Western Conference Dominates Over East

When East meets West, there’s a 70 percent chance the team from the stronger conference will win.

There have been 100 inter-conference games in the NBA through Thursday, and the numbers don’t lie: Teams from the Western Conference are 70-30 when playing teams from the Eastern Conference.

“I don’t think we’re as deep as the West, but that’s just the way it is,” said Detroit coach Larry Brown, whose Pistons were one of only four Eastern Conference teams -- none of them from the Atlantic Division -- to enter the weekend with a record above .500.

Much of the blame for the discrepancy can be placed on the East’s four bottom-feeders: Orlando, Miami, Cleveland and Chicago, who are a combined 2-33 against the West.

Only three Eastern teams, Indiana (5-2), New Orleans (3-1) and Boston (2-1), have winning records in non-conference games. The Milwaukee Bucks are 1-5 against the West but 8-5 against the East.

Of the first 100 inter-conference games, 63 were played in Western Conference arenas, the home teams going 51-12. On Eastern courts, the West is 19-18.

Last season, the East had a collective winning percentage of .405 (170-250) against the West.

“I think everybody was pretty confident the West would be better because of the success the West has had over recent years, they dominated the finals,” Brown said. “I think there are some teams in the East getting better, but I believe the West has some unbelievably talented teams.”

The Clippers (3-3) are the only Western team that does not have a winning record against the East.