The NBA regular season is coming to a rapid close, and this week is the last full week of the regular season. Playoff races are starting to heat up, and the pursuit of the final spots is in full motion. In the Eastern Conference, the Milwaukee Bucks, Brooklyn Nets, and Boston Celtics hold the final three spots, with the Miami Heat, Indiana Pacers, and Charlotte Hornets hot on their tails. In the West, the Oklahoma City Thunder hold a half game lead over the New Orleans Pelicans for the final playoff spot. This week, there are some premier match ups commanding top-dollar in the NBA. According to SeatSmart.com, the average price for the top-three most expensive games this week is $246.95 on the secondary market.
04/09/2015 | Chicago Bulls @ Miami Heat | Average Price: $256.39 | Get-in Price: $44.00 | Parking in Miami $11
The Miami Heat will face off against the Chicago Bulls on Thursday night at the American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida in what figures to be an absolutely crucial game for the boys from South Beach. Miami is currently tied with Indiana for the ninth seed in the Eastern Conference, one seed out of the playoffs. The Bulls have secured a playoff spot, as they eagerly await the potential return of star point guard Derrick Rose from a knee injury. Miami needs to win as many of their final game as they can if they hope to make the playoffs. Considering that Rose will likely be out, the onus will be on Miami point guard Goran Dragic to exploit the Bulls stingy defense. However, Rose announced this week that his return could potentially happen sometime this week. Regardless, since coming to Miami in a trade with the Phoenix Suns, Dragic has been scoring 16.2 points per game and has catalyzed the offense which has been without forward Chris Bosh since late February. Bulls vs. Heat tickets are going for an average price of $256.39 on the secondary market. However, fans can enter the arena for as low as $44.00.
04/11/2015 | Philadelphia 76ers @ Chicago Bulls | Average Price: $235.10 | Get-in Price: $53.00 | Parking in Chicago $20
In what will be Chicago Fans’ last opportunity to see their team play on a weekend evening in the regular season this year, the Bulls will take on the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday night at the United Center. The Bulls have already locked up a playoff spot, but are still jockeying for seeding with the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Toronto Raptors and the Washington Wizards. Currently, Chicago is the third seed in the Eastern Conference, but they hold just a one game lead over the Raptors. However, team leader and former MVP Rose is likely to return to the roster sometime this week, and fans could have a chance to see this Chicago favorite for the first time in months. Still, this could be an opportunity for the Bulls to tighten some of the bolts before playoff time, as they play a Sixers squad which ranks second-to-last in the Eastern Conference. 76ers fans can find tickets for this matchup if they’re in the Chicago area for an average price of $235.10 on the secondary market. The minimum price for this contest is $53.00. Prices have increased 11% in the past seven days, which could be due to the Rose announcement.
04/09/15 | Portland Trail Blazers @ Golden State Warriors | Average Price: $230.01 | Get-in Price: $72.73 | Parking in Oakland $11
There is no reason to think that this matchup would not command top-dollar, as the Golden State Warriors welcome the Portland Trail Blazers in a matchup of premier Western Conference teams. The top-seeded Warriors have clinched the top spot in the Western Conference, and look to be a serious title contender going into the playoffs. The Blazers have clinched the Northwest division title, which means that they cannot fall lower than fourth in the standings. However, the team has gone 9-7 since the loss of their outside sniper Wesley Matthews for the season. Portland will have a tough time trying to keep up with two of the best shooters in the NBA, Golden State’s Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. The Splash Brothers have been shooting 43.9% from three-point range this season, and the two lead one of the NBA’s best backcourts. Tickets for Blazers fans are going for an average price of $230.01 on the secondary market. Tickets are going for a minimum price of $72.73, which makes this the most expensive minimum price of the week.
