2019 NBA Preseason and Regular-Season Tickets in the United States: A Complete Guide to Booking and Watching Games

What to Know Before Booking NBA Tickets for a Weekday Game

When does the NBA season run?

The NBA season typically begins in late October or early November and ends on or around April 20 of the following year. There are 30 teams in the NBA and each day multiple games are scheduled. The NBA playoffs begin in late April and go through mid-June. There are 16 qualifying teams that go through a knockout style tournament to determine the finalists. The month prior to the regular season is called the preseason. During this time teams will play unofficial warm-up games away from their home arenas. The NBA All-Star Weekend is typically in February and features a variety of All-Star games and skill contests. Travelers can plan to watch NBA basketball during the full length of the season which runs October through June.

How far ahead can tickets be booked?

Tickets for the regular season are released before the season starts and may be purchased anytime until the day of thee game. Playoff tickets will go on sale after the regular season is completed. Tickets for the finals will not go on sale until the teams are determined. Packages for All-Star Weekend go on sale approximately six months before the event.

How much do NBA tickets cost?

The cost of NBA tickets is not fixed. The official dates for regular season games are set well in advance but ticket prices fluctuate for each game. Because the teams and venues are not known in advance, predicting the prices for playoff and finals tickets is even more difficult.

Tickets for the regular season typically range from $50 to $500 in the US. Some playoff games can cost over $150. Tickets for playoff games are significantly higher, as they can cost up to $1,000. Tickets for the finals can cost even more, sometimes reaching $10,000.

Historically high demand teams are the Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers, Golden State Warriors, Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers, Houston Rockets, San Antonio Spurs, Dallas Mavericks, New York Knicks, Miami Heat, Toronto Raptors, and Chicago Bulls.

4. What do different seating areas signify?

NBA arenas generally have three main levels of seating that surround the court. The closest to the court is the lower bowl, which includes all section numbers starting with 1. The middle section will usually have 2 for their section numbers, and 3 for the highest and most affordable sections.

Typically, seats in the lower bowl are the most expensive, while seats in the upper bowl are the least expensive. Seats in the middle that are perpendicular to the court are usually more expensive than those behind the nets. Despite this, lower-level seats that are located behind the basket are often priced higher than upper-level sideline seats. A common pricing structure is as follows: lower-level sideline seats > lower-level corner seats > lower-level behind-the-basket seats > middle-level sideline seats > middle-level corner seats > middle-level behind-the-basket seats > upper-level sideline seats > upper-level corner seats > upper-level behind-the-basket seats. Arena seating chart 5. What is the best way to purchase tickets, and what do you need to verify?

The first thing you need to do is check the date and city of the game. To view game schedules, you can visit Hupu Sports, but be sure to convert the Beijing time to the corresponding U.S. time zone. Tickets cannot be refunded or modified. Because of inclement weather or safety concerns, games may be postponed or canceled without any notice, so the NBA's official website is the most up-to-date source regarding game schedules. 1) Look up the team: figure out which city you plan to visit, and find its NBA franchise. 2) Go to the ticketing site: *?ls=iref:nba:gnav, and make sure to select team “Buy from team” on the side. 3) Click on the date and check which team is the home team. Pay attention to the match: home team VS away team or away team @ home team. 4) Choose your seats and check the ticket price. The prices displayed on the website may not include the handling + service + delivery + other random additional fees. Sometimes, a ticket may appear available, but in the end, it may not be able to be processed, so make sure to do a last-minute check before confirming your payment. E-tickets are generally issued only up to 30 min before the match, while some tickets are issued 1 to 3 days before the match. Guests can print the e-ticket they receive and use its barcode to enter the arena. In some instances, guests may be required to receive physical tickets in the mail.

NBA tickets can be purchased without the need to provide personal information, and can vary by matchup and venue. Popular games are often resale tickets, so it is not unusual to see tickets starting at a couple of dollars go all the way up to over US$10,000.

