NBA Games You've Attended

[Kakkle]

Curious to see how many people have attended games here, or plan to do so in the future? Share your stories/tips/suggestions etc in this thread.

Attended 2* Games while in the USA in October/November recently. I was in the USA for 6 weeks, would've loved to have seen quite a few more games but the season proper started towards the end of my trip. Sadly didn't get to see a Chicago Bulls game at the United Center as they started the season on the road, and didn't make it to Portland this time. Hoping to do so in the next 12-24 months.

Game 1 - Toronto Raptors @ Miami Heat - November 2nd, 2014

This was the last leg of my sporting tri-fecta for that weekend. The previous night I had seen the Philadelphia Flyers at Florida Panthers and earlier on in the day San Diego Chargers at Miami Dolphins, almost didn't go to this game due to how tired I was, but was literally a 5 walk from the hotel. Copped $18 tickets which was actually kind of perfect. Was sitting in the last row right up at the top, but it was hardly a bad seat, sat at one end and could see the game unfold perfectly. If it's two teams you don't really care about, just get the cheapest ticket, keep in mind that the capacity for most venues in the USA is around 21K so anywhere you sit is fine. Really enjoyed this game, Heat got out to a 16 point lead before the Raptors stormed home to get within 3 with 45 seconds to go, so made a really solid contest of it. DeMar DeRozan was a pleasure to watch with a game high 30 points.



Game 2 - Atlanta Hawks @ New York Knicks - November 11th, 2014

This game humoured me purely from spectators sitting around me. As someone who is relatively new to following the NBA, I got some sort of sick pleasure out of the suffering of Knicks fans around me. I'm clearly not normal Good game though. I think MSG is vastly overrated as a venue though. Picked up a ticket in the 200 section for $62 which was fine. Also don't bother doing a tour of the MSG, Just get there early and have a walk around the concourse, it's pretty much the same thing.




*Attended a pre-season game in Las Vegas. Sacramento Kings @ Los Angeles Lakers. This was just abhorrent. I should've known better then to go to a pre-season game. Seriously don't waste your money. Ended up leaving at half time. Still don't know even know the result of the game.

 

[smashh]

Haven't made it over to the States yet. The plan is to visit every team in their home arena, but lets just wait and see how that plays out..
Did see the two medal games from the World Cup in Madrid this year though. Loved the France game. Nico and Boris put on an absolute show

 

[peternorth]

Rockets @ Lakers in 99 or 00. cant remember exactly. featured kobe, shaq, cuttino mobley and moochie norris. it was here that i experienced nirvana. go into the players tunnel (linking change rooms to the players cars). saw horry and a few others walk past. load blown.

Suns @ Lakers in 07 i think. it featured bynum, kobe, former laker nash, grant hill etc.

 

[cAsEy_18]

Saw Lakers/Houston and Clippers/Chicago one L.A. weekend back in 2011. Me and my brother went to both - his Lakers won in OT and I watched Chicago dismantle the Clippers and Rose put up 32 so we were both happy.

I'm going back to America in April, and there are 4 games on while I'm in L.A. - Lakers play Minnesota and Dallas, Clippers play Memphis and Denver.
I'll make it to at least one of these games, undecided which yet.

From there Ill be travelling south and finishing in New York about mid-late May, which will be playoffs time. As much as I'd love to go, I'm a recently finished uni student very much on a budget, so playoff prices might push me out.

 

[fidstar]

Went and saw the Bulls vs Knicks at Madison Square Garden.







Unfortunately it was about 7 or so years ago when they both sucked. If I remember correctly both teams were well below 500 at the time. Did get to see a young Rose. Gf was a Knicks fan. Promised me good times if Bulls won. Knicks won. Doubly upset.

 

[peternorth]

Went and saw the Bulls vs Knicks at Madison Square Garden.







Unfortunately it was about 7 or so years ago when they both sucked. If I remember correctly both teams were well below 500 at the time. Did get to see a young Rose. Gf was a Knicks fan. Promised me good times if Bulls won. Knicks won. Doubly upset.

so gf is now your ex right?

