5 teams that reached the NBA Finals without having home-court advantage throughout the playoffs
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.