EAST RUTHERFORD, New Jersey, 9 June 2003 — The NBA finals shift to the Meadowlands with the New Jersey Nets hoping for the same success their NHL roommates have had at Continental Airlines Arena — three wins at home.
After splitting the first two games of the best-of-seven series in San Antonio, the Nets can clinch their first championship title with a sweep of the Spurs in their three-game homestand.
Since the NBA switched to the 2-3-2 format, no team has ever swept the middle three games of a championship series but “The Swamp”, where the Nets (6-1) have lost just once this postseason, has been an inhospitable place for visitors.
The New Jersey Devils, who share locker space with the Nets at the Meadowlands, are also well aware there is no place like home.
With the Stanley Cup finals level at 3-3, the Devils will face the Anaheim Mighty Ducks in a Game Seven decider at the Continental Airlines Arena Monday, all three of New Jersey’s wins in the series having come on home ice.
“We haven’t accomplished anything but now we have home court advantage,” Nets coach Byron Scott told reporters after Friday’s 87-85 victory over the Spurs.
“The object is to win a championship. All we did today was tie it up and we took home court advantage.”
If the Nets and the Devils go on to claim the two championships, it would mark the first time teams from the same place have won NBA and NHL titles.
A maze of turnpikes and parking lots, the Meadowlands has baffled opposing teams this season.
The Nets arrived in the NBA finals riding a 10-game postseason winning streak, including a 4-0 sweep of the Detroit Pistons in the Eastern Conference finals.
That run came to a screeching halt in San Antonio when the Spurs bulldozed past the Nets 101-89 in the series opener. But New Jersey, behind a clutch 30-point effort from All-Star guard Jason Kidd, bounced back in Game Two to level the series.
If the Spurs are to avoid getting bogged down at “The Swamp”, much will depend on Tim Duncan.
The twice league MVP was unstoppable in Game One, contributing 32 points and dominating the boards with 20 rebounds.
But in Game Two the Nets were able to keep Duncan in check while Kidd, rated the best playmaker in the NBA, found his rhythm to put New Jersey back in the title hunt.
“I think they (the Nets) have great confidence right now,” said Duncan. “They’re on a high just like we were after Game One.
“But we’re confident on the road. We’re a very good road team and we feel good on the road. So our focus is to get the first game here on Sunday and regain home court and go on from there.”
San Antonio took the regular-season title and won a league-high 27 games on the road. But in the playoffs, the Spurs have blown double-digit leads and fallen short with desperate rallies, neither the sign of a championship club.
“We aren’t as aggressive as we need to be,” Spurs guard Emanuel Ginobili of Argentina said. “It’s always that way. Nothing is easy for us. If we don’t play our best as far as toughness, aggressiveness, we’re not going to win.”
