Thu May 08 23:20:00 UTC 2025: ## Upset Alert! Road Teams Dominate NBA Conference Semifinals Game 1s

**NEW YORK, NY** – In a stunning upset, visiting teams swept the first games of the NBA Conference Semifinals, marking the first time in league history that road teams have gone 4-0 in Game 1s of this round. This unprecedented streak follows a season where home-court advantage has been significantly less pronounced than in previous years.

The Indiana Pacers kicked off the road team dominance on Sunday, defeating the top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers. This was followed by wins for the New York Knicks over the Boston Celtics and the Denver Nuggets over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday. The Golden State Warriors completed the sweep on Tuesday, defeating the Minnesota Timberwolves despite Stephen Curry’s early exit due to a hamstring injury.

This wave of road victories builds upon a larger trend this postseason. While road teams have a slightly losing record overall (23-25), their performance represents one of the best road records in NBA playoff history, excluding the 2020 bubble season. While road teams have previously gone 3-1 in Round 2 openers on three occasions (2023, 2015, and 2011), a 4-0 sweep has never been seen before.

The unprecedented success of road teams extends beyond the Game 1s. The wins by Indiana, New York, and Denver, combined with Golden State’s Game 7 road win over Houston to end the first round, created the first three-day stretch in NBA playoff history where visiting teams went at least 6-0. Indiana further cemented their road dominance by winning Game 2 in Cleveland.

Coaches and players alike attributed the success to strong team cohesion and a consistent fighting spirit. The trend aligns with a broader weakening of home-court advantage in the regular season, with home teams winning only 54% of games—the fourth lowest percentage in the last five years.

The NBA playoffs continue, with the conference semifinals underway and the Finals set to begin on June 5th. The question now is: can the road teams maintain this momentum and continue to defy expectations?

Read More