OKLAHOMA CITY — Winning Game 1 of the NBA Finals does not guarantee anything.
The 79th title series in league history — it has been called different names over the years — starts Thursday night, when the Oklahoma City Thunder play host to the Indiana Pacers.
And the winner of Game 1 will obviously leave the floor feeling good about themselves. But in the past 78 years, only 55 Game 1 winners have gone on to eventually win the title — or just about 71%.
If the winner is the Thunder, it's a really good sign. Teams that win Game 1 at home have ultimately prevailed 78% of the time (47 out of 60). If the Pacers win, their odds of winning the title improve dramatically but they probably still wouldn't be called favorites. Teams that win Game 1 on the road only end up winning the series 44% of the time (8 out of 18).
But it should be noted as well that the last time the Thunder were in the NBA Finals, they had the home-court advantage over the Miami Heat. Oklahoma City won Game 1 of that series at home — then lost the next four games, and LeBron James won the first of four NBA championships for the league's all-time scoring king.
