All NBA Playoff Teams To Have Supporters In The Arena

You certainly can’t have genuine basketball madness without passionate fans in the arena cheering on their team. Although only one NBA team, Oklahoma City Thunder, was required to play the entire 2020/21 season behind closed doors due to Covid-19, most other teams had to shut their home venues to the general public for part of the season.

The good news is that all 20 teams who have qualified for the NBA playoffs will be admitting supporters to their home matches and in some cases, permitted numbers will be higher than was the case during the regular season. However, the number of spectators will vary considerably across the different venues, with only 10% capacity crowds permitted at Washington Wizards Capital One Arena and Portland Trail Blazers Moda Center, while we will see 71% capacity attendances at the Vivint Smart Home Arena, home of Utah Jazz. This however does represent an improving picture for Portland, who finished the regular season behind closed doors.

The exact numbers at each venue will be as follows:

At Knicks and Nets matches in New York, as well as at Atlanta Hawks, the local authorities have separate sections for vaccinated and unvaccinated fans. Those who are unable to produce proof of a jab will need to wear face coverings throughout the match and to observe social distancing.

At previous matches, Dallas Mavericks have handed out free tickets to essential workers who could produce a vaccination certificate.

Golden State Warriors say that no one will be admitted without proof of vaccination or evidence of a negative Covid-19 test.

However, with many fans in attendance, no NBA playoff match will be lacking in atmosphere, given the importance of these games, and the fact that those who are able to obtain tickets are likely to be the most committed supporters.

The question is: will the teams with higher attendances have an advantage? The favorites for the Western Conference are the 16-times champions, the Lakers, followed by the Clippers, Jazz, and the Suns. But will the unfancied Dallas Mavericks get a boost from being backed by 9,000 fans and will the Clippers suffer from having just over 2,000 in attendance?

The Nets are heavy favorites for the Eastern Conference, followed by the Bucks, the 76ers, and the Heat. Charlotte Hornets are rank outsiders but will have a five-figure crowd in attendance, while three of the four teams with the shortest odds will be restricted to crowds of below 6,000.

In the early ‘play-in’ matches, which determine some of the seedings for the official playoffs, the large crowd couldn’t propel the Hornets to victory, as they went down 144-117 to Indiana Pacers. Boston Celtics won 118-100 at Washington Wizards, the Lakers triumphed 103-100 at Golden State Warriors, and there was a fourth victory for the away team when Memphis Grizzlies edged out San Antonio Spurs 100-96.

Jayson Tatum was the undoubted star of the Celtics’ victory, scoring 50 points. Meanwhile, there was late drama at the Chase Center, where the teams were tied on 100 points going into the final minute before LeBron James netted a three-pointer.

There’s a long way to go before the eventual winners are decided so expect more twists and turns. Everyone will be delighted to know that these showdowns will be watched by passionate and noisy supporters.