Oklahoma City Thunder 119 at Houston Rockets 122 - February 20, 2013

After spending the morning at the George Bush Presidential Library and Museum in College Station, I drove back to Houston to add another NBA arena to my total. It was cold and raining as I made my way along I-45 towards downtown, where the Toyota Center, home of the Rockets, is located.

Toyota Center



The Toyota Center was opened in 2003 to replace the aging Summit, which had hosted the Rockets since 1975. Negotiations for the new stadium had taken several years and there was a threat of the team moving, but ultimately an agreement was reached and construction started in 2001, taking just over two years to complete.



Located at the corner of Polk and La Branch streets in southeast downtown, the arena has a parking garage right next to it as well as several surface lots within a block or two that range from $10-30. However, if you can arrive around 5:30 for a 7 pm game, you should be able to find street parking. Meters are only enforced til 6 pm so a 50-cent deposit will get you a spot. I found one at the corner of Bell and Caroline without even looking, so do drive around if you are on a budget.



There is not much around the outside of the stadium, other than a sculpture dedicated to Hakeem Olajuwon  (above). However, once inside, the venue becomes very impressive indeed. The main entrance bring you onto the main concourse (below) without any stairs to reach the seating bowl, a request of Rockets' owner Leslie Alexander who didn't want fans to have to walk up stairs to reach their seats.



There's a lot to see on the main level, so take the time to walk around. The highlight here is the Rockets' historical timeline which provides a year-by-year recap of the events and players that have made Houston one of the top NBA teams over the past 30 years.



There are dozens of concessions with the BBQ Beef Brisket Sandwich from the Texas BBQ stand seeming to be the most popular despite going for $10.50. Don't forget to sign up for the designated driver program and get a free medium soda.



The seating bowl is quite nice and corner seats provide good sightlines to the floor.  A single escalator will take you up to the 400 level, where I prefer to sit (or where I can afford to sit). Although there are two club levels between the lower and upper levels, the top deck isn't that far away. I paid $69 for a 4th row seat and was quite happy with the view. Note the scoreboard in the photo below; it is the biggest indoor scoreboard in pro sports, similar to what the Cowboys have. It was installed for the beginning of this season and it simply unbelievable, with high definition video and stats updated in real time. You have to be careful not to watch the game on the screen as it is really captivating. I suggest getting the upper sideline seats for the best view.



There are banners in all four corners of the upper deck. Of course, the two world championship banners are the highlight, but the arena also includes retired numbers for the Rockets as well as banners for the Houston Aeros, who won the Avco Cup in the WHA back in 1974 and 1975. There's even a Gordie Howe #9 banner! Great to see this history preserved even though the league no longer exists. There is a Houston Aeros franchise in the AHL though, and I will be back to see them in a year or two.





The Sky Court is an interactive area for kids, with small exhibits to compare your wingspan to Yao Ming or your jumping ability.

The mascot is called Clutch, after "Clutch City" which is the nickname given to the Rockets when they won their first championship in 1994 and is now used by Houston as a whole. That's Clutch below surrounded by smoke, getting fans into the game, which turned out to be as fantastic as the venue.



The Game

Before the game, the Rockets pulled off a trade, getting 5th-overall pick Thomas Robinson and others from the Kings for Patrick Patterson, Cole Aldrich, and Toney Douglas, as well as sending Marcus Morris to Phoenix. This left them a bit shorthanded with just five men on their bench. It would be the first game back after the all-star break for both teams; the Thunder's previous game was the loss to Miami I witnessed last Thursday.

Houston got off to a fast start with 7 of their first 8 field goals coming from three-point land. They finished the first quarter 8/10 from long range with James Harden (below) getting 4 of those against his former team as the Rockets led 36-29 after one.



The second quarter was the opposite, as Houston lost their touch, going 1/8 from beyond the arc, allowing the Thunder to storm back and take a 62-57 lead.  Russell Westbrook (laying up below) led the way for OKC with 18 points at the break as the Rockets were double teaming Kevin Durant as much as possible.



The third quarter was back and forth as defense continued to be an afterthought. Both teams netted 30 points, but the key moment was at the end of the quarter, when Jeremy Lin stole the ball from Westbrook with just 3 seconds left. A quick pass to Harden, who dribbled once, stopped, took aim, and launched from behind the halfcourt stripe. It was a perfect shot, hitting nothing but net and sent the crowd into an uproar. Still the Rockets were down 92-87 with 12 minutes to go.



