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Winning at home is becoming a must for the NBA teams. The fans are demanding that they perform in front of their crowd and put on a show. While there are top teams that may struggle on the road, they usually end up being an absolute juggernaut in front of their supporters, for example - the Philadelphia 76ers.
Having a strong home season goes a long way in contending for the championship. The opponents are always wary when visiting and that could prove to be a psychological advantage for the hosts. Come the postseason, knowing how dominant you are at home could help teams close out a series.
That being said, we look at the five teams who have the best NBA home records in history. in a particular season.
#5 Chicago Bulls 1996-97 (39-2)
One of the greatest duos coupled with one of the greatest coaches of all-time results in having a dominant season from start and finishing with another championship. The Chicago Bulls won their fifth championship of the decade with 69 wins and 13 losses which is the third-best regular-season record of all time.
The Bulls were steamrolling sides with Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen and Denis Rodman leading the way for the franchise. Jordan crossed 25,000 career points during the season while Rodman grabbed his 10,000th career rebound.
Phil Jackson and co. breezed past the Washington Bullets in three straight games before beating the Atlanta Hawks in 5 games in the Conference Semifinals. Bulls went up against the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals before subsequently concluding another tremendous campaign by beating the Utah Jazz 4-2 in the NBA Finals.
#4 Chicago Bulls 1995-96 (39-2)
Chicago Bulls were the most dominant side of the decade. The 1995-96 side was arguably the best of them. With the return of Michael Jordan, the Bulls were an unstoppable force during this campaign. The team with 72-10 record are widely considered to be the greatest team of all time.
MJ led the league in scoring, Denis Rodman in rebounding and Scottie Pippen did everything else. Led by Phil Jackson who won the Coach of the Year, the team had abundance in terms of firepower and bench strength. Toni Kukoc was awarded the Sixth Man of the Year.
The franchise didn't lose back to back till February and had two separate streaks of 13 and 18 wins. They were nearly perfect at home with a 39-2 record and was a force to be reckoned with on the road.
#3 Golden State Warriors 2015-16 (39-2)
The greatest regular-season team of all time, the Golden State Warriors would have nearly capped off a perfect season with a championship if it wasn't for a certain LeBron James. With the best regular-season record of all time, the Warriors were a juggernaut during the 2015-16 season.
Boasting the greatest shooting backcourt in history in Steph Curry and Klay Thompson and a true leader in Draymond Green who was a defensive monster, the Warriors were playing lights out almost every night. They won their first 24 games, with the streak coming to an end against the Milwaukee Bucks in December.
Luke Walton was leading the charge as head coach Steve Kerr took time out due to back issues and returned to the bench only after 43 games, 39 of which they won under Walton. They eventually lost to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Finals after leading the series 3-1.
#2 San Antonio Spurs 2015-16 (40-1)
Led by arguably the greatest coach of all time in Gregg Popovich, the San Antonio Spurs were true championship contenders during the 2015-16 season and their regular-season record of 67-15 reflected on this fact.
The Spurs were 40-1 in front of their supporters and the only loss came against the Golden State Warriors, which was the third-last game of the regular season. They won 39 straight home games during that season. With likes of Kawhi Leonard, Tim Duncan and Danny Green leading the way, the Spurs were truly a dominant force in the NBA.
Unfortunately, their season ended in disappointment as they crashed to a defeat against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the semifinals of the Western Conference after beating the Memphis Grizzlies in the first round of the playoffs.
#1 Boston Celtics 1985-86 (40-1)
Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, Robert Parish, Dennis Johnson, and Danny Ainge were the starting five of the Boston Celtics during the 1985-86 season. Coached by K.C. Jones, the Celtics were the best side in the league that campaign and by quite a distance. They had a 67-15 record while losing only once at home throughout the regular season.
Their only home loss came against the Portland Trail Blazers in December. They were perfect in front of their supporters with the exception of this one game. With Bird leading the way, it was high octane, entertaining basketball on a show for the Boston faithful.
The season concluded with the Celtics beating the Houston Rockets in the NBA Finals in six games. En route to the finals, the Boston-based side beat the Bulls in the first round, the Hawks in the semifinals and finally the Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Guess the Lakers players!
