With the New York Knicks on the brink of the team’s first championship since 1973, Knicks fans are looking to give the team a hometown environment despite Game 5 of the NBA Finals being on the road. Knicks markets have accounted for 54% of all tickets sold ahead of the game, despite it taking place in San Antonio.
That figure comes via Gametime, and is a drastic departure from the number of Knicks fans who attended Games 1 and 2 of the series, both of which were in San Antonio.
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Only 17% of all tickets purchased for Game 1 came from Knicks markets, which include New York and New Jersey, per Gametime’s data. That figure was 23% for Game 2.
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When the series shifted to New York in Games 3 and 4, Knicks fans did a tremendous job keeping San Antonio Spurs fans out of Madison Square Garden. Spurs markets accounted for just 1% of all tickets sold for Games 3 and 4.
But with the Knicks in a spot to close things out in Game 5, interest from New York and New Jersey markets has skyrocketed. Forty-one percent of all tickets sold for Game 5 have been purchased in New York. Thirteen percent have been purchased in New Jersey. By comparison, Texas has accounted for just 12% of all ticket sales for Game 5.
Knicks fans are going to pack Frost Bank Center for Game 5. (Data courtesy of Gametime)
(Image via Gametime)
New York and New Jersey fans looking to make that trip will be pleasantly surprised by the cost of game tickets — compared to games at Madison Square Garden, at least. The get-in price for Game 5 is “just” $1,430, per Gametime. That’s a massive decline from Game 4, where the get-in price was as high as $13,000 before eventually falling to roughly $3,368 hours before the game.
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If the Spurs are able to pick up a win in Game 5, prices would jump drastically for Game 6, when the Knicks will return to MSG. The get-in price for that game is already over $11,000 and will undoubtedly jump even higher if the Knicks lose Game 5. While that would be a disappointing outcome for Knicks fans, it would also give a chance for the Knicks to win the championship at home, which would cause ticket prices to once again skyrocket ahead of Game 6.