Please take time to look closely at the type of seats you are purchasing. Listings may include standing-room only tickets, which do not come with a seat, standard seated tickets, and wheelchair accessible seats. Accessible seating areas may have no chairs and be open floor space instead of a traditional chair.

Tip: Once an NBA ticket is purchased, it is highly unlikely that a refund will be issued.

6. Does the ticket need to be exchanged at the arena and is the price printed on it?

NBA tickets are electronic and typically do not show the price. Entry is not affected by the name on the ticket, and resale tickets are still valid even with the previous owner's name on them. Simply print the electronic ticket and scan it at the entrance. In most cases, ticket exchanges are not required.

7. What is the duration of an NBA game?

The official game time is 48 minutes, divided into 4 quarters of 12 minutes each. Overtime is an additional 5 minutes.

There are breaks of one hundred seconds before overtime and between overtime periods as well as a fifteen-minute break for halftime. There are also 130-second breaks between the first and second quarters and the third and fourth quarters. Timeouts, fouls, free throws, substitutions, and other interruptions mean that games usually take longer than two hours. You should budget 3.5 to 4 hours for the whole experience, including entering and exiting the arena. This is the best method for planning, particularly for those with transport or bookings in the evening.

What else should you carry to an NBA game?

Can I book a suite? Yes, suites are available, and in addition to standard seating, you can reserve private suites that are usually located between the middle and upper levels of the seating bowl. While private suite seats may offer less favorable sightlines than lower or middle tier seats, they are a great value for the added privacy and more comfortable seating, use of in-suite televisions to watch the live game and complimentary food and drinks. Suites vary in size, accommodating between 6-30 people. The expected cost, depending on the size of the suite, is USD $200 to $500 per person, and suites for the playoffs and Finals are priced differently. Suites typically cannot be booked online. You will have to reach out to the arena sales team directly, and booking a suite at least 1 month in advance is mandatory. Is there a separate fee to enter the arena?

Generally, the arenas are closed to the public on non-event days, unless specific access has been granted by the appropriate authority. On game day, you’ll only need a ticket for the game – there is no separate entrance fee for the arena. Please keep in mind that food and drinks will be available for purchase at the venue.

What time should you arrive and can you bring food?

Doors to the arena will open approximately 90 minutes prior to the game starting, so players can do warm-ups. Arriving earlier is better so you can take pictures before staff take their positions and watch players warm up. You can possibly get some pictures with players too.

There may be restrictions on bags, but they will be checked by security. You may have to check your camera bag and keep your backpack at home. You may also be banned from bringing any food to the venue. You will need to show some documentation to the staff if you have medical reasons. The venue will be selling food at a higher price (more than $5) than all other places. You may find items like hot dogs and nachos.

Everyone needs to stand up for the national anthem because it is disrespectful to stay seated for it.

Be prepared to wear something laid-back for the informal vibe of the venue.

Be familiar with your teams and know who is away and who is home. If you are on the sides of the home team do not be afraid to be loud and wear your players jersey. If you are on the side of the visiting team, do not be too loud when scoring at the home side as it is their home court.

Most importantly, don't be a distraction and keep the items in the venue to watch and defend the court.

Please tidy up after yourself at the end of the game and take your rubbish with you. **Tips on how to impress your girlfriend with some NBA knowledge 1. How many teams are in the NBA and do they all play in the USA? There are currently 30 teams in the league, divided into 15 teams in the Eastern Conference and 15 teams in the Western Conference. Out of these, the Toronto Raptors are the only team that is located outside of the USA (Canada). 2. Do all of the teams have their city name in their team name? There are 28 teams that have the name of their city in the team name, but some teams are called differently. These include the Utah Jazz (who are in Salt Lake City), the Golden State Warriors (who used to be with the Oakland and San Francisco teams), and the Minnesota Timberwolves (who are in Minneapolis). 3. What is the reason that some cities have two teams?

