Top 5 Toughest Places to Play in the NBA

[crandc]

The thing about Arco is, all the steps in the arena are wood! When they stomp on it, it is real loud.

Arco is loud and like Portland a one sport city. But going there over the years, it's just no longer a tough place to win. They cheered when the team was crummy, and even then the Blazers had troubles there. They were ecstatic when the team was good. But after high expectations they now have a crummy team and all of a sudden empty seats. The Blazers, and a whole lot of other teams, have won pretty consistently there.

 

[Mediocre Man]

I think Portland is right about where it should be. OKC seems to be a tough place for opposing teams in the playoffs, so maybe I would replace Denver with them

 

[chris_in_pdx]

Maybe I'm just an old fogey, but if they think the RG is a "nonstop screaming fest", then the state of NBA crowds today is pretty pathetic. The corporate sheep-herded masses at the RG are anything but raucous in my opinion, as the real hard-core fans have long since been priced out of the building, or relegated to the rafters.

Maybe this guy is thinking of Autzen Stadium. Now, the RG crowds have the capability to be that rabid and that into the game, but usually the momentum for that level of crowd "into-it" gets squashed by a corporate-sponsored time out with a goofy on-court game or other choreographed nonsense.

Do I sound bitter?

 

[BlazerCaravan]

Yes.

The crowd at Games 2 and 5 of the 2009 playoffs versus Houston was probably the loudest sound I've ever heard in my life; a very close second was the press box at Autzen at the first home win last season. Obviously the Autzen crowd was louder overall, but per capita I think the RG was louder.

 

[Mediocre Man]

The Coliseum is a weird place. A lot of weird hidden doors and shit. That and the Shanghai Tunnels are right underneath.

Aren't the shanghai tunnels on the "west side"? Like old town/china town area?

 

[MickZagger]

Aren't the shanghai tunnels on the "west side"? Like old town/china town area?

They go from under the waterfront on the westside and underneath the Willamette to over by the Coliseum.

 

[The Professional Fan]

Let's not get it twisted. The Garden is not loud at every moment of the game, no NBA arena is, but during the moments that matter, the Garden is a fucking mad house.

 

[Public Defender]

Toughest atmosphere has got to be Portland, Utah, and Oklahoma City.

But in terms of overall conditions? The lack of air in the Mile High City have to give the "toughest place" award to Denver. The Nuggets win lots of games in the 4th quarter because the other team just runs out of gas. Blazer fans are tough, but Mother Nature's a little tougher.