The Western Conference presents its share of difficulties, especially for teams from the East, and those difficulties are only multiplied by some of the loudest venues in the league.
The loudest, perhaps, is Portland's Rose Garden Arena, especially when the Blazers are playing well. The Blazers pack them in pretty good in Portland (what else is there to do up there?) as the team averages the third-most fans in the league (20,451) behind the Cavaliers and Bulls. And as seen in the video below, these fans like to be heard.
The Blazers, despite being 25-21 entering Thursday, are an impressive 16-5 at home. Two years ago, they went 34-7 at home. In 2007-08, they went 41-41 on the season, earning 28 of those wins at home (28-13).
It's tough to beat teams like the Lakers and Spurs at home, but it's tough to beat them anywhere. If the Lakers weren't championship contenders, would anyone be intimidated to go into Staples Center?
But arenas like the Rose Garden are always tough, no matter how good or bad the Blazers are. Places like Utah and Golden State are up there, too, but teams expect a dogfight when they head to the Pacific Northwest.
What is the Western Conference's toughest arena? Share your thoughts below.
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