Golden State Warriors Own Best Home-Court Advantage In NBA

By Patrick Leiva
Stephen Curry Golden State
Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

The Golden State Warriors extended their NBA-best record to 31-5 following a convincing 104-89 victory over the visiting Miami Heat on Wednesday night.

A key component of the Warriors’ success this season has been their dominance on their home floor. Golden State is now 17-1 at home with their lone loss coming to the defending champion San Antonio Spurs on Nov. 11. Since that point, the Warriors have won 14 straight home games and extended their overall winning streak to eight games. The establishment of a home-court advantage has helped Steve Kerr and the Warriors build a two-and-a-half game lead over the Portland Trail Blazers for first place in the Western Conference. The game against the Heat marked the 100th consecutive sellout for the Warriors.

For the Warriors, Oracle Arena provides them with a confidence and energy that no other building in the league can match. Golden State fans are loud and loyal, and the Warriors have provided their fans with the most exciting brand of basketball in the league. Golden State owns a 94.4 winning percentage at home, which is far-and-away the best percentage of any team. The Dallas Mavericks are the next best team at home with a 68.4 winning percentage.

Golden State is so difficult on their home floor because they shoot the lights out. The Warriors lead the league in points-per-game at home with 113.7 points and also a league-best 50.7 shooting percentage in the friendly confines of Oracle Arena. Also, the Warriors share the ball on their home floor, as they lead the NBA in assists with 30.1 per game.

MVP candidate Stephen Curry has been outstanding at home and brings the crowd to their feet on a nightly basis. Curry is lethal at home, shooting 49.8 percent from the floor, 40 percent from three-point range and 95.7 percent from the free throw line. Coming into Wednesday night’s game, Curry was averaging 21.1 points, 8.6 assists and is a plus 14.7 when playing inside Oracle Arena. He was unstoppable once again, scoring 32 points on 11-of-19 shooting, including 7-of-10 from three-point range against the Heat.

While the playoffs are still months away, the Warriors want to ensure that the road to the NBA title runs through the Bay Area. Oracle Arena is the loudest arena in the league, and the fans raise the noise level to new heights come playoff time. Oracle Arena has no comparison, and opponents won’t have an easy time in trying to knock off the best team in the best environment in the NBA.

Patrick Leiva is a writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @pleiva4 and add him to your network on Google.

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