Pretty much anything resembling organized basketball is in demand as the league continues to wait out the coronavirus quarantine — but there won’t be any fans in seats any time soon just the same.
Until then, we’ll be hunched over laptops or casting to televisions broadcasts of H-O-R-S-E games and quarantined 3-on-3 tournaments to help our basketball jones while the world gets safe for sports with spectators again.
While that may be a necessary evil, we can still look back at some of the most in-demand games of the season so far — hopefully to be resumed some time in the summer.
What do we mean by in demand?
Turning to the experts, popular ticket marketplace Vivid Seats, we define demand as the average cost of a ticket sold to an event. So with that in mind, what were some of this season’s most in-demand games to date?
5. Houston Rockets at Boston Celtics – February 29th: $177
One of the most anticipated games after the Feb. 6 trade deadline, Celtics fans were itching for revenge against the so-called ultra-small “Pocket” Houston Rockets.
With some time to game plan on how to play the new-look, extra-small ball lineup putting forward Robert Covington at the center position, the game was much closer than their Feb. 11th meeting that saw the Rockets win 116-105.
While Boston dropped the ball in the end after a miracle shot by guard Jaylen Brown sent the game into overtime, the expected intensity justified the cost of entry, with Houston escaping with a 111-110 win.
4. Toronto Raptors at Boston Celtics – December 28th: $182
Celtics fans got the rare Christmas Day treat of a road win — and then some — in Toronto on Dec. 25th, so it’s understandable local fans would want to see the sequel up close and personal.
Unfortunately for Boston, it didn’t go as planned, the Raps getting their revenge at TD Garden to the tune of 113-97 after point guard Kyle Lowry scored 30 points to squash the Celtics on their home court, returning the favor.
“We beat those guys two times already, and obviously a few days ago on Christmas,” said point guard Walker via the A.P. “They definitely remembered that, of course. But those are the defending champs.”
3. Boston Celtics at Golden State Warriors – November 15th: $190
When the Celtics come to town to play the Warriors, it’s always a great game to see the two storied franchises face off with each other in a seemingly perpetual playoff feeling contest.
And even without the Splash Brothers of guard Stephen Curry and wing Klay Thompson, this game had some of that vibe, the next men up in the Dubs’ rotation giving Boston all it can handle.
The Celtics escaped with a 105-100 victory, a dagger trey by Walker and forward Jayson Tatum’s late dunk sealing the win in a surprisingly close road game. And while everything may cost more in the Bay area, local fans didn’t get a raw deal on admission given the state of the Warriors at the time.
2. Los Angeles Lakers at Boston Celtics – January 20th: $269
Arguably the best all-around game of the season — and not just because of what they did to Boston’s long-time rival, either. But it certainly doesn’t hurt to see your favorite team defeat their oldest rival 139-107 at home.
Tatum added another outstanding performance to his February resumé, scoring 27 points and 5 boards while Walker added 20 points and 7 assists. Brown 20 points and 6 assists for good measure.
Defense was the key to the win — the UConn product’s first over LeBron in his career — which saw James and big man Anthony Davis combine for just 24 points. Demand for a game between these two rivals is always high, and when you factor in the drama of last season, it’s surprising it wasn’t No. 1.
1. Boston Celtics at Los Angeles Lakers – February 23rd: $341
While Tatum had been showing flashes of the limits of his powers, it was this game in which he truly spread his wings. Unfortunately for Celtics fans, it came in a loss.
But, the 41-point, 5 rebounds performance on 12-of-20 shooting was still enough to get longtime Boston nemesis to give the Duke product props, declaring Tatum to be an “absolute problem” on his instagram.
Some demand driving up the ticket price was surely due to L.A. fans wanting comeuppance. And while they may have gotten their money’s worth that night with the 114-112 win, the future isn’t so certain given Tatum’s ascent.
