Another Buzzer Beater and a Game 5 Murray Heater 🔥

Apr 30, 2025

A few days ago we asked if home court advantage is real…then came Game 5 in Denver. With Jamal Murray lighting up the scoreboard and the Nuggets looking right at home, it’s clear: some places really do give their teams a special edge.

First, let’s check in on yesterday’s action.

🦌 Milwaukee Bucks at 🏎️ Indiana Pacers

You’ve got to see this ending:

Pacers win the series 4-1

🐎 Detroit Pistons at 🗽 New York Knicks

Pistons win 106-103
Cade Cunningham led the Pistons with 24 points as the series now heads back to Detroit for Game 6
Knicks still lead the series 3-2

🪄 Orlando Magic at ☘️ Boston Celtics

Celtics win 120-89
Celtics win the series 4-1 and join the Pacers, Cavs, and Thunder in advancing to Round 2

⛵️ LA Clippers at 🏔️ Denver Nuggets

Nuggets win 131-115
Jamal Murray scored 43 points, hitting 8 of 14 three-pointers
Nuggets take a 3-2 series lead as the teams travel back to LA for Game 6

Here’s Murray in action:

📚 From Mile High to The Wall

Ball Arena was rocking last night because Jamal Murray couldn’t miss. It was loud, it was wild, and it reminded us just how much home court can mean.

So let’s zoom in on 2 of the most unique and powerful home court advantages in the NBA: Denver’s thin air and LA’s roaring wall of fans.

🏔️ Nuggets: Low-Oxygen Warning

Denver's Ball Arena sits 5,280 feet above sea level. This elevation gives the city its nickname, “The Mile High City.” (There are 5,280 feet in a mile!). And it presents visiting teams with a unique challenge. The higher the altitude, the less oxygen there is in the air. And less oxygen leads to quicker fatigue and decreased performance…unless you’re used to the conditions (so Nuggets players have an advantage!).

Can we prove it works?

📊 Experts found the Nuggets lead all NBA teams in how much better they play in home games vs. on the road. (#2? The Utah Jazz, who play at the 2nd highest elevation of 4,300 feet.)1

🗣️ “The altitude is crazy. I don’t like it at all. Every time I play there, I’m dog-tired.” That’s how one NBA player described Denver. And no, he didn’t want his name on it. Guess he was too out of breath!

🏃‍♂️ It’s not just basketball players who feel the difference. Olympic athletes actually chase it! They train in places like Colorado on purpose, because working out where there’s less oxygen forces their bodies to get stronger and more efficient.

⛵ Clippers: Face The Wall

Los Angeles’ Intuit Dome was built with a mission: make life as tough as possible for visiting teams. One way they do it? A massive 51-row section of fans packed right behind one basket called “The Wall”. It’s loud, it’s rowdy, and it’s designed to mess with free throw shooters at the worst possible moments.

Can we prove it works?

📊 Experts tracked free throws this season and found that opponents shot just 73% facing The Wall vs. 76% on the other end of the court. 73% is lower than the free throw percentage visiting teams shot at any other NBA arena!2

🗣️ After he missed 2 straight free throws facing The Wall earlier this season, Suns star Kevin Durant said: “Yeah, it was crazy. I was just staring at it the whole time. You’re not used to that.”

🐴 Clippers fans sitting in The Wall are creative. When Nikola Jokić, who loves horses, played in Game 3 in LA a few days ago, fans wore horse hats to distract him!