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  • NBA Finals Format Changes For 2014 Season

    NBA Finals Format Changes For 2014 Season

    Previously, the team with the home court advantage would get the first two and potentially, the last two games played at home, and play at the opposing teams home court for games 3, 4, and 5. Now, the team with home-court advantage still gets the first two games of the Finals at home, the next two away and then the teams with alternate cities of the last three games, if played. Clearly, if four games are won by either team by game 4 or beyond, the finals will be done.

    NBA owners voted today to restore the NBA Finals format to 2-2-1-1-1, starting this season, and unanimously replaced the previous 2-3-2 format used since 1985.

    Not just the playoffs, but the first three rounds of the playoffs follow the 2-2-1-1-1 format. Another change is that if the Finals goes seven games, there will be an extra day between Games 6 and 7. For example, if Game 6 is on a Monday, Game 7 will be on Thursday.

    “There has been an abiding sense amongst our teams,” NBA Commissioner David Stern said, “and they’ve stated two things: One, in a 2-2 series, it’s sort of not fair for the team with the better record to be away. And two, it’s difficult for the team — the better team in terms of record to spend as many as eight days on the road away from home. So for all those considerations and many others, the Competition Committee voted, it was explained to the owners, and they voted to make the change.”

    Stern is stepping aside on February 1 after 30 years, this being the final meeting with owners as commissioner was able to announce the changes on Wednesday.

    The concern of the owners translated by the committee was the team with home-court advantage playing Game 5 on the road. Statistics show that the Finals have been tied 2-2 11 times since 1985, and the winner of Game 5 has won the championship eight times.

    But the home-court advantage is 21-8, since 1985. It could just be that these teams were ACTUALLY better teams regardless of where they play, but NBA owners want to keep it fair.

    Deputy Commissioner Adam Silver, who will take over for Stern in February, said that it was unfair that a team didn’t have home-court advantage for Game 5. The format won’t likely change the outcome, but Game 5 at home has a significant edge, and could extend the length of the series. When it comes down to it, extending a series puts more money in the owners pockets and is good for business.

    “You’re more likely in a 2-2-1-1-1 format to get a Game 7,” Silver said, “but you’re not more likely to get a different outcome.”

    Images (via) Youtube

  • Rafael Nadal Defeats Djokovich To Win 2013 U.S. Open

    On September 9, 2013 Rafael Nadal defeated Novak Djokovich to win the U.S. Open, winning his second U.S. Open title. Since Nadal was plagued with an injury during the 2012 U.S. Open, he wanted to come back this year and make a stand, and show that he was the best. He suffered an injury to his knee and after that took seven months to rest and rehabilitate. Rafael Nadal has become a household name in recent years, due to the amount of success that he has had in major tournaments. Both players are very tough, and winning this match was no easy task.

    He is currently ranked at No. 2 in the world, although after his recent defeat of Djokovich, who is currently ranked No. 1, he may be moving up soon enough. Nadal is a native of Spain and at age 27, defeated the Serbian Djokovich, who is 26.

    After winning this match, it also marks his 13th major overall and his 10th title of the year. It also makes his 22nd win in a row on hard courts in 2013, moving him into sole possession of third place in Grand Slam titles, behind only Roger Federer and Pete Sampras, according to Sports Illustrated. Like Federer, he won his 13th at the age of 27, and he is only one behind Sampras.

    On having to face Nadal, Djokovich was quoted saying, “It is a challenge you have to accept, like it or not.” The win moved Nadal to a record of 22-15 against Djokovich, and 2-1 in U.S. Open finals. They have met more times than any other two players during the Open era. Nadal has changed his game a bit and says he is trying to play more aggressive than he has in the past, going for more shots inside the net and closer to the baseline.

    It has been said that this is the men’s tennis’ Golden Era. It will continue into the next major, which is the Australian Open, only 125 days away, states NBC News. At that tournament, Nadal will attempt to become the first man during the Open Era, to win all four Slams at least twice. Although, at the same time, Djokovich looks to become the first man to win the event four straight times in the Open Era. There is sure to be plenty of emotion going into the tournament for both players, when they each try to set records.

    His celebration after the match even included a meeting with Spain’s Queen Sofia.

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