make you less confident in your shot. Your home team will support you most of the time.

This is countered by mentally strong people and Philadelphia fans.

[Kobay]

Because home teams probably have the lead most of the time in the game and that alleviates the pressure of "must catch up" from young players and role players.

[Kobay]

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Just take a look at the playoff records all time.

http://www.nba.com/history/records/allt ... .html#Road

This is why a team with HC Advantage should win the series.

Or maybe teams that have greater separation in win/loss from the seeds below it?