The Cavs are in Boston tonight for Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals. The series is tied 2-2, with both teams winning their home games.
WKSU commentator says the Celtics are undefeated, 9-0, at TD Garden, while the Cavs have lost just once at the Q.
Home-court advantage
What could make the biggest difference in this series is home-court advantage, which belongs to the Celtics.
鈥淚f you win every single home game and you have home-court advantage, you win the series.鈥� Game 5 is in Boston tonight. Game 6 is back in Cleveland. And, if there鈥檚 a deciding game 7, it鈥檚 back in Boston.
鈥淓ighty-five percent of teams that have a home game in a deciding game 7, win,鈥� Pluto says.
Rims, fans, officials
Pluto says there are factors in basketball that make home-court advantage more of game-changer than in other sports.
鈥淚f you shot a basketball around in your backyard and you鈥檝e been shooting on those rims and getting used to that background and then you go across town to someone else鈥檚 backyard, it doesn鈥檛 take much to miss a shot.鈥�
Pluto notes the Cavs play 41 games at Q.
鈥淭he most you play in someone else鈥檚 arena until the playoffs is three or four times.鈥�
Pluto also says fans are factor.
鈥淭hey are so close to the court, not only unraveling the emotions of the opposing team, but fueling your own.鈥�
And, officiating also tends to favor the home team.
鈥淟eBron James drives to the rim and two guys are coming to stop him and they go down like bowling pins. He throws the ball up and now all three guys are screaming at the official. You鈥檙e in Cleveland and all 20,562 fans are screaming, 鈥楬e was fouled!鈥�
Officials are supposed to be impartial but if you鈥檙e out there with a whistle and you鈥檙e not sure at all and the crowd is pushing you one way, the natural thing to do is to go with the crowd.鈥�
Emotion
And, Pluto says, basketball is a game that鈥檚 fueled by emotion.
鈥淪ometimes you鈥檒l see a team at home starts to play well and starts to get all the calls. There鈥檚 a tidal wave of emotions. And when two teams are close, these little things do matter. It is a very human sport.鈥�
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