The final period began with three Houston turnovers and the Thunder used back-to-back threes to take a 107-93 lead with 7:11 to go. That was a convenient time for the Rockets to start their comeback as they went on a 15-4 run to move within three points, culminating with Lin sinking a running jumpshot (below).



When Durant missed a pull-up jumper on the next possession, Lin rebounded, passed to Harden who made a three pointer to tie the game and bring the fans to their feet. Without  calling a timeout, OKC went back down the floor and Westbrook was blocked by Harden. Back came the Rockets and a few passes later, Lin sunk an open three to make it 114-111 - a 17-point reversal in just over five minutes.

The Thunder called timeout but Durant missed on the subsequent possession and Harden made a 2-pointer at the other end for his 46th point of the night. Lin added another trey to clinch things as the Rockets won 122-119 in what was an amazing game. There were 61 three-point attempts (out of 179 FGA total) and 26 were made while the teams combined for 41 turnovers. Not a thing of beauty, but a game that kept the fans interested and ultimately happy at the end.




Notes

Durant had his second career triple-double but did not play well as the Houston defense prevented him from getting many open looks. He had 11 assists and 12 boards but missed some key shots during crunch time. The point being that triple-doubles are not necessarily meaningful.

The post-game show called the Harden-Lin combo Beardsanity. I don't know if this will catch on.

The Rockets had a display in the Sky Court with bios for each player. At halftime, with the trade having been announced, I ran back to take pictures of those who had been dispatched, but they had already covered up the info with Coming Soon posters. Impressive response time!



There was a moment of silence for Dr. Jerry Buss, the Lakers' owner who passed away on Monday. I was surprised that many people did not stand for this.

The staff at Toyota Center is very friendly. One guy stopped me and essentially commandeered my camera, taking a picture of me in front of the court. I rarely post pictures of myself here, but this one turned out pretty well.



Next Up

The trip is almost over with just three days left, all in the Dallas Metroplex. Today is the final basketball game as I visit the Super Pit, home of the North Texas Mean Green. Friday will be the Central Hockey League in Allen, and then I finish off with the TCU Horned Frogs hosting Cal State Fullerton in NCAA baseball on Saturday before heading off to New York. Check back daily for updates.

Best,

Sean
 

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Miami Heat 110 at Oklahoma City Thunder 100 - February 14, 2013

After leaving one transplant NBA town, I drove 7 hours west to another, arriving in Oklahoma City for the highlight game of the trip. The defending champion Miami Heat were in town to face the Thunder. For those of you that recall, I saw the championship game in June last year, so I was looking forward to witnessing the rematch. Fortunately, I would be reviewing the Chesapeake Energy Arena for Stadium Journey and was able to get a media credential for this game, saving me the hassle of looking for a ticket on the street.



Chesapeake Energy Arena



Located in the historic Bricktown District, the Chesapeake Energy Arena was opened in 2002 when it was known as the Ford Center. Since that time, it has hosted two NBA teams: the temporarily relocated New Orleans Hornets from 2005-07 and then the permanently relocated Seattle Super Sonics, who became the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2008. The current name was agreed to in 2011 as part of a 12-year agreement with the Chesapeake Energy Corporation.
 

There is limited parking available in the Cox Convention Center but most fans seem to find parking slightly further afield. I saw one lot for $20 and other for $5 as well as some free street parking, so drive around if you get there early enough.



Just outside the northeast corner is a statue that commemorates the 1989 Olympic Festival that was organized by Thunder owner Clay Bennett, then a 29-year-old upstart. The event brought OKC to national attention and was the first step in the city becoming a sports travel destination.

 

When they are available, tickets are reasonably priced, with the best value being balcony seats going for $45. There is a single separate row called premium balcony at $80, but the advantages are not quite worth the extra cash. Avoid lower deck corner seats though as the angles are not good. I should note that on the TicketMaster site, there is a disclaimer that tickets are only available to residents of Oklahoma, Kansas, and Arkansas, so travelers might be forced to resort to the secondary market.



