As I put this list together, one thing that stands out is that all five of these games were on the road. Yes, it’s COVID and there aren’t many — if any — fans in these arenas, but there’s still a difference when you travel.
If you’ve listened to Ayo Dosunmu talk to the media, one thing Ayo constantly talks about is how he tries to model parts of his game after the late Kobe Bryant. Bryant, the ultimate competitor, used to prefer playing games on the road than at home. Why? Heightened focus. The crowd (when there was a crowd), the referees, the unnatural feel of the particular stadium, the fatigue of travel, all of those things are against you when you play a road game.