The NBA has designated the Rockets as the home team for their game tonight against the Thunder inside the Orlando bubble. At first glance, this designation seems largely irrelevant since home-court advantage does not exist inside the bubble — if anything the “road” team has an advantage.
The Rockets’ home status, however, does clarify a lingering doubt about the NBA’s procedure for determining home-court advantage in the playoffs. Specifically, the Rockets and Thunder ended the season with identical 44-28 records, but the Thunder won the head-to-head series 2-1. So why aren’t they the “home” team?