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Trae Young and the Atlanta Hawks continue their stunning run in the 2021 NBA Playoffs after taking Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals at the Milwaukee Bucks' Fiserv Forum.
Young led the team with 48 points and 11 assists, while John Collins also put up a solid game with 23 points and 15 rebounds. With the victory in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals, the Atlanta Hawks have now won each Game 1 of every series so far, all on the road.
The Atlanta Hawks eliminated the East's top-seeded team (Philadelphia 76ers) after winning three of four games on the road (including Game 7). Not having home-court advantage does not seem to hurt the Atlanta Hawks right now, and the Milwaukee Bucks must be on their best behavior to make it to the NBA Finals.
Teams that made it to the NBA Finals without home-court advantage throughout the postseason
In this article, we will give you five teams in NBA history that were able to do what the Atlanta Hawks are trying to accomplish in 2021: reach the NBA Finals without enjoying home-court advantage throughout the postseason.
Home-court advantage is indeed an advantage in the NBA Playoffs, as only six teams in league history have reached the NBA Finals without opening any series at home.
We'll show you the five teams that accomplished the feat recently.
Without further ado, let us start.
#5 Boston Celtics - 1969 NBA Playoffs
After the 1951-52 New York Knicks reached the NBA Finals while playing a couple of series without home-court advantage, the 1968-69 Boston Celtics became the second team to ever do it, and the first to win the NBA title in that manner.
In what was Bill Russell's final year in the NBA, the Boston Celtics were looking for an 11th title in 13 years, but the team was not at its best. With Russell as the player/coach, the defending champions managed to get the final postseason spot in the Eastern Division with a 48-34 record, six games behind the third-seeded New York Knicks.
The Celtics defeated the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round in five games (4-1), and then took down the New York Knicks in six games. In the NBA Finals, the Celtics again saw the LA Lakers, and Russell and company won in seven games.
#4 Phoenix Suns - 1976 NBA Playoffs
The 1975-76 Phoenix Suns were a feel-good story at the time, and that squad remains beloved in Phoenix as the team put up a great, unlikely run to the 1976 NBA Finals.
Though the team struggled midway through the regular season, the Suns eventually finished the regular round with a 42-40 record and the third seed in the West.
The first round saw Phoenix battle against the Seattle SuperSonics and take the series win in six games behind Paul Westphal's scoring. In the Conference Finals, the Phoenix Suns went against the reigning champions Golden State Warriors and defeated them in seven games.
The Suns took an eight-point win in Game 7 against the Warriors on the road, with Westphal and Gar Heard scoring 21 points each, and Alvan Adams putting up 18 points and 20 rebounds.
In the NBA Finals, the Suns lost to the Boston Celtics in a memorable six-game series that will always be remembered by a triple-OT Game 5. The dramatic win in Game 5 gave the Celtics a boost for Game 6 and the Suns were depleted mentally, which decided the series.
#3 Houston Rockets - 1981 NBA Playoffs
Moses Malone and the 1980-81 Houston Rockets made history during their run to the 1981 NBA Finals.
Malone became the second player in league history to win the MVP despite his team not winning 50 regular-season games in the 1978-79 season. Moreover, Malone and the 1981 Houston Rockets were the third and most recent team in NBA history to reach the NBA Finals after having a losing record in the regular round (40-42).
The Rockets started their postseason run by beating reigning champions LA Lakers in a three-game first-round series. Then, they took down George Gervin's San Antonio Spurs in seven games.
The Kansas City Kings (who also had a losing record, but were a higher seed) were Houston's rivals in the Western Conference Finals, and the Rockets went through in five games.
The Boston Celtics finally put an end to the Rockets' dream run as Larry Bird and company started their new era in the 1980s.
#2 Houston Rockets - 1995 NBA Playoffs
The 1994-95 Houston Rockets were looking to successfully defend their 1994 championship with a solid season. However, the team could only manage to enter the postseason with the sixth seed of the Western Conference.
With that, the Houston Rockets would need to become the lowest seed ever to win an NBA title, and that's exactly what they did. Houston entered the All-Star break with a 29-17 record that looked solid. Houston won its next game after the All-Star break, and then pulled off a trade for Clyde Drexler.
However, with Drexler on the team, the Rockets closed their season with a 17-18 record, and only sixth in the West. In the NBA Playoffs, the Rockets started their run with a 3-2 win in a series that started and ended at the Utah Jazz's home.
Hakeem Olajuwon averaged 35 points per game against Utah, while Drexler helped with 25 per night. In the second round, the Rockets found Charles Barkley's Phoenix Suns for the second year in a row. The Suns jumped to a 3-1 lead in the series before the reigning champions returned and won the series with a one-point win in Game 7. Mario Elie's 'Kiss of Death' three-pointer with the game tied and under 10 seconds proved enough for the Rockets to advance.
In the Western Conference Finals, the NBA MVP winner David Robinson and the San Antonio Spurs were new obstacles in Houston's way. However, Olajuwon put up a great performance, averaging 35 points, 12 rebounds and five assists in a series in which the home team only won one game.
The Rockets took down the Spurs in six games and went on to sweep Shaquille O'Neal and the Orlando Magic in the 1995 NBA Finals. To date, the 1995 Houston Rockets, who went back-to-back, are the lowest-seeded team to win the NBA title in league history.
#1 New York Knicks - 1999 NBA Playoffs
The most recent team to start every series of the NBA Playoffs on the road on its way to the NBA Finals is the 1998-99 New York Knicks.
The Knicks' run in the 1999 NBA Playoffs was stunning. The 27-23 (shortened regular season due to a lockout) squad took down the East's top seed, Miami Heat, three games to two behind Allan Houston's game-winning basket in the decider.
In the second round, the Knicks swept Dikembe Mutombo and Steve Smith's Atlanta Hawks, before taking down Reggie Miller's Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals.
As the first and most recent eighth seed to reach the NBA Finals, the Knicks' impressive run could not be finished with success. A dynasty was starting in San Antonio, and Tim Duncan guided the Spurs to the first title in franchise history in five games against New York.
The Knicks could not count on Patrick Ewing for the NBA Finals as hi season ended with an Achilles injury. Latrell Sprewell, Allan Houston and the rest of the team battled against the Spurs, but it was not enough to win the NBA Finals.
Also read: 5 highest-paid NBA coaches in the league right now
