Milwaukee Bucks’ hopes of reaching the NBA Finals were dealt a blow as they crashed to a 110-88 defeat against Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday.
The result ties the best-of-seven Eastern Conference Finals series at 2-2, and sets up a massive fifth game in Milwaukee on Friday.
The Bucks’ hopes of progressing suffered another hit, with star player Giannis Antetokounmpo limping out of the game after landing awkwardly in the third quarter.
The 26-year-old will undergo tests on his knee to determine how long he will be out, but the likelihood of him making a swift return look slim.
Despite the setback, a recent study by NBA lines site Betway should give the Bucks some hope that they can cope in Antetokounmpo’s absence.
There are potentially three fixtures remaining in the series against Atlanta, and two of those will be played in Milwaukee if Game 7 is needed.
Home advantage is a big factor in the NBA, with 57 percent of regular season games won by the home team over the past few years.
That figure jumps to 61 percent for the NBA Finals, further highlighting the potential advantage that the Bucks have over the Hawks.
- Chamisa under fire over US$120K donation
- Mavhunga puts DeMbare into Chibuku quarterfinals
- Pension funds bet on Cabora Bassa oilfields
- Councils defy govt fire tender directive
Keep Reading
Their home record during the regular season was impressive, with the team winning 26 of the 36 games they played on home court.
They have stepped things up during the play-offs, winning all their home games against Miami Heat and Brooklyn Nets before taking Game 2 of their series against the Hawks.
Given the importance of home advantage in the NBA, the Bucks will undoubtedly be keeping a close eye on proceedings in the Western Conference Finals.
Phoenix Suns currently hold a 3-2 lead over Los Angeles Clippers, and still have a home game to come if the Game 6 result goes against them.
The Suns will have home advantage in the NBA Finals if they defeat the Clippers as they are the highest remaining seed in the play-offs.
However, if the Clippers can turn their series around, the Bucks would have home advantage if they make it through to the Finals.
With 50 of the previous 71 Finals won by the team with home advantage, Milwaukee would rightly fancy their chances of ending their long wait to win the title.
Their only previous success was in 1971 and they missed the opportunity to follow up three years later after wasting home advantage against Boston Celtics.
The Bucks took that series to a seventh game with an epic 102-101 success in Boston after two periods of overtime, but lost 102-87 on home court in the decider.
The 2-2-1-1-1 game format used in that series was ditched in 1984, but was reintroduced by the NBA in 2014 and has added to the theory about home advantage.
Only Cleveland Warriors (2016) have overcome playing just three out of seven games at home, with LeBron James and Kyrie Irving playing a massive part in their success.
Source: NBA picks site Betway.
