Despite being in the final week of what may prove to be the greatest regular season in NBA history, it took the Golden State Warriors until Thursday night to clinch the Western Conference's No. 1 seed.
That's because the San Antonio Spurs, who the Warriors played Thursday, are having a historic season in their own right and have stayed hot on Golden State's heels all year long. But, with a 112-101 win - their 70th of the season - the Warriors finally secured home-court advantage throughout the playoffs.
That benchmark hasn't gotten nearly as much attention as the Warriors' chase for a league-record 73 wins, but it's no less important. Looking ahead to the playoffs - and what seems like a probable conference finals clash - home court could make all the difference in the world. These are arguably the two most dominant home teams we've ever seen, after all.
The Warriors improved to 37-2 at Oracle Arena with Thursday's win. Meanwhile, the Spurs have yet to drop a game in San Antonio all season, starting 39-0. The pair hold the two longest regular-season home winning streaks in NBA history. Golden State's streak ended at 54 games last week at the hands of the Boston Celtics. The Spurs' streak remains active at 48 games and counting.
In three head-to-head meetings between the teams this season, the home team has won every game. Moreover, the Warriors haven't won a regular-season game in San Antonio since 1997 (though they won a playoff game there in 2013), representing a run of 33 straight.
They'll have to end that streak if they want to get that magical 73rd win. The two teams will meet again, at AT&T Center, in three days. The good news for the Warriors is, they now know they won't have to win a game in San Antonio - or anywhere, for that matter - to win the title for a second straight season.
All roads go through The Bay.
