Who needs tickets?

The Boston Globe is reporting that people went as far as sleeping in garbage cans as they waited in line to buy tickets for the NBA Finals between the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics.

The tickets have become priceless and are selling online for thousands of dollars and the average price for tickets for this year’s series was selling at $262 more than last year’s San Antonio Spurs-Cleveland Cavaliers championship.

 The tickets went on sale on Monday morning and thousands of fans were lining up outside the TD Banknorth Garden to get the coveted tickets.

Shawn Sullivan, the Celtics vice president of ticket sales, told the Boston Globe that while the Garden has capacity for 18,624 people, the vast majority of tickets went to season ticket holders, sponsors, the National Basketball Association, TV networks, and the visiting team.

According to the Boston Herald the box office opened at about 2 p.m. and the nearly 1,000 available seats, which were also being sold at the same time online and by phone, were gone by 3:20 p.m.

Also the system that the Celtics employ to sell their tickets left many fans dejected. The Garden uses a lottery system to determine who among the crowd of people waiting to get tickets will be able to buy them. As people line up they are handed a ticket with a number indicating their place in line.

Security guards closed off the line on Monday at 1 p.m. . Then a Garden employee drew the “271” ticket from a box, so the ticket sale started there. Everyone ahead of that point, even though they had arrived earlier, went home empty handed.

John Wentzell, president of TD Banknorth Garden, told the Boston Herald that the venue has used the lottery for all major events, including sports playoff games, for the past decade.  The system was designed, among other reasons, to put scalpers at a disadvantage and keep them from dominating the line and buying up blocks of tickets - at the expense of everyday fans.

For the sixth time in nine seasons the Los Angeles Lakers and the San Antonio Spurs will square off in the NBA Playoffs. This will be the second time since 2001 that these two teams will meet in the Western Conference finals and the fourth overall.  In all three previous ocassions the Lakers have come up victorious

In 1982 the “Showtime” Lakers of Magic Johnson swept the series and the following season the Lakers won again but this time it took them six games. 

In 2001 the Lakers, then led by Shaquille O’neal defeated the Spurs wth another sweep and advanced to conquer the first of three consecutive NBA titles.

Despite the Lakers 3-0 record against the Spurs in the Western Conference finals, this time it would be surprising if the series don’t go to seven games and a Lakers victory is not guaranteed despite having home-field advantage.

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Even though this this time they fell by just five points against the Cleveland Cavaliers (74-69) the Boston Celtics road struggles should have their fans worried.
This time Lebron James scored 32 points - 19 in the second half - to force a decisive Game 7 in Boston. But even if they defeat the Cavaliers, and I’m pretty sure they will, the Celtics and their fans can’t be feeling confident of what might happen once they meet the Detroit Pistons in the Eastern Conference finals.
The Pistons are not the Cavaliers. Even though they lack a real superstar their bench is deeper and they have already proven (against the Philadelphia 76ers and Orlando Magic) that they can win on the road. If the Pistons  steal a victory at the Boston Garden the series might very well be over right there and then. After all, if the C’s were not able to win in Cleveland, they definitely are less prepared to go to Detroit and win one there.
The Celtics’ problems on the road are not only on the deffensive side  of the ball.  They lost the three road games in Atlanta, and game three in this series because their defense let them down. However, the Celtics’ defense only allowed 88 points in the game four loss against the Cavs, and in game six their defense played a lot better.
No team should lose, when they hold their opponents to only 74 points, and 32.9 percent  shooting from the field, like they did yesterday. 
The Celtics had no help from anyone on the offensive end, outside of Kevin Garnett. Garnett’s the only player on the Celtics that has been consistent in just all the playoff games up to this point, even in most of the losses, but the other two parts of the Big Three have been very inconsistent at best.
Paul Pierce and Ray Allen will have to step their game up, not only to win in game seven but to have real chances againts the Pistons in the next round.

In 2008 the thrill of the best basketball of the planet arrives in London when the NBA’s Miami Heat faces the New Jersey Nets in a preseason basketball game at the O2 Arena on October 12.

The Miami Heat’s Dwyane Wade and the New Jersey’s Nets Richard Jefferson will go head-to-head in this game that is part of an ongoing plan by the NBA to bring the excitement of the NBA to fans across Europe. The plan, called NBA Europe Live is in its third consecutive year and so far has been a success as thousand of fans fill some of the most prestigious European arenas to follow their favorite NBA teams.

The 2008 NBA Live Europe tour will also include the chris Paul-led New Orleans Hornets and the Washington Wizards, led by Gilbert Arenas and Caron Butler.

The Heat and Nets will also play  in Paris at the Bercy arena on October 9. The Hornets and Wizards meet in Berlin, Germany at the O2 World on October 14 and in Barcelona, Spain at the Palau Sant Jordi on October 17.

In 2006, the NBA sent to Europe the Los Angeles Clippers, Philadelphia 76ers, Phoenix Suns and San Antonio Spurs. Last year, the Boston Celtics, Memphis Grizzlies, Minnesota Timberwolves and Toronto Raptors played around the old continent.

