Home court advantage
The Mavericks beat the league’s best home team in a Game 7. While that’s notable, they also lost all 3 other road games in their Western Conference Semifinal series. The Mavs were 2-1 in road games in their first-round series.
Golden State has yet to lose at home in the playoffs.
That should be a huge point of emphasis as this season commences on Wednesday. They were 3-0 in their second-round series and 3-0 in their first-round series, closing both out at the Chase Center.
Golden State has the league’s second-best home record this season. They dominated in San Francisco, and if this series goes seven games, it should prove difficult for the Mavs to replicate their game 7 success against an experienced core while also on the road.
Having entered as the No. 3 seed, having home-court advantage for two of their three Western Conference series was likely not something the Dubs expected. However, that’s how things worked out, and it will be a strong advantage for them in the WCFs.