OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — San Antonio’s head coach Mitch Johnson sounds like he’s been dealing with a throat injury lately. His voice has turned rough and scratchy, resembling someone who has been shouting for hours.
The vocal strain isn’t going away anytime soon. During Wednesday’s Game 2 of the Western Conference finals, Johnson will need to yell constantly if he wants his players to hear his instructions over the crowd.
When visiting teams step into Paycom Center, home to the Oklahoma City Thunder, they’re not facing just five opposing players. They’re battling against 18,005 screaming fans. The noise level inside reaches extraordinary heights — consistently hitting around 110 decibels, comparable to standing next to a jackhammer. Game 1 featured T-shirts reading “Oklahoma City Loud,” and the slogan accurately captures the Thunder faithful’s identity.
“I would say anytime you play a team that is having or has had the level of recent success as the Thunder have, the fans follow,” Johnson said. “There’s people that get enthusiastic and bring energy to support. I would say that this would be probably one of the higher-end fan bases and arenas in terms of what the environment is like.”
The Thunder’s supporters have mastered the art of strategic noise-making. They understand precisely when to unleash maximum volume, taking collective deep breaths before creating ear-splitting sounds.
Player introductions trigger massive roars. Every Thunder basket generates thunderous cheers. Arena displays even guide fans through different noise levels during timeouts — ranging from loud to louder to loudest — with distinctly noticeable differences between each category.
Even the home team struggles with the acoustic chaos.
During Monday’s Game 1, Thunder coach Mark Daigneault attempted to get a referee’s attention by shouting from the sideline. When that failed, he moved several steps closer and tried again. Still no response. He continued walking until he reached midcourt — nearly closer to the opposing team’s bench than his own — before finally catching the official’s attention.
“It’s the loudest basketball arena I’ve ever been in. … I think it’s just a testament to how much the community cares, how much this city cares about basketball and this team,” Thunder guard Alex Caruso said during last season’s playoff run.
When asked to describe the volume level, Caruso offered one word: “Deafening.”
While all NBA venues generate significant noise during successful moments, the four remaining playoff locations — Paycom in Oklahoma City, the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Rocket Arena in Cleveland and Madison Square Garden in New York — can become particularly overwhelming.
“Some of these arenas, the timeout and the music’s playing and you’re like, ‘I’m not even going to say anything until the music (is over).’ It’s crazy,’” Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson said.
Cleveland managed to silence Madison Square Garden on Tuesday night, until they couldn’t. The Knicks mounted a remarkable comeback from a 22-point fourth-quarter deficit to capture Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals in overtime. The Garden erupted as expected during the dramatic finish.
Paycom Center fell silent Monday evening when San Antonio completed their double-overtime victory in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals. Visiting teams have discovered the simple solution: win games to eliminate the noise.
“It really puts emphasis on the players to echo calls and communicate with each other because there’s no way anyone on the sideline, let alone myself or whoever’s coaching, is going to be able to get all five guys’ attention at times,” Johnson said of the challenge of coaching on the road in very loud places. “And with that being said, I hope there’s also a level of competitiveness and enjoyment of being in an environment like that.”
Spurs forward Julian Champagnie offered Thunder fans the ultimate compliment Tuesday when describing their impact on the game.
“I was trying to talk on defense,” Champagnie said, “and I couldn’t hear myself.”
The eventual silence at game’s end made San Antonio’s victory even more satisfying. The quiet served as evidence of a successful road performance.
“That means you’re doing something right,” Champagnie said.
