Impressive Turnout For NBA’s Inaugural In-Season Tourney Semifinals Shows Las Vegas Is Ready For NBA Expansion Team; Bucks-Pacers, 16,837 Attendance; Lakers-Pelicans, Sellout 18,017

 

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 Story by Alan Snel   Photos by J. Tyge O’Donnell

It was a basketball convergence of the NBA and Las Vegas Thursday.

The league saw fans pack T-Mobile Arena for its much-promoted in-season tournament semifinals in Las Vegas, while LeBron James’ Lakers demolished the New Orleans Pelicans in the second half in one of those games to advance to the final Saturday for a showdown with the upstart Indiana Pacers.

If Adam Silver, the NBA’s erudite commissioner, ever needed reassurance that Las Vegas was fertile ground for an expansion team, all he had to do was hang out all day in T-Mobile Arena to see the evidence.

The first game, won by the Pacers over the Milwaukee Bucks, 128-119, started at 2 PM on a Thursday and brought an announced attendance of 16,837. The second semifinal at 6 PM, which featured the Lakers blowing out the Pelicans, 133-89, was a sellout at 18,017 announced attendance.

For all the talk and promotion of Las Vegas as a bigtime sports town, basketball is the most organic and natural fit in this market.

There’s an irony to that statement because Las Vegas’ sports scene first expanded to include the NHL Vegas Golden Knights in 2017 and the NFL Las Vegas Raiders in 2020, with the Athletics planning to open a new stadium on the Strip in 2018.

And the NBA, which already stages the popular annual Summer League in Las Vegas in mid-July, is the sole league of the so-called Big Four major leagues to not plant a team in the Las Vegas market — yet.

Pacers star guard Tyrese Haliburton said it was just a matter of time until the NBA awards an expansion franchise to complete the quartet of NHL, NFL, MLB and the Association in Vegas.

“Who doesn’t love Vegas? There’s a guy on the Lakers who talks every other day about bringing a team to Vegas,” Haliburton said in response to a LVSportsBiz.com question about the NBA and Las Vegas.

That guy on the Lakers? James, naturally.

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The NBA folks were crowing about how their inaugural in-season tournament had sparked an increase in game attendance and TV ratings during November when the season is just getting into gear.

And here in Las Vegas — America’s neutral sports site — the NBA came with its own colorful court and lights to adorn T-Mobile Arena on the Strip into a fancy glam-filled setting for today’s semifinals and Saturday’s final.

The Bucks and Pacers were at 2 PM. And the Lakers and Pelicans were set for 6 PM. The winners play for the NBA Cup on Saturday with each player on the Cup-winning team each garnering $500,000.

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The NBA announced attendance was 16,837 for the Pacers’ 128-119 win over the Milwaukee Bucks.

LVSportsBiz.com asked Pacers coach Rick Carlisle about Las Vegas as a possible NBA city.

“The turnout shows the interest in the NBA game,” Carlisle told a room of media. He noted NBA already hosts the NBA Summer League and called Las Vegas eventually getting an NBA team was the “worst-kept secret.”

The arena, which houses the NHL Vegas Golden Knights, had a nightclub feel with a darkened, moody feel and special lighting installed for the two games today and the final on Saturday.

One might speculate that It would be a challenge to sell tickets for a game with a Thursday 2 PM start — no matter the league.

But by the end of the Pacers’ win over the Bucks, most of the arena seats were nearly filled.

The games were two separate events and required different tickets for both.

 

 

The Lakers were blasting the Pelicans tonight.

After three quarters, the Lakers had built up a massive 110-71 lead after Los Angeles outscored New Orleans by an astounding 43-17 edge in the third quarter.

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