If the Golden State Warriors thought they’d cruise to a second-straight NBA championship, LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers made them reconsider Wednesday night. The Cavaliers steamrolled past the Warriors in Game 3 of the NBA Finals, igniting the home crowd en route to a 30-point victory. They’ll host the Warriors again on Friday night with hopes of evening the series at two games apiece.
Excitement has returned to Quicken Loans Arena after the Cavaliers dropped two forgettable games in Oakland, and with their first win of the series has come a renewal of interest in ticket demand on the secondary market. Prices for Game 4 have soared over the last 24 hours and will likely continue to do so before tip-off.
According to TiqIQ, the average price for Game 4 Cavaliers vs Warriors tickets is now $1,250.57, marking an 11.5% increase from Wednesday’s average of $1,121.61. The cheapest ticket is currently priced at $417, a 40% jump from Wednesday’s get-in price of $298.
For those seeking an adventure, planning a trip to Cleveland for Game 4 can still be done on a reasonable budget. Flights to Cleveland can be made from anywhere in the world on Hipmunk, while hotels in Cleveland start from just $72 per night this weekend.
With the series now officially headed back to Oakland for Game 5 on Monday, fans will be paying much higher prices at Oracle Arena than at the Q. Game 5 Warriors vs Cavaliers tickets now average $1,784.63 and the get-in price is $686. However, those prices may me merited, as the Warriors now have the potential to clinch at home with a win in Cleveland Friday night.
While more than 2,400 miles west of Cleveland, the Bay Area will boast similar hotel prices when the Warriors return next week. Oakland hotels can be found starting from $79 each night while three-star hotels and up run from $171 per night.
The Warriors will need Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson to contribute more if they hope to take Game 4 on the road. The two All-Stars combined for just 29 points against the Cavaliers backcourt of Kyrie Irving and J.R. Smith, who tallied a cumulative 50 points in Game 3. A poor shooting performance team-wide disoriented the Warriors and allowed the Cavs to attack and outscore them 69-47 in the second half.
Will the Cavaliers again rely on the hometown faithful to push past the Warriors on Friday? Fans can certainly expect that to be the case, especially with the exorbitant ticket prices they’ll be paying just to get past the gates.
