Oklahoma City Thunder superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said that having home-court advantage for Game 7 “doesn’t really mean anything.”
SGA and the Thunder were blown out by the Spurs in Game 6 on the road, losing 118-91 to tie the NBA Western Conference Finals up at 3-3 and force a Game 7 back at Paycom Center in OKC on Saturday night.
However, despite the fact that Oklahoma City was 34-7 at home during the regular season, plus 6-1 at home during this year’s playoffs, SGA doesn’t think that means Game 7 is a lock for OKC to win just because they are on their home court.
SGA Says That Home Court for Game 7 ‘Doesn’t Really Mean Anything’
Speaking to the media after the Thunder lost Game 6, SGA was asked about his thoughts on his squad heading back home to OKC for a deciding Game 7, and here’s what the two-time NBA MVP said.
“Honestly, anything can happen in a Game 7. It’s win or go home. It being in your building is nice, but it doesn’t really mean anything. You have to go out there and be the better basketball team, or else your season is done, and that’s what it comes down to,” Gilgeous-Alexander said.
“Now, it’s going to be nice having our fans behind us and cheering us. But we gotta go out there and be better, and if we’re not better, our season will be over.”
SGA and Thunder Favored to Win Game 7
Despite being blown out in Game 6, SGA and the Thunder opened up as -4.5 point favorites to win Game 7 at home.
As stated above, the Thunder have a premium winning record at home, so even though SGA tried not to hype up home-court advantage too much, the Thunder statistically play better at home than on the road. So, even though SGA is saying all the right things by not letting the fact that OKC has home-court advantage make him think this is an automatic win over a strong Spurs team, deep down, he must know that his squad simply plays better when the fans are cheering for them. That’s just a fact, and the team’s home record proves it.
The last time an NBA team won back-to-back championships was when the Golden State Warriors won it in 2017 and 2018. After winning the chip last year, the Thunder have the opportunity to accomplish that feat this season. But they first need to get past the Spurs in Game 7, and despite having home-court advantage for this game and opening up as the betting favorite, it’s not going to be an easy game to win.
The Thunder have all the pieces in place to beat the Spurs, but they need to keep Victor Wembanyama in check after he exploded on both sides of the floor in a must-win Game 6. If the Thunder can neutralize Wembanyama, then they will have a good chance to win Game 7. But if Wembanyama dominates on both sides of the ball once again, then SGA saying that home-court advantage doesn’t matter is likely going to end up proving to be the harsh truth.
SGA Says Home Court for Game 7 ‘Doesn’t Really Mean Anything’