A quick reference guide to the NBA playoffs and in-person attendance
While the NBA regular season was shortened by 10 games, the playoffs actually expanded to include a concept introduced in last year’s bubble: the play-in tournament.
With the NBA Play-in Tournament, a total of 18 teams had post-season games added to their schedule. Perhaps somewhat serendipitously, many states loosened their COVID restrictions against in-person gatherings around the same time.
Some call it home-court advantage. Best.Day.Ever. calls it an opportunity for sports hospitality to return to the forefront of customer engagement.
And while there are only three teams left playing at the time of this blog, it’s worth taking a look at how the playoffs were attended through the teams that made it in.
| TEAM | VENUE | EST. CAPACITY | RECENT ATTENDANCE | PERCENTAGE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta Hawks | State Farm Arena | 18,118 | 16,458 | 91% |
| Boston Celtics | TD Garden | 18,624 | 17,226 | 92% |
| Brooklyn Nets | Barclays Center | 17,732 | 15,776 | 89% |
| Dallas Mavericks | American Airlines Center | 19,200 | 18,324 | 95% |
| Denver Nuggets | Ball Arena | 19,520 | 10,463 | 54% |
| Golden State Warriors | Chase Center | 18,064 | 7,505 | 42% |
| Indiana Pacers | Bankers Life Fieldhouse | 17,923 | 0 | 0% |
| Los Angeles Clippers | Staples Center | 19,068 | 7,342 | 39% |
| Los Angeles Lakers | Staples Center | 18,997 | 8,550 | 45% |
| Memphis Grizzlies | FedEx Forum | 17,794 | 12,185 | 68% |
| Miami Heat | FTX Arena | 19,600 | 17,000 | 87% |
| Milwaukee Bucks | Fiserv Forum | 17,500 | 9,107 | 52% |
| New York Knicks | Madison Square Garden | 19,812 | 16,512 | 83% |
| Philadelphia 76ers | Wells Fargo Center | 20,478 | 18,624 | 91% |
| Phoenix Suns | Phoenix Suns Arena | 18,055 | 16,219 | 90% |
| Portland Trailblazers | Moda Center | 19,441 | 10,022 | 52% |
| Utah Jazz | Vivint Arena | 18,306 | 18,007 | 98% |
| Washington Wizards | Capital One Arena | 20,356 | 10,665 | 52% |
*src: NBA.com compiling bubble and opening round statistics
Welcome back, NBA Fans. We have missed you.
—
Interested in plussing up your customer hospitality? Schedule a consult with us today.