Prayers up
Please keep former NBA Commissioner David Stern in your thoughts and prayers as he undergoes and recovers from surgery for a brain hemorrhage. Stern was at a Manhattan restaurant when he suffered the malady and was rushed to the hospital.
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That’s the ticket …
Yesterday, I wrote about how streaming media and multiple devices may have cut into the actual attendance of NBA games.
One of the reasons for making the entertainment of an NBA game so readily available for fans is because not every NBA fan can afford the ticket costs to attend said games. Truly, Adam Silver is reaching out to a broader audience than decades past.
As in, everyone.
But as someone who has had full access with a media credential for the last 20 years (in January), you lose touch with what people are paying to get a glimpse of their favorite NBA stars and why people get so upset at ‘load management’ when they’ve shelled out most of their bonus or tax refund to see the star players in something other than street clothes.
Here’s why people may be turning to social media, handhelds, and portable devices instead of living the full NBA experience – courtside seat costs and average ticket prices in each market:
| TEAM | COURTSIDE | AVERAGE TICKET |
| Atlanta Hawks | $450 | $37 |
| Boston Celtics | $1,200 | $66 |
| Brooklyn Nets | $475 – 1,250 | $66 |
| Charlotte Hornets | $1,480 | $31 |
| Chicago Bulls | $1,000 | $82 |
| Cleveland Cavaliers | $2,500 | $48 |
| Dallas Mavericks | $200 | $50 |
| Denver Nuggets | $475 | $52 |
| Detroit Pistons | $395 – 720 | $31 |
| Golden State Warriors | $1,300 | $80 |
| Houston Rockets | $1,095+ | $67 |
| Indiana Pacers | $600 | $39 |
| Los Angeles Clippers | $1,000 – 3,000 | $80 |
| Los Angeles Lakers | $1,785+ | $103 |
| Memphis Grizzlies | $735 | $31 |
| Miami Heat | $900 | $77 |
| Milwaukee Bucks | $1,350 | $50 |
| Minnesota Timberwolves | $1,000+ | $37 |
| New Orleans Pelicans | $1,235 | $30 |
| New York Knicks | $2,500 – 3,600 | $129 |
| Oklahoma City Thunder | $1,450+ | $55 |
| Orlando Magic | $1,300 | $39 |
| Philadelphia 76ers | $1,300 | $38 |
| Phoenix Suns | $400 | $56 |
| Portland Trailblazers | $780+ | $53 |
| Sacramento Kings | $1,170 | $48 |
| San Antonio Spurs | $550 – 1,000 | $55 |
| Toronto Raptors | $500 – 1,600 | $48 |
| Utah Jazz | $1,300 | $43 |
| Washington Wizards | $1,280 | $51 |
(Sources: thesportster.com and valuepenguin.com)
I’d like to thank my good buddy Jeff Marcussen and the Phoenix Suns for always (and still) providing one of the most affordable experiences in the NBA. Atlanta, thank you as well.
As a fan, with these prices, would this prohibit you from enveloping yourself and your family in the NBA experience? Or do they keep you away, watching on your smartphone, tablet or iMac?
Thoughts?
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Philadelphia 76ers 115
Boston Celtics 109
Joel Embiid dropped 16 points in the fourth quarter last night in Beantown to keep the Boston Celtics at arm’s length in the Eastern Conference. Philadelphia is third, and Boston is fourth. The big man also hit five of six free throws down the stretch and his lone block of the game saved the game in the waning seconds.
| SIXERS (19-7) | CELTICS (17-7) |
| Joel Embiid 38 points – 13 rebounds – six assists – one block | Kemba Walker 29 points – one rebound – eight assists – one block |
| #VFL Tobias Harris 23 points – eight rebounds – seven assists – one steal – two blocks | Enes Kanter 20 points – nine rebounds – two steals – two blocks |
| #VFL Josh Richardson 14 points – two rebounds – two assists – two steals – two blocks | Gordon Hayward 19 points – four rebounds – five assists – one steal – one block |
NEXT UP
Sixers at Pelicans – Tonight
Celtics at Mavericks – Wednesday
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Cleveland Cavaliers 117
San Antonio Spurs 109 (OT)
The Cleveland Cavaliers found the success to winning games and snapping an eight game losing streak: make everyone but Darius Garland available in trade, and they’ll start working their butts off to audition every game going forward. Kevin Love, Collin Sexton, and Jordan Clarkson sure took notice of Koby Altman’s edict, as they led the Cavs to an overtime win against the San Antonio Question Marks. Just when you thought the Spurs were on the right track, they’re on life support again. Watch for DeMar DeRozan’s name to be bandied about in trade rumors as well.
