I think the Suns will be at their most dangerous in game one while game two will have the Lakers more fired up.
We need game one
yeah. there's no way in hell we lose Game 1 and make it a series.
I've just been burned by seeing this franchise lose too many crucial Game 1s AT HOME in huge series.
1993 - First round against the Lakers. Massive hype, best record in the league, and... we lay a total egg. Go down 0-1, lose Game 2 at home as well and it’s takes an all-time comeback and Westy guarantee to beat the 8 seed Lakers. And in a heart-stopping OT in Game 5 no less!
1993 - four weeks later, just get CRUSHED at home in Game 1 of the Finals by the Bulls. The score might say we lost by 10, but it felt like they were up 30 the entire game and we never even challenged them. They took Game 2 as well and we were always coming from behind rest of that series. Lost ALL THREE HOME games in the Finals. 0-3 in the Finals.
2005 - Best record in the league again, and... we lose Game 1 to the Spurs in WCF. Go on to Lose game 2 of as well. And eventually lose Game 5 AGAIN at home. 0-3 at home in the WCF.
2007 - With Dallas knocked out, we again had the best record in the league in playoffs left and we play the Spurs and what happens? Of course, we lose HCA in Game 1. Spent the rest of the series playing catch-up. Went 1-2 at home.
Even in 2006, in the WCF after splitting IN Dallas to get HCA, we came home and promptly lost our first home game. Also lost Game 6 at home. 1-2 record at home in biggest series of the year.
2010 - that team was playing as well as it possibly could, actually held serve against the Lakers through 4 games, but of course... lost the series on our homecourt in 6 games.
1993, 2005, 2007 - all years that were our best shot at titles, where we had HCA in series with the eventual champions and our Home Record in those big series?
1-8
blegh!