There are several entrances into the stadium. When I first stepped inside, I was met with the delicious aroma of cinnamon, and as I made my way around the lower concourse, I saw dozens of distinct food offerings. Just a taste of what is available: gourmet candy such as chocolate espresso beans and yogurt raisins, (2 bags for $6); Philly cheesesteak ($6.50); a variety of wraps for $7, baked potatoes with various toppings at $7.50, and even a $4 pasta salad. Of course, the usual burgers and dogs were also present, giving you far more options than you could enjoy in a single game. There's even a couple of sitdown restaurants including another Old No. 7 Club as well as the Center Court Grill.



The stadium has a relatively small footprint and concourses can be busy but not overly crowded. There are a number of things to see on the lower level, with the Jim Thorpe Association Gallery the most interesting. The JTA is a local civic and charity organisation that is heavily involved in the sports scene. This small display includes some historical notes on Native American history from the area as well as some information on Thorpe himself. Take the time to check it out.



There is also a Spirit Zone on each level where you can get face tattoos or have caricatures of yourself drawn. Naturally this is more appealing to the kids.

The upper deck has its own moniker: Loud City. This is not inaccurate; the fans up here were very raucous as the game got underway, although as the Thunder fell further and further behind they lost some of their voice. I love this sign below - the exact number of upper bowl seats.



The stadium was built without luxury boxes at first, as there was no guarantee of an NHL or NBA team moving there, but once the Thunder arrived, suites were added. The advantage of this setup is that there is no separate club level, rather the club seats are separated from those below them by a small wall, as you can see in the below shot. This keeps Loud City close to the action, so the fans there have a bigger impact on the game than they might in other venues.



A final note on the fans here. Obviously this was the showcase game of the season and the fans responded. As the game started, fans remained standing and cheering until the first Thunder points. Even when the outcome was decided, most fans remained to watch the rest of the game. I would say that the key feelings I got from here were fun and friendly; it really seems like fans are still involved in the honeymoon phase with their team.

Overall, Chesapeake Energy Arena is a great place to watch basketball. Passionate fans, great food and beverage options, and a superb location make a trip to OKC a must for any sports traveler.

The Game



Miami won 110-100. So you might think that it was a close game and the Heat pulled away at the end. You would be wrong. This battle was over in the first quarter. With the score tied at 7, Miami went on a 21-6 run, with LeBron James getting 8 of those points. Just as this run ended, Kevin Durant went up for a rebound and landed awkwardly, causing a stoppage and much fretfulness among the faithful.

 

Fortunately, Durant was none the worse for wear, but the Thunder had been silenced by Miami's all-around attack as the first period ended 32-17. The Heat won the second and third quarters by 2 points each to take a 19-point lead into the final frame. By now, the question was whether LeBron would shoot 60% to keep his NBA record six-game streak of scoring 30 points and shooting better than 60% alive. He was 10/17 (58.8%) for 30 points, so he just had to go 2/3 and he would clinch it.

 

He did even better, going 4/6 so that, with just over a minute to go, he was 14/23 (60.8%). Clearly though, James had no interest in such records as he tossed up a long 3-pointer that missed, causing him to finish 14/24 (58.3%). Oh no, the streak was over! In all seriousness though, think these media-generated arbitrary stat streaks (30 points, 60%) are meaningless. Why not 28 points and 58%?



It was disappointing that the game wasn't closer, but at the same point it is great to see the best player on the planet at the top of his game. LeBron James was simply dominant, shooting at will over any defender the Thunder put on him.

Despite the loss, OKC still has a slightly better record than Miami (39-14 to 36-14) as the league enters the All-Star break. There's a good chance these teams will meet again in the final; if so, I hope the Thunder have some method of stopping LBJ lest it be another blowout.

 

Notes

The Thunder mascot is Rumble the Bison. That's him below banging a drum to get the fans going before the game while James walks by, oblivious.



It was Valentine's Day and the Thunder Girls were handing out Hershey Kisses before the game. As well, there were two marriage proposals, one of which seemed to embarrass the recipient. Ladies, if you want to avoid having a public proposal at a sporting event, don't go to a game on Valentine's Day!

Next Up

Speaking of the All-Star break, I will be in Houston on Sunday after a change of plans. No tickets, but I'll head downtown to soak up some atmosphere. Before that, I'll stop for a couple of days in Austin, capital of the Lone Star State. Tonight I will see the Texas Stars, Dallas' AHL affiliate, hosting the Oklahoma City Barons. Tomorrow is college baseball as the Texas Longhorns host Sacramento State.

