Thursday - Spring 2008 Day 30:
In the NBA, the San Antonio Spurs hosted and defeated the New Orleans Hornets 110-pts-99 to cut the Hornets series lead to 2-games-1, while the Boston Celtics topped the Cleveland Cavaliers 89-pts-73 at home to take a 2-games-nil lead. In the NHL, the Semifinals began Thursday with Detroit hosting and defeating Dallas 4-goals-1 for a 1-game-nil lead. Follow the updated links in the column at left for the latest historical victory probabilities (anywhere from 8 to 32 per series, given the situation).

Double-Digit Perfection:
Leading a best-of-7 NBA playoff series 2-games-nil, the Boston Celtics have a perfect 29-0 series record. Trailing a best-of-7 NBA playoff series 2-games-1, the San Antonio Spurs have a perfect 0-10 series record.

Single-Digit Perfection:
Leading a best-of-7 NBA playoff series 2-games-1, the New Orleans Hornets have a perfect 1-0 series record. The series victory occurred last round, over the Dallas Mavericks.

Opening the NHL Semifinals:
The Detroit Red Wings won Game 1 of their NHL Semifinals series at home. In the history of best-of-7 NHL Semifinals series from 1939 through 2007, teams winning Game 1 at home have a 66-20 (.767) series record. The last home-ice Game 1 winner to lose an NHL Semifinals series? The Detroit Red Wings, to the eventual NHL champion Anaheim Ducks in 2007.

WWL @ HHV:
If Heads leads Tails 2-flips-1 in a best-of-7 fair coin toss series, Heads will win the series 68.75% of the time. But if a team such as the Detroit Pistons or the New Orleans Hornets leads its best-of-7 NBA Quarterfinals 2-games-1 through winning Games 1-2 at home and losing Game 3 on the road, its Quarterfinals series record is 47-2 (95.9%) - a bit better than the coin-toss model would predict. The two series losers in this context: The Phoenix Suns in 1995 (to Houston) and the San Antonio Spurs in 2004 (to the Lakers).

BEST-OF-7 FEATURES
Articles on best-of-7 series phenomena.