NBA: Owners approve change to finals format

NBA Commissioner David Stern. AP FILE PHOTO

NEW YORK CITY – NBA owners approved a change to the format of the best-of-seven championship finals so the home and away sequence conforms with other rounds of the playoffs.

The league announced on Wednesday that owners voted unanimously to adopt a 2-2-1-1-1 format for the finals beginning with the upcoming 2013-14 season.

That’s instead of the 2-3-2 system that has seen the team with home court advantage host the first two and, if necessary, last two games with the other team hosting games three, four and five.

The revised system, which was recommended by the league’s competition committee, will allow an extra day between games six and seven.

Earlier rounds of the playoffs use the 2-2-1-1-1 schedule, and the finals did, too, from 1957-1984.

The format was then changed to make for less onerous travel during the championship series, but NBA President of Basketball Operations Rod Thorn said improvements in air travel meant changing cities more frequently was now less of a burden.

Commissioner David Stern said there had been widespread feeling that it was unfair that the team with home court advantage by virtue of a better record going into the finals should have to play game five on the road if the series was tied at 2-2 through four games.

“It’s not fair for the better team in terms of record to spend as many as eight days away from home,” Stern said.