As for those changed plans, I am no longer going to New Orleans. The UNO Privateers moved their Monday game from Lakefront Arena to a secondary venue, which I don't want to see. So I'm going to avoid driving the 700 miles there and back and spend more time in Houston. I'm adding a college baseball game between Stanford and Rice on Sunday afternoon and a college basketball game at Texas Southern Monday night before heading up to College Station to see a mid-week college baseball game on Tuesday evening. As always, keep checking back for updates on how the trip is going.

Best,

Sean
 

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Oklahoma City Thunder 106 at Miami Heat 121 (NBA Finals, Game 5) - June 21, 2012

When I first planned this trip last September, it was the Blue Jays visiting Miami's new ballpark that was the catalyst. I didn't expect the NBA to be playing this season due to the labour trouble that was looming at the time. so I didn't consider the possibility of an NBA playoff game. It really wasn't until Derrick Rose went down with an injury in the first round that I began to think that the Heat might go to the finals. When I checked the tentative finals schedule, I noticed that Game 5 would be on June 21, when I was scheduled to be in Palm Beach, and Game 6 would be on June 24, when I would be in Miami watching the Jays.



When the conference finals were set, I knew that game 5 would be in the east as both San Antonio and Oklahoma City had better records than Miami and Boston. I changed my plans and booked a hotel in Miami for the 21st, and then hoped for three things to happen:

1) At least one conference final went 6 or 7 games. If both finished in 4 or 5 games, the finals would be moved ahead two days and there would be no game in Miami when I got there.

2) Miami beat Boston. When they went down 3-2, it looked all but over.

3) The finals were not a sweep.

As you know, all three happened, so the next step was securing a ticket. I was on the TicketMaster site at noon the day after Miami tied the series at one and was fortunate to get a single standing room at the insane price of $155, including a $20 convenience fee from TicketMaster.



I arrived in Miami on game day and took MetroRail to the arena, getting there at 5 pm, four hours before tip off. Gates opened at 6:30, so I wandered around the arena for 90 minutes, talking to other fans who were looking for tickets and soaking up the atmosphere. There were none available at the box office, although some might have been released after the gates opened.



Around 6:20, I went to gate 5 to line up, along with 3 other people. That was it. I expected more fans with SRO tickets to show up to get a spot, which is why I had arrived so early. I was the first into the arena, shocking the usher who asked me "Are they already letting you guys in". I made my way to the standing room area and secured my spot. Turned out the standing room area was closer to the floor than many seats in the 300 and 400 level.



The two-and-a-half hours before game time passed quickly. I briefly went down to see the Heat practicing, including Chris Bosh demonstrating some serious intensity while working on his free throws.



The arena remained empty until about 8:30, when people started filling the seats down below.



The theme was White Hot Heat and a swag bag was given out to those of us in the nosebleeds. The best part was a pair of Heat sunglasses, which are completely useless but look cool.



Tip-off was just after 9 and the fans went into overdrive, chanting "Let's Go Heat!" or "De-Fense!" throughout the game. The Heat players certainly used the home court to their advantage.



I'm not going to recap the game other than to say that the NBA knows how to put on a show. The NHL finals are simply not that interesting, except for the fans of the teams involved. But the NBA relies on its stars and LeBron James put on a performance for the ages, achieving a triple-double and leading the Heat to a 121-106 victory and his first championship. If you think Kevin Durant is a better player than LBJ, watch this game again. Not even close.



After the game, I managed to run down the first level to see the trophy presentation and LeBron awarded the Finals MVP. He is the subject of a lot of hate in the sports world after jilting Cleveland, but I was happy to see him get his first ring; he is the best player on the planet and now people will stop the stupid "He's never won anything" argument.



Afterwards, there were thousands of people partying on the streets, most of whom were not at the game. It was a great crowd and things were kept under control; you never know these days when a riot might break out. I met up with Sharpy, who had flown in that evening and was sitting separately during the game. We took transit back to our hotel and celebrated until the early hours of the morning.



This was the third time witnessing a championship, after the 1995 Stanley Cup and the 2001 World Series. Just the Super Bowl left on the bucket list. See you in New York in 2014?

