Which Means More, Record or Seed?
March 10, 2003
Q. Should the Pacers finish second in their division (behind Detroit, I assume), but have a better record than New Jersey, would they have the homecourt advantage in that series or would New Jersey have the advantage, finishing second overall in the conference? For example, what if Detroit finished 54-28, New Jersey 50-32 and the Pacers 52-30? (From David in Indianapolis)
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QUESTION OF THE DAYConrad Brunner |
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A. The seedings only apply for the first round. In your scenario, the Nets would get the second seed because they won the Atlantic Division, but the Pacers would hold homecourt advantage if both teams advanced to the second round. Once the first round is completed, the team with the better regular-season record holds homecourt advantage in all succeeding rounds. This scenario last unfolded in 2000, when Portland (59-23) finished second in the Pacific Division but held homecourt advantage when matched up against Midwest winner Utah (55-27) in the second round. The Blazers won the series 4-1.
