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Warriors: Home court advantage is not a guarantee

By Carlos Murillo

May 26, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) celebrates after scoring against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the fourth quarter in game five of the Western conference finals of the NBA Playoffs at Oracle Arena. The Warriors defeated the Thunder 120-111. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports
May 26, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) celebrates after scoring against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the fourth quarter in game five of the Western conference finals of the NBA Playoffs at Oracle Arena. The Warriors defeated the Thunder 120-111. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Golden State Warriors will host Game 7 at Oracle Arena. They cannot take their foot off the gas and treat this game as a formality.

The Golden State Warriors will take on the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals.

It’s the best of NBA basketball. Two great teams with superstars fighting for every loose ball, executing at the highest level, and leaving it all on the floor for a chance to go to the NBA Finals. Through six games, this has been one of the most special series any of us have ever had the honor of witnessing.

The Warriors will return to the friendly confines of Oracle Arena, hosting the first Game 7 at home in 40 years. The Bay Area has some of the best fans in the Association and they’ll surely be energized ahead of this one. The star power of the visiting Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook is enough to excite fans even without the stakes being so high.

It’s simple: win or go home.

As the Warriors faltered in Games 3 and 4 of the Conference Finals, many “experts” concluded that the record-chasing is what did them in. Their pursuit of the all-time single season record tired them out, too much to perform in the postseason. But now, the record is paying off as the Warriors get to host a Game 7 on their home floor, where they’ve been one of the toughest teams to beat.

It seems as if once Golden State takes the court at Oracle Arena, there’s a switch that’s turned on. All of a sudden, the passes become more crisp and the shots go in more. It’s magic. Stephen Curry is like a video game character fueled by Oracle’s applause, until he reaches maximum power and can launch ridiculous threes from anywhere on the court.

The Warriors have an advantage, not a guarantee.

In Game 1, the Warriors built a double digit lead going into half-time and it looked like they were on their way to another easy victory until the OKC Thunder regrouped in the locker room and made adjustments that the Warriors had no answer for. It was a shocking, rare home loss.

Historically speaking, the home team has the advantage, going 100-24 in Game 7’s in league history. Furthermore, the Golden State Warriors have lost just three games (regular and postseason combined) this season. The numbers and history are on their side.

But tonight’s game isn’t a formality.

The Thunder have two of the league’s top-five players and they’ll be playing for their lives. The Warriors can’t just assume that because they’ll be at home in front of an energized crowd that OKC will fold. They can’t just wait for the home court magic to start, they have to make it happen.

The Warriors will definitely have an advantage playing at home, but they can’t take their foot off the gas, expecting things to just happen because they’ll be in front of a packed Oracle crowd.

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