Los Angeles is also a city that has two teams - the Clippers and the Lakers. The Clippers started in Buffalo, then moved to San Diego, and then moved again to Los Angeles. The Lakers began in Minneapolis before they also moved to Los Angeles. 4. What is the difference between watching the game in a stadium as compared to watching it on TV? Watching the game live at the stadium puts you in the middle of the action and allows you to feel the energy of the crowd. The spectators on the American side are highly lively, and people will spontaneously give high fives, or even hugs, after their team scores. The home team’s mascot will come into the crowd to take photos and cheer along with the people, and then they will have some entertainment, and cheerleaders too, along with a show and contests on the big screen during the halftime break. Even when players aren't couples, they seem to enjoy role-playing as people in relationships. It's that kind of immersion that TV struggles to achieve. Now casual fans of basketball can feel the energy.

5. What are the differences between NBA rules and FIBA rules?

As compared to most other basketball tournaments, the NBA focuses more on player involvement and commercial aspects, and therefore, has deviating rules from the international basketball rule book. The numbers below are references and when rules are updated, they should be compared again.

Compared to FIBA, the National Basketball Association (NBA) has a basketball court that is shorter and wider. In the NBA, the shape of the restricted area is rectangular while the FIBA restricted area is trapezoidal. The distance of the NBA three-point line from the basket is 6.70 meters while in FIBA competition, it is 6.25 meters.

According to the rule comparison given here, NBA teams have more timeouts than FIBA, with 7 and 4 respectively; timeouts in the NBA last 1 minute and 40 seconds while in FIBA, they last 1 minute; a player in the NBA is disqualified after committing 6 personal fouls while in FIBA, it is 5; NBA games are officiated by 3 referees, while in FIBA, it is generally 2.

There are many more differences. What is most important to note is that many of the NBA’s commercial format includes a lot of advertising rules.

6. How are the Eastern and Western Conferences divided? Can two teams from the same conference meet in the Finals?

Each of the 15 teams in the NBA's Eastern and Western Conferences are separated by geography.

There are three divisions in the Western Conference and three divisions in the Eastern Conference. The Western Conference includes the Northwest, Southwest, and Pacific Divisions. The Eastern Conference consists of the Southeast, Central, and Atlantic Divisions. Western Conference Divisions

Northwest Division: Utah Jazz, Denver Nuggets, Portland Trail Blazers, Minnesota Timberwolves, Oklahoma City Thunder

Southwest Division: Dallas Mavericks, San Antonio Spurs, Houston Rockets, New Orleans Pelicans, Memphis Grizzlies

Pacific Division: Phoenix Suns, Los Angeles Lakers, Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Clippers, Sacramento Kings

Eastern Conference Divisions

Southeast Division: Miami Heat, Washington Wizards, Orlando Magic, Charlotte Hornets, Atlanta Hawks

Central Division: Detroit Pistons, Cleveland Cavaliers, Chicago Bulls, Indiana Pacers, Milwaukee Bucks

Atlantic Division: Toronto Raptors, Brooklyn Nets, Philadelphia 76ers, New York Knicks, Boston Celtics

Two teams from the same conference cannot meet in the Finals, since the Finals are played between the Eastern and Western Conference Champions. What is the difference between the regular season and the playoffs? All teams participate in the regular season. Teams within the same conference and division play each other four times: two games at home and two games away. Teams from opposing conferences only play each other twice: one game at home and one game away. The same pattern occurs with teams from the same conference but different divisions. The combination can be different, but each team plays 82 regular-season games. After the regular season, the top eight teams from each conference qualify for the playoffs. Division winners take the top three playoff spots. The playoff structure consists of four rounds, each with a best-of-seven format;

the first team to win four games moves on. Home games are split 2-2-1-1 and unevenly distributed. The team with home-court advantage hosts Games 1, 2, and 5 if applicable, as well as Game 7 if applicable. The opposing team hosts Games 3, 4, and 6 if applicable. The playoffs and Finals combined consist of four rounds. divison, regular season, and playoffs detail added The NBA Playoffs work like this: The first step is the first round of the playoffs. Once you get through the first round, you get to the semifinals, then you get to the finals. The winner of the playoff series for both the east and west becomes the conference champion. Then, the two conference champions (eastern and western) face each other in the NBA finals. The first team to win four games in the series is awarded the championship title. Also, the most valuable player (MVP) award for the finals is given to a player on the winning team.

