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The first round of the 2021 NBA playoffs has been a joy to watch so far. Most of the series have been competitive, with three Western Conference matchups tied at 2-2.
Injuries have played a huge role and so have fans as the NBA welcomed audiences back this season after conducting the 2020 playoffs in a 'bubble' setting.
2021 NBA playoffs: Home teams have failed to take advantage of the presence of fans
The LA Clippers started off the 2021 NBA playoffs on a disastrous note, ceding the first two games of their first-round series to a Luka Doncic-led Dallas Mavericks outfit.
What's more appalling is that they lost these games despite having home court advantage. However, they bounced back in Games 3 and 4, tying the series at 2-2. The wins came at the American Airlines Center, the home court of the Mavericks.
Home teams not being able to take advantage of playing at their own arena with fans in attendance has been a common theme in the 2021 NBA playoffs so far.
As things stand, 32 postseason games have been played in the 2021 NBA playoffs, and teams playing at home have a 16-16 record in them.
Since the introduction of the 16-team postseason format, the win percentage numbers have never been this low, except last season, where there was no home court advantage as such.
Another concerning factor for the home teams in the 2021 NBA playoffs has been the drop in point differential.
Until this season, teams playing at home won games by around 4-5 points on average, but there has been a sharp decline in that number this year. It was reduced to 0.9, the worst mark in the 16-team playoff era.
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The home teams not being able to take advantage of fans might change the dynamics of the 2021 NBA playoffs.
It also reflects poorly on teams who did well in the regular season, as they are the ones who end up playing more home games in the playoffs.
Dallas Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle was one of the coaches who was excited for fans to be present for the 2021 NBA playoffs.
However, after two home losses, he was quick to point out that the performance needed to match the intensity of the crowd. He said:
“Just because you’re home doesn’t mean you’re going to walk out there and win a game. You’ve still got to keep doing the things that you’ve been doing well in previous games.”
The league admitting fans to arenas has also ended up being a distraction for home teams in the 2021 NBA playoffs.
A few unruly incidents have occurred lately, a prominent example being a fan throwing popcorn on Washington Wizards guard Russell Westbrook in the 2021 NBA playoffs series between the Wizards and the Philadelphia 76ers.
That was followed by Trae Young getting spat at by a New York Knicks fan and Kyrie Irving getting a bottle thrown at by a Boston Celtics supporter.
All three offenders were penalized, but the league was confronted with issues that came with allowing fans back into arenas.
The home teams haven't been able to capitalize on the fans' support so far, and it will be intriguing to monitor if the trend continues throughout the 2021 NBA playoffs.