| CAVALIERS (6-19) | SPURS (9-15) |
| Kevin Love 30 points – 17 rebounds – two assists | DeMar DeRozan 21 points – four rebounds – four assists – two steals |
| Collin Sexton 28 points – two rebounds – two assists – one steal | LaMarcus Aldridge 18 points – 10 rebounds – three assists – one block |
| Jordan Clarkson 25 points – four rebounds – three assists – one steal | Derrick White 17 points – four rebounds – two assists – one steal |
NEXT UP
Cavaliers at Bucks – Saturday
Suns at Spurs – Saturday (Mexico City)
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Dallas Mavericks 122
Detroit Pistons 111
Al menos uno de los hermanos Curry está teniendo una buena temporada. Anoche, en la Ciudad de México, Seth Curry tuvo una temporada alta de 30 puntos desde el banco y asistió a otra triple actuación doble de Luka Doncic mientras los Mavericks frenaban a los Detroit Pistons. Derrick “Esto es lo que hago” Rose solo tuvo 19 cuando Andre Drummond lideró a los Pistons en puntos y rebotes. Es el octavo doble doble de la temporada de Doncic, y su segundo con 40 puntos o más, lo que lo convierte en el más joven en tener dos o más antes de cumplir 21 años. Él cumple años el 28 de febrero.
(Translation)
At least one of the Curry brothers is having a good season. Last night, in Mexico City, Seth Curry had a season high 30 points off the bench and assisted another Luka Doncic triple double performance as the Mavericks beat the brakes off of the Detroit Pistons. Derrick “This is what I do” Rose only had 19 as Andre Drummond led the Pistons in points and rebounds. It is Doncic’s eighth triple double of the season, and his second with 40 points or more, making him the youngest to have two or more before turning 21 years old. He has that birthday on February 28th.
| MAVERICKS (17-7) | PISTONS (10-15) |
| Luka Doncic 41 points – 12 rebounds – 11 assists | Andre Drummond 23 points – 15 rebounds – one assist – three steals – one block |
| Seth Curry 30 points – seven rebounds – four assists – two steals | Derrick Rose 19 points – four assists – two steals |
| Kristaps Porzingis 20 points – eight rebounds – one assist – three blocks | Markieff Morris 16 points – three rebounds – one assist |
NEXT UP
Heat at Mavericks – Saturday
Pistons at Rockets – Saturday
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Portland Trailblazers 99
Denver Nuggets 114
In another stop on the ‘Carmelo Anthony Used to Play Here’ Tour, the Portland Trailblazers came up woefully short against a team that needed a springboard to get out of their own recent funk. The Denver Nuggets outscored the Blazers in every quarter to give themselves a comfortable enough lead for Nikola Jokic to take (and make) a late game three pointer. Denver needed this one as they had lost five of their last six games coming off an Eastern Conference road trip. Hassan Whiteside scored a career high 33 points in vain for the Blazers.
| BLAZERS (10-16) | NUGGETS (15-8) |
| Hassan Whiteside 33 points – 11 rebounds – two assists – four blocks | Nikola Jokic 20 points – 11 rebounds – six assists |
| Carmelo Anthony 20 points – nine rebounds – two assists – two steals | Jerami Grant 20 points – five rebounds – two steals |
| C.J. McCollum 15 points – two rebounds – two assists | Will Barton 15 points – 11 rebounds – four assists – one steal |
NEXT UP
Thunder at Nuggets – Saturday
Blazers at Suns – Monday
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FRIDAY’S LINEUP / MY PICK ‘EMS
Houston Rockets at Orlando Magic – 7 p.m. EST – AT&T SportsNet Southwest
New Orleans Pelicans at Philadelphia 76ers – 7 p.m. EST – NBC Sports Philadelphia
Los Angeles Lakers at Miami Heat – 7 p.m. EST – ESPN
Indiana Pacers at Atlanta Hawks – 7:30 p.m. EST – Fox Sports Midwest-Indiana
Charlotte Hornets at Chicago Bulls – 8 p.m. EST – NBC Sports Chicago
Milwaukee Bucks at Memphis Grizzlies – 8 p.m. EST – Fox Sports Southeast
Golden State Warriors at Utah Jazz – 9 p.m. EST – ESPN
Los Angeles Clippers at Minnesota Timberwolves – 9:30 p.m. EST – FSN Prime Ticket
New York Knicks at Sacramento Kings – 10 p.m. EST – NBC Sports California
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The Rundown w/T-Money is a daily column “all things NBA” that will run through the entirety of the season, and the playoffs through the NBA Finals
Tracy Graven is a Senior Analyst for BackSportsPage.com.
He has written the NBA for the last two decades and is also tackling the NFL, NCAA, and pinch-hitting on some Major League Baseball coverage for BackSportsPage.
He’s spent 20 years in locker rooms in Orlando, Boise (G League), San Antonio, Phoenix, and Oklahoma City.
He currently lives in Knoxville, Tennessee with his wife and five children.
Reach him on Twitter at @RealTMoneyMedia
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