Don’t miss this opportunity. To watch the NBA Live in Europe purchase your tickets now through Tickets of America where we’re never sold out!

Tickets of America is the ultimate source for NBA tickets and all other the major sport events. Place your order on-line or call us toll free @ 1-888-383-1515 to secure your tickets.

Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers has been the buzz of the internet the last few days, but not due to any NBA highlights, although he has been providing a good bunch of them as usual. This time he has been in everybody’s mouth due to a commercial that he filmed for Nike where he jumps over a moving car, an Aston Martin to be precise, as teammate Ronny Turiaf loooks on.

 The debate raging over the commercial was whether this was real or fake. Don’t sweat it anymore because KB24 admitted himself recently on ESPN’s PTI that this was a trick. Even though this is not real, it is a commercial that you should not miss and that’s why I share it with all of you here:

LeBron James commercial was cool, but those were special effects. Kevin Love just did it for real during a basketball practice in Anaheim. Take a look:

In case you still want to see James’ hollywood-made video click here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dnxIITeNftE

After two rounds of play the NCAA Tournament has already seen a good share of upsets. In fact four of those happened on March 21 at the same venue: The St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa.

First No. 12 seed Western Kentucky stunned No. 5 seed Drake 101-99 in overtime. In the second game  No. 13 seed San Diego edegd No. 4 seed Connecticut 70-69. Then  No. 13 seed Siena cruised 83-62 over No. 4 seed Vanderbilt and last but not least  No. 12 seed Villanova upset No. 5 seed Clemson 75-69.

Davidson has proven to be a tough No. 10 seed defeating No. 7 Gonzaga in the first round and then shocking No. 2 seed Georgetown in the second round.

Also in the second round No. 7 seed West Virginia managed to upset No. 2 Duke  73-67 and No. 5 Michigan stated pulled a “mini upset” over No. 4 Pittsburgh, which to be honest was hardly shocking at all since both those teams were evenly matched in my opinion.

There have been other close games where the highest seeds were able to escape huge upsets. Most notably the first one that comes to mind is No. 1 seed UCLA escaping No. 9 seed Texas A&M 51-49 to advance to the Sweet 16. Of course no one can ignore No. 1 Memphis slipping past No. 9 seed Oregon 77-74 nor No. 2 seed Texas surviving No. 10 seed Miami 75-72.

These are just a few examples of the insanity of this month’s tournament of 64. Those teams that managed to survive big scares better be ready because even though all No. 1 seeds are still alive that may soon change. Remember that during the madness of March there has been no year where all four No. 1 seeds have reached the Final Four.

The experts have picked Memphis to fall first, but after what we saw in the first two rounds we can’t say that even a team as solid as UCLA is safe from a collapse before the Final Four.

You still have time to buy your tickets, so get them now through Tickets of America and don’t miss the insanity and excitement of the NCAA’s Tournament of 64.

The L.A. Times is reporting that Pau Gasol could miss as much as two weeks due to a left ankle sprain that the Los Angeles  Lakers towering center suffered on Friday night against the New Orleans Hornets.

According to the L.A Times Gasol was hurt after landing on Vladimir Radmanovic’s foot while cutting through the lane with about 9:30 left in the first quarter. X-rays were negative and an official recovery timetable will be determined today after Gasol undergoes an MRI exam either in Houston or Los Angeles.

Gasol missed about two weeks after sustaining a sprained ankle in training camp that produced “similar pain, a similar reaction,” he said.

 Of course if this prognosis proves to be true all bets are off regarding the Lakers, their playoff hopes take a turn for the worse and their championship dreams could be all but over.

And as for the game against the Houston Rockets and putting an end to the 21-game winning streak?

Don’t even think about it, without Gasol the Lakers aren’t a good match and the Rockets will keep on rolling, at least for a few more days.

 The Lakers will be physically hampered and emotionally devastated to defeat a team that is playing as well as the Rockets are.

 Ok I have to admit that the sizzling Houston Rockets have proved me wrong. When I found out that Yao Ming had suffered a stress fracture in his left foot I, like probably most people following the NBA, predicted that the team was doomed and that their 13-game winning streak would end in the next few games.

I for sure never would have imagined that they woud reach 20 straight victories and become one of the top teams on the NBA power ranking’s of several important sports outlets.

For example ESPN, Yahoo Sports, CNN/SI, and The Sporting News all have the Houston Rockets ranked as the number 1 team in the nation for the week ending March 9, 2008.

The Rockets have not only proved critics wrong, but probably most importantly, they have learned to play without Yao Ming as several role players have stepped up big time and helped All-star shooting guard Tracy McGrady carry the load.

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The McDonald’s All-American High School  Basketball Game is a single exhibition game that is played after the conclusion of the high school basketball season. As part of the event, there is also a dunk contest and three-point competition.

The 2008 McDonald’s All-American Basketball Game will be held on March 26 at the Bradley Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

The All-American Team is named each year for top American players of high school basketball. The McDonald’s All-American Team is the best-known of the American high school basketball All-American teams.

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