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Shop at Jay’s Market at 190 East Flamingo Road at the Koval Lane intersection east of the Strip.
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Story by Alan Snel Photos by J. Tyge O’Donnell
LAS VEGAS, Nevada — The man who hekped legalize sports gambling across the states has to take pride in how far his NBA Cup idea has come in its third year.
Yes, Commissioner Adam Silver’s in-season tournament in the autumn months culminating in semifinals and a final in Las Vegas has taken hold after some initial skepticism in 2023. The court here at T-Mobile Arena does not have the bright colors and designs of the hardwoods at NBA arenas for games that counted toward the tourney standings.
The 2:30 PM game matched the Knicks against the Orlando Magic, with both hot-shooting teams pouring in baskets as the Magic led New York, 36-33, after one quarter. The Knicks kept the pressure on behind Jalen Brunson’s 40 points to take the 132-120 victory and secure a spot in the final Tuesday.
The Knicks will play the Spurs, which upset Oklahoma City, 111-109, with San Antonio’s Victor Wembanyama scoring 22 points in less than 21 minutes. OKC’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with 29 points.
Asked by LVSportsBiz.com about what caught his attention about T-Mobile Arena and the Cup atmosphere, Knicks coach Mike Brown said he liked the theater-style lighting where the court was bright and the fans in the darkened venue. Knicks big man Karl-Anthony Towns also liked the atmosphere, noting it was the first time he played a basketball game in the building that is the host for VGK and UFC events.
The Cup logo at half court shows the Emirates sponsorship. Emirates is the NBA’s official Global Airline Partner, with the Emirates logo on NBA referee jerseys and at major NBA events like the Finals and the All-Star Game.
Knicks fans were all over the T-Mobile Arena plaza area and sidewalks leading to the arena just off the Strip between New York New York and Park MGM.
LVSportsBiz.com spoke with an OKC fan who flew in from Oklahoma for the Thunder/Spurs game. He mentioned that the NBA want to consider scheduling the semis on a Thursday night and the final on Saturday so that fans can see two games on a weekend trip.
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