Game 7's: I'll take the HOME squads

Home court advantage is HUGE in the NBA, especially in the playoffs. I think that the game seven winners tonight are HOME teams.

Paul Pierce and the Celtics are no strangers to Game 7s. This is their fourth in six series.

The Celtics beat Atlanta and Cleveland at home in Game 7 of the first two rounds last year. They did it again against the Bulls, a series in which four games reached overtime. They’re 17-3 in seventh games at home.

Ray Allen MUST step up. Against the Bulls, the Allen hit a winning 3-pointer with 2 seconds left in Game 2 and scored 51 points in Game 6. But in four of the games against the Magic—three of them losses—he’s 10-for-47 from the field.

It’s been close all season between the two Eastern Conference powers. The Magic and Celtics split four games in the regular season.

“Obviously, it’s the end of the road for one team, but … you can only do what you’re capable of doing,” Allen said. “You’ve seen a team 10 times already that year so there’s not too many surprises.”

Which Lakers team will show up for the decisive Game 7?

The one that blew out the undermanned Rockets by 40 points in Game 5 to set up what most everyone thought would be the clinching game? Or the one that quickly fell behind by double digits two nights later and lost by 15?

Going against popular opinion, Jackson thinks Game 7 will be about which Rockets team shows up.

“They’ve been the provocateur and they’ve been the one that has been the team that goes out and makes a decided difference in games,” Jackson said. “Their activity level was certainly much greater in games 4 and 6.”

A quick start will be important. The team leading after the first quarter has won all 12 of Houston’s postseason games. $10 says they end the first quarter tied.