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Advantage of Winning the First Game in the NBA Playoffs: A Historical Perspective

Strategic Insights

— 3 min read

Since 1983, teams that won the first game in the NBA playoffs have held a significant advantage, winning the series 83.9% of the time. This edge was even stronger than having home-court advantage, with teams winning 76.8% of their first-round series. However, the advantage of winning the first game has been somewhat muted since the first-round series changed from best-of-five to best-of-seven games in the 2003 playoffs, dropping to 67%. The Detroit Pistons, despite finishing with the same record as last season, have finished on a stronger note, with a 11-1 run in their final 12 games, which may give them an edge in the playoffs.

Key Takeaways:

  • Since 1983, teams that won the first game in the playoffs have won the series 83.9% of the time.
  • Teams that won the first game have won 76.8% of their first-round series.
  • The advantage of winning the first game was even stronger than having home-court advantage.
  • The first-round series changed from best-of-five to best-of-seven games in the 2003 playoffs, which may have muted the edge of winning the first game.
  • The Detroit Pistons finished the season on a stronger note, with an 11-1 run in their final 12 games.
  • The Boston Celtics have won 25 division titles, but this is their first since Larry Bird retired in 1992.
  • The Los Angeles Lakers are the first NBA Finals runner-up to miss the playoffs the next year in nearly 30 years.
  • The Utah Jazz ended their streak of seasons with a .500 or better record at 21.
  • The Miami Heat can't afford to relax with the top seed in the Eastern Conference, as the No. 8 Knicks upset them 3-2 in the first round in 1999, and the No. 7 Knicks beat them 3-2 in 1998.
  • The Phoenix Suns led the league in scoring this season, averaging 110.4 points.

Statistics:

  • Teams that won the first game in the playoffs have won 83.9% of the series since 1983.
  • Teams that won the first game have won 76.8% of their first-round series.
  • The first-round series changed from best-of-five to best-of-seven games in the 2003 playoffs.
  • The Detroit Pistons finished the season with a 54-28 record, the same as last season.
  • The Pistons finished on a stronger note, with an 11-1 run in their final 12 games.
  • The Boston Celtics have won 25 division titles.
  • The Los Angeles Lakers are the first NBA Finals runner-up to miss the playoffs the next year in nearly 30 years.
  • The Utah Jazz ended their streak of seasons with a .500 or better record at 21.
  • The Miami Heat's record in the playoffs has been inconsistent, with a 3-2 loss to the No. 8 Knicks in 1999 and a 3-2 loss to the No. 7 Knicks in 1998.

Sources:

  • "Since 1983, teams that won the first game in the playoffs have won the series 83.9% of the time." [Source: USA TODAY, no date provided]
  • "Teams that won the first game have won 76.8% of their first-round series." [Source: USA TODAY, no date provided]
  • "The first-round series changed from best-of-five to best-of-seven games in the 2003 playoffs." [Source: USA TODAY, no date provided]
  • "The Detroit Pistons finished the season with a 54-28 record, the same as last season." [Source: USA TODAY, no date provided]
  • "The Pistons finished on a stronger note, with an 11-1 run in their final 12 games." [Source: USA TODAY, no date provided]
  • "The Boston Celtics have won 25 division titles." [Source: USA TODAY, no date provided]
  • "The Los Angeles Lakers are the first NBA Finals runner-up to miss the playoffs the next year in nearly 30 years." [Source: USA TODAY, no date provided]
  • "The Utah Jazz ended their streak of seasons with a .500 or better record at 21." [Source: USA TODAY, no date provided]
  • "The Miami Heat can't afford to relax with the top seed in the Eastern Conference." [Source: USA TODAY, no date provided]

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