All thirty NBA teams participate in the regular season, but only the top eight teams from each conference qualify for the playoffs. Then, one team from the Eastern Conference and one team from the Western Conference go to the finals.

Note: For a step-by-step description of the entire process, from lining up outside the venue to the end of the game, take a look at the Mafengwo travel note “Los Angeles NBA Game – Clippers vs. Timberwolves.”

Team and Home Arena Information

The following arena names are as they were in the original text. Sponsorships, official venue names, and team locations may vary, so please check the NBA or the team for the most accurate information before you travel.

Boston Celtics — Home City: Boston, Massachusetts. Home Arena: TD Banknorth Garden. Joined the NBA: 1946.

Philadelphia 76ers — Home City: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Home Arena: Wells Fargo Center. Joined the NBA: 1949.

Toronto Raptors — Home City: Toronto, Canada. Home Arena: Air Canada Centre. Joined the NBA: 1995.

Orlando Magic — Home City: Orlando, Florida. Home Arena: Amway Center. Joined the NBA: 1989.

Detroit Pistons — Home City: Detroit, Michigan. Home Arena: The Palace of Auburn Hills. Joined the NBA: 1948.

Washington Wizards — Home City: Washington, D.C. Home Arena: MCI Centre.

Cleveland Cavaliers — Home city: Cleveland, Ohio. Home arena: Quicken Loans Arena. Joined the NBA: 1970. \n Miami Heat — Home city: Miami, Florida. Home arena: American Airlines Arena. Joined the NBA: 1988. \n Milwaukee Bucks — Home city: Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Home arena: Bradley Center. Joined the NBA: 1968. \n New York Knicks — Home city: New York, New York. Home arena: Madison Square Garden. Joined the NBA: 1946. \n Charlotte Hornets — Home city: Charlotte. Home arena: Time Warner Cable Arena. Joined the NBA: 2004. \n Brooklyn Nets — Home city: Brooklyn, New York. Home arena: Barclays Center. Joined the NBA: 1976. \n Atlanta Hawks — Home city: Atlanta, Georgia. Home arena: Philips Arena. Joined the NBA: 1949. \n Indiana Pacers — Home city: Indianapolis, Indiana. Home arena: Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Joined the NBA: 1976. \n Chicago Bulls — Home city: Chicago, Illinois. Home arena: United Center. Joined the NBA: 1966. \n Los Angeles Lakers — Home city: Los Angeles, California. Home arena: STAPLES Center. Joined the NBA: 1948. \n Los Angeles Clippers — Home city: Los Angeles, California. Home arena: STAPLES Center. Joined the NBA: 1970. \n Utah Jazz — Home city: Salt Lake City, Utah. Home arena: EnergySolutions Arena. Joined the NBA: 1974. \n Denver Nuggets — Home city: Denver, Colorado. Home arena: Pepsi Center. Joined the NBA: 1976. \n Dallas Mavericks — Home city: Dallas, Texas. Home arena: American Airlines Center. Joined the NBA: 1980. \n Portland Trail Blazers — Home city: Portland, Oregon. Home arena: The Rose Garden. Joined the NBA: 1970. \n Phoenix Suns — Home city: Phoenix, Arizona. Home arena: Talking Stick Resort Arena. Here’s the formatted text in a proper markdown style: NBA Teams by Join Year