The Road as Psychological Boogeyman

[ZoSo]

The circle-the-wagons-around-the-home-court mentality will get an immediate test tomorrow night. The Celtics will be vulnerable to an emotional let down while the Cavs will be primed to steal one at da gahden.

My guess is that the Cs will bite the dust in one of their first three home games, and thus be forced to dig down and see if they can muster up the intestinal fortitude necessary to win one on the road.

The 1987 Cs proved the limitations of relying on the home-court to win a championship. During the regular season, the 1986-87 Celtics were 39-2 at home and 20-21 on the road. By the end of the year, it was a given that the Celtics were not a very good team on the road. Heading into the Finals, the Celtics were 9-1 at home and 2-5 on the road. Magic Johnson’s junior-junior hook in game 4 put the Lakers up 3-1 and pretty much clinched the series because everyone knew the Cs didn’t have a chance at the Forum.

Having only played 7 games together as a playoff unit, it is still difficult to gage where the 2008 Celtics are at. Perhaps they cut their teeth in the first series against Atlanta, and this will better position them to win one on the road against Cleveland.

Regardless, winning one on the road is an imperative. This year’s squad can’t allow playing on the road to become the psychological boogeyman it became for the Cs in 1987.

NOTE: On the other hand, the 1987 Lakers did use their league-wide best record to win home-court throughout the playoffs, and then go undefeated in the post-season on their way to a championship. So it’s been done. But not something you want to bet the farm on.

[Bankshot]

I'm not sure there is anything psychological on the road going on with the team.  Really, if the Hawks didn't get 20 more free throws per home game against the C's, they don't come close to beating the Celtics.  I know a lot don't agree, but I really feel the refs had a LOT to do with what happened to the Cs on the road.  Do you really think that the Hawks went to the hole more than the Celtics when the Celtics scored more points in the paint?  I don't.  I think the Celtics got called for every ticky tack foul in Atlanta while the Hawks did not and PP was driving to the basket and didn't get calls and Powe worked in the paint with lots of contact with not many calls.  Every time the C's tried to get into some kind of rhythm, they were called for some ticky tack foul, probably to extend the series as far as they could.  Giving the Hawks all those calls was the only way they were able to stay in the game against the Celtics.  Just ridiculous.