Best,

Sean

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Oklahoma City Thunder 87 at Los Angeles Lakers 111 - Western Confernence QF Game 5 - April 27, 2010

Sports media are notorious for a "one-day story" mentality. Take the Los Angeles Lakers for example. They only won the NBA championship last season and finished first in the West this season. But they dropped a couple of playoff games to 8th seed Oklahoma City, including a blowout in game 4, and suddenly they are "finished". All around LA I heard talk of how the Thunder were younger and faster and the Lakers were old and tired. An ESPN poll (always reliable) even showed that many fans were predicting a Thunder win. Bah. Never bet against a defending champion.

The bright side to this sudden change in attitude: tickets for game 5 at the Staples Center were easy to get. There were box office singles in the lower bowl for $350 (ha!), but I stood outside and found a guy whose cousin couldn't make it. He had an upper bowl ticket with a face value of $65. He wanted $80, I offered him $60 and he took it. I probably could have waited longer to save a few more bucks, but it was close to game time and I wanted to see the pre-game.

The seat was in the corner, just one row from the top, so I didn't spend much time taking pictures. The picture below is from the first row of my section.

Hockey vs Basketball Atmosphere

I mentioned that the feeling outside of Staples before the Kings' game was fairly quiet. It was similar today, but in a different way. The Kings' fans knew that they were going to lose, and they were OK with it, as the team seems to be on the rise. But the Lakers' fans seemed worried - could it be possible that they would lose a first-round series? There were far more Lakers' fans too, and almost no Thunder jerseys visible. The only two I saw belonged to the parents of Russell Westbrook.

Inside the stadium though, the tension was less noticeable. Fans were loud as the introductions were made, booing vociferously the Thunder players and cheering their hometown heroes. I was impressed with this display as I'd heard bad things about the fans here. In particular, the upper bowl fans seem to consider the lower bowl spectators to be poor imitations - they arrive late, leave early, spend half the game on their phone, etc. But the fans were rowdy from tip-off - I read later that the Oklahoma City fans were so loud that the Lakers asked their own fans to be more vocal. Seems like it worked.

The pre-game was kind of neat. When the players ran out they lowered a large curtain and played images across it for a couple of minutes (below). The anthem was also loudly cheered and then it was time for some NBA playoff basketball!

The Game

Opening Tip

Not much to tell here. This one was over after about 3 minutes. The Lakers came out on fire and when Andrew Bynum completed an alley-oop from Kobe Bryant to make it 6-0, the game was done. I know it sounds strange to say that a basketball game was over just 2:38 into it, but the Thunder were 0-6 from the field and the Lakers were clearly in a groove at both ends of the floor. Bynum added two more dunks and the Lakers had a 14-1 lead at the midway point of the quarter as Oklahoma City missed their first 13 shots.

Pau Gasol missed here early in the first

The rest of the half was slightly closer as the Thunder managed a few shots but it ended 55-34 for LA. The Lakers shot 65% compared to 26% for Oklahoma City and won the assist battle 15-5.

The third quarter was more Lakers who entered the fourth up 88-60. It was garbage time when Adam Morrison checked in for LA and the bench players for both squads finished up with the final score 111-87. It was a complete rout and I'd say the Thunder will have a hard time rebounding from this one in game 6.

Pau Gasol led the Lakers with 25 points and 11 boards, while Kevin Durant potted 17 to top the Thunder.

Notes

By winning the game and holding the opposition to under 100 points, the Lakers enabled all fans to receive two free tacos from Jack in the Box. Not sure I'll have time to try them though.

Lots of stars in attendance - Hugh Hefner was shown in a luxury box on the Kiss Cam and kissed both his dates much to the delight of the crowd. Other celebs included Dustin Hoffman, Eddie Murphy, Seal, and Will Ferrell. Naturally, Jack was in his usual seat.

The City View Diner on the upper concourse offers an outdoor bar where you can look across at the Nokia Plaza and further to downtown. It would be nice on a warm day but today was chilly by LA standards. The picture below is from there.

Next Up

Two ballgames tomorrow - a 10:30 start in Rancho Cucamonga and then a 7:00 game in nearby San Bernadino. In between, I'm hoping to find a sports bar and watch a couple of periods of the Capitals-Canadiens game 7. Check back tomorrow for updates.

Best,

Sean

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