SACRAMENTO, Calif. _ Fans with tickets to see the defending NBA champions visit the Sacramento Kings on Saturday should arrive early, as extra security measures will again be in place at the arena.
Golden 1 Center plaza will close early Saturday afternoon and only ticket holders will be allowed access for the Kings' 7 p.m. game against the Golden State Warriors, the Kings said in a news release.
On Thursday, 6-foot-tall cyclone fencing and steel barricades were erected in anticipation of protests over the fatal police shooting of Stephon Clark. The measures came after demonstrators blocked entry to Golden 1 Center for thousands of ticketed fans before Kings games on Tuesday and March 22.
Signs will be banned from the arena for the game and the box office will only be open for will-call ticket pickup after 3 p.m., the Kings tweeted Friday. After that, tickets can be purchased online at kings.com/sgt.
"Golden 1 Center safety and security officials continue to work with the Sacramento Police Department on security measures for the game on Saturday night to ensure the safety of guests," the release said.
Two marches are planned for earlier Saturday. The 18th annual Cesar Chavez March and Rally begins at 10:30 a.m. in Southside Park. The march for Clark organized by Matt Barnes, a Sacramento native who played for the Kings and Warriors and retired this season, begins at noon at Cesar Chavez Plaza.
The extra security measures on Thursday seemed to work, as the Kings' game against the Indiana Pacers went as scheduled and had an attendance of 11,360, compared to 2,400 a week earlier against the Atlanta Hawks and about 4,000 on Tuesday when the Dallas Mavericks visited.
