With Thunder & Raptors Surging, Game 5 Tickets in Oakland and Cleveland Dropping in Price on Resale Market
It’s a situation the Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers were not expecting to be in just a week ago. Once predicted as locks to meet in the Finals for the second consecutive season, the two teams now face the possibility of a Conference Finals exit at the respective hands of the Oklahoma City Thunder and Toronto Raptors.
While crisis mode quickly sets in, it appears fans are feeling the squeeze, too. Game 5 tickets at both Quicken Loans Arena and Oracle Arena are plummeting in price on the secondary market.
According to online reseller TiqIQ, the average resale price for Game 5 Cavaliers vs Raptors tickets at Quicken Loans Arena is now $243.08. That marks a 40% dive on average since May 19, when tickets averaged $401.49 following the Cavaliers’ Game 2 win. If looking just to get past the gates, tickets start from $81 – more than a 25% drop from the $112 get-in price six days ago.
Relatively cheap tickets are nothing new for the Cavaliers this season. Through the first three rounds of the 2016 NBA Playoffs, the team has owned the cheapest home average among all playoff teams. However, the alarming rate at which prices have dropped amidst the Raptors’ series-tying comeback is of interest to those attending Wednesday night’s game. The Cavaliers have yet to face a series deficit this postseason, and the reality of such following Game 5 is certainly influencing resale ticket prices.
As for the Warriors, their 3-1 series deficit to the Thunder is causing Game 5 prices to drop as they head home on the brink of elimination. Warriors tickets on the secondary market for Game 5 at Oracle Arena now own a $528.63 average. That is a 12.4% drop from last Wednesday’s average of $603.46. The get-in price is now $194.
The Warriors never faced an elimination game during their title run last season. As they look to keep their championship hopes alive heading back to Oakland, much of their hope will ride on the shooting of Stephen Curry, who has been held in check for the majority of the series. Klay Thompson’s 19-point third quarter in Game 4 was one of the few for the Warriors, who fell behind by more than 20 points for the second straight game.
The Cavaliers travel back to Cleveland after dropping two consecutive games in Toronto. Blame the team’s first-half woes for their Game 4 loss, but the Cavs now face their first real roadblock of the postseason. The Raptors have exposed the Cavaliers’ once-impenetrable defense, making Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love look more like spectators than highly touted positional players. LeBron James and Co. will need to correct their flaws – and quick – if they hope to bring Cleveland its elusive first championship.
And for those making the trip to witness either Game 5, each home team’s forgettable play as of late has allowed for some extra savings at the box office.