 

[fidstar]

so gf is now your ex right?

No still together. I didn't say she was a Lakers fan...

 

[rick_422]

In November I saw Cleveland vs Orlando in Cleveland. My first live NBA game.
I was very disappointed that Dellavedova was out injured, excited to see James, Love and Irving.
Cavs were coming off a bad run. Lebron went crazy. Scored 29 in 3 quarters. Love, Irving and James basically sat out the 4th and the Cavs won by 30 points.
Was awesome to be at. Shame it wasn't a close game. But loved it start to finish.

 

[hamG]

Golden State @ Phoenix about 1992 is the only game I have seen. I was a Mullin fan living in Phoenix at the time. I also had his hair cut which made me the most wicked kid on the planet.

 

[NitroFan]

Celtucs @ Hawks was the first game. Shaq was out so I didnt get to see him

Have been to two Lakers games (one vs. Spurs, cant recall the other team) and a Clippers game (vs. 76ers, sat in the second row) at Staples center

Someone @ Orlando

The most memorable was Bulls @ Knicks in early 2012. Linsanity was out but Melomania ran wild in the Garden to give the Knicks a win in OT. Rose in first game back from an injury and someone else (maybe Deng) missed some late free throws that couldve won us the game. Still, the atmosphere towards the end was incredible.

 

[peternorth]

In November I saw Cleveland vs Orlando in Cleveland. My first live NBA game.
I was very disappointed that Dellavedova was out injured, excited to see James, Love and Irving.
Cavs were coming off a bad run. Lebron went crazy. Scored 29 in 3 quarters. Love, Irving and James basically sat out the 4th and the Cavs won by 30 points.
Was awesome to be at. Shame it wasn't a close game. But loved it start to finish.

you also saw tobias harris!

 

[rick_422]

you also saw tobias harris!

The only interesting Olrando player ms were Peyton and of course Oladipo! The rest were woeful!

 

[lincsPJ]

finally got to see the spurs in the flesh last season
LAL @ SAS
UTA @ SAS
SAS @ LAL

all were pretty convincing wins for the SAS juggernaut against the 2 lowest teams in the west. would love to have seen some better opposition, but when my wife and my mate's wife tell us we can go on a 10 day trip to watch basketball in march, you take what you can get!

thankfully no one still really cares about the spurs in the states, so the away tickets in LA were still pretty cheap to get us a reasonable seat.

 

[PP34]

Thunder @ Bobcats in late 2013. Was a pretty boring game with Al Jefferson doing work for the Bobcats early from memory. Durant then went nuts in the second half and basically carried the Thunder to victory in the fourth quarter.

Was gutted as Westbrook was announced out for a long period as we were making our way to the arena. Would have loved to have seen his athleticism in person. From memory also McRoberts missed a potential game winner or game tying three.

 

[NitroFan]

oh yeah, i saw a game in charlotte too. cant remember who they played and i think i left after the third quarter.

 

[Arden]

but when my wife and my mate's wife tell us we can go on a 10 day trip to watch basketball in march, you take what you can get!

Holiday with your wife and your mate's wife.

Nice work.

 

[Upgrayedd]

The Dallas game was insane, I jumped up and cheered when aldridge hit the winner, looked around, only 2 other guys in the whole stadium, some 50 year old black lady behind me who said "YEah we did it!" and another guy courtside, Dead quiet, I felt like i could be heard from half the arena, I got some pretty dirty looks

New Orleans V Denver was cool, They were filming Django Unchained, Christopher Waltz was in it, I was drinking with a german backpacker the night before and he apparently had a good 10 minute chat with Waltz in german, then suddenly seeing him courtside with Leonardo Di-caprio was pretty cool

 

[El Mariachi]

Haven't seen a game in the US yet, but saw Team USA v Australia in Melbourne in a warm up to the 2000 Olympic Games.

Got to see KG, Zo, Vince, Ray Allen, Kidd, Payton etc in person.

