NBA Finals 2016: Why the Warriors will still win Game 5 without Draymond Green
By John Buhler
1. Oracle Arena
If there is one reason that Golden State will still beat Cleveland in Game 5 of the NBA Finals without having the luxury of starting or even playing Green, it is that Golden State will be at home in this potential series-clinching Game 5.
Oracle Arena may be the NBA’s best home court advantage, as the Warriors rarely lose in their own area. Oracle is one of the oldest venues still in use in the NBA, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t one of the loudest.
Oracle Arena doesn’t need those cliché in-game optics to generate energy in the Bay Area crowd. Just about every cheer started in the arena is an organic one. The older concrete facility reverberates noise like no other in the NBA today. Golden State fans are some of the Association’s most passionate and would love to see their Warriors win it all on their home court.
Though Golden State is on the cusp of being back-to-back NBA Champions, the Warriors won the 2015 NBA Finals on the road in Cleveland last year. While some of the many tech billionaires of Silicon Valley have displaced some of the more loyal Warriors fans’ seats in these NBA Playoffs, do expect Oracle Arena to be the ultimate home court advantage in Game 5.
Being one game away from winning another NBA Championship will bring out the very best in a home crowd. Not being able to frolic in the spoils of victory last year because Golden State won Game 6 in Cleveland will certainly add to the Oracle vibe on Monday night. Not having Green available makes this an almost un-winnable playoff atmosphere that even a great team like Cleveland cannot overcome.
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