Can't wait to see an NBA game live.

 

[Swarles Barkley]

Went over to the states in late March 2012 for a work conference in San Fran. Whilst there a bunch of us were keen to see a NBA game so we caught a train from San Fran's CBD to The Oracle to see the Warriors play the Nets. The train takes you to a station right next to the sports precinct with a long bridge from the station going across to the football/baseball stadium and The Oracle is next to that. It reminded me of the walk across the bridge from Southern Cross to Docklands except the bridge is far less attractive haha.

We'd purchased seats on Stub Hub prior to the trip. Centre court about 5 rows back so they were amazing. Cost us about $120 each from memory. Unfortunately GSW had Bogut (of course) and Curry out but the game was still entertaining. It was fan night so the crowd was into it. Gerald Green threw down a couple of sick dunks and DWil racked up 20 unassuming assists. GSW had a chance to tie/win at the buzzer but Charles Jenkins (who else?!) had his shot blocked.


After visiting Vegas my work mates went home and I did a bit of travelling up the West Coast by myself. Stopped over in LA for 24 hours to see another game. Clippers vs Kings and Blake & co didn't disappoint with lots of highlight plays. Best was probably Bledsoe dunking an ally oop pass off the backboard from CP3. Got seats right behind the media section which was interesting to witness.



Last game I managed to get to was Portland hosting Houston. Things that stood out was how much respect the Rip City fans had for Marcus Camby returning, how little they had for Raymond Felton and how much they hated Scola.



Other thoughts were travel to the games in Portland & Oakland was very easy. In LA I was staying in the CBD so I was able to walk to the arena.
Also the differing levels of security at the arenas with Oakland having metal detectors and Portland having very little.
All seats purchased through StubHub which I had no issues with.

 

[Look2Me4Guidance]

Worked a trip to Phoenix into my honeymoon schedule in 2011.They played the Warriors. Curry was impressive even then.

Adored Steve Nash, screamed like a girl at a One Direction concert when he was introduced.

Highlights;
Suns won
Had photos with cheerleaders
Vince Carter blew an open dunk that rebounded back to half court.
Met Channing Frye

 

[peternorth]

Highlights;
Suns won
Met Channing Frye

efa

 

[LBJ6]

In the States at the moment.

First game was OKC@GSW where Durant dropped 30 in the first half before getting injured. Great game.

Second was WAS@NYK Christmas Day. Bit of a fizzer but Wall was fantastic. Melo played alright too.

Thirds was HOU@NOP, had second row seats. The game sucked but the seats were amazing, I was literally in awe the entire game to the extent I had no idea what the score was. Was sitting right behind the NO bench.

Going to see MIA@LAL and CLE@LAL before heading home. Praying LeBron gets up for the Cleveland game.

 

[Farmer2Goggin]

Just got back from NY , saw the Knicks get pumped by the pistons , Bucks and the Rockets
Knicks were a rabble and their fans certainly didn't hold back with their derision , the place almost emptied out with 2 minutes to go in each game.
Great to finally see an NBA game - Harden was amazing and those Dwight shoulders go on forever !

Also caught St Johns V Villanova which had 1/2 the crowd and 10 times the atmosphere - fantastic to watch and witness the sledging amongst the fans.

 

[lincsPJ]

Thirds was HOU@NOP, had second row seats. The game sucked but the seats were amazing, I was literally in awe the entire game to the extent I had no idea what the score was. Was sitting right behind the NO bench.

good stuff. my motto was "it's too far to go for s**t seats!"

http://www.bigfooty.com/forum/threads/spurs-rock-off-topic-discussion.1053309/#post-32329151

 

[HODGEYROAD]

All games in 12/13 season
1. Cavs @ Bulls ( Cavs won)
2. 76ers @ Bulls ( Bulls won)
3. Kings @ Warriors ( Warriors won)
4. Rockets @ Warriors ( Rockets won)
5. Grizzlies @ Blazers ( Grizzlies won)
6. Knicks @ Blazers ( Blazers won)