One quick look at the top-priced NBA tickets for the new week tells you all you need to know about the Golden State Warriors: the defending champs are a pretty big deal. Not much has changed since their incredible 24-0 start to the 2015-16 NBA season, save for the return of head coach Steve Kerr. That could make the NBA’s top team even better going forward, and they’ll be put to the test right away this week with a Monday night battle against the San Antonio Spurs.
The Warriors understandably dominate the most expensive NBA games for the week, but they’re also involved in some big ones. Let’s break them all down and take a look at why Golden State Warriors tickets lead the way:
1/31/2016 – New York Knicks vs. Golden State Warriors at Madison Square Garden | Avg: $801.22 | Get-in: $210
It’s somewhat surprising that a battle in New York is Golden State’s priciest game of the week and also takes the overall top spot, but any game going down at Madison Square Garden is in danger of seeing a sizable spike in price. That’s clearly the case here, as Stephen Curry and co. hit up MSG with thoughts of improving their road record to a sizzling 21-4 against Carmelo Anthony and the hometown Knicks. Fans wanting to take this one in live will definitely be paying up, as the $801 average rises way up from the usual price of Knicks tickets ($235.83 on average). Warriors fans making the cross country trip can at least save some cash during their travels thanks to Hipmunk.com, though. New York flights on Hipmunk.comcan help folks traveling save a bundle, while hotels in New York on Hipmunk.com can be found as low as $103.
1/25/2016 – Golden State Warriors vs. San Antonio Spurs at Oracle Arena | Avg: $506 | Get-in: $166
Golden State takes the second spot in our top-priced NBA games this week and they also kick off the week with a huge clash with the Spurs at Oracle Arena. This should probably be the most expensive set of NBA tickets this week, as San Antonio holds the second best record in the league and is the last team to beat the Warriors on their home floor. With recent dominance over Golden State (23-3 against the Warriors in their last 26 games), Kawhi Leonard and co. pose a serious threat to the Warriors’ perfect 20-0 home record. All of that aside, this game is almost a full $300 cheaper than the Warriors’ trip to MSG, so fans are getting a mild bargain, while it’s just $166 to get in the door for what very well could be the best regular season game of th 2015-16 NBA season.
1/27/2016 – Golden State Warriors vs. Dallas Mavericks at Oracle Arena | Avg: $354.57 | Get-in: $77
Surprise, surprise, Golden State appears again as they help inflate the value of Dallas Mavericks tickets. Dallas itself is a solid draw, too, as ageless wonder Dirk Nowitzki currently has the Mavs very much in playoff contention, and only adds to the allure of what could be a very exciting and high-scoring showdown in Oakland. Despite the strong appeal of this one and Golden State’s elite play on their home floor, fans can still get in the door for as low as $77.
1/29/2016 – Los Angeles Clippers vs. Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Center | Avg: $344.18 | Get-in: $92
The Clippers vs. Lakers matchup isn’t quite what it used to be just a few years ago, but Los Angeles fans get up for this showdown no matter what, as both teams get to play a home game near the end of the week. Kobe Bryant’s retirement tour takes a breather at home against a team he’s wrecked during his career, but due to recent injuries, it will be interesting to see how much he can play in this one. He won’t want to miss it, though, and neither will fans of the Lakers and Clippers, especially with Blake Griffin set to return by the time this one tips off.
1/28/2016 – Los Angeles Lakers vs. Chicago Bulls at Staples Center | Avg: $342.21 | Get-in: $98
It’s truly remarkable how Lakers tickets can still be such a big draw given how much they’ve struggled this season, but the end of the Kobe Bryant era seems to be an event on its own. The Black Mamba’s good-bye run continues at Staples Center a day before he and the Lakers are set to take on the rival Clippers, and this meeting with Jimmy Butler and the Bulls rounds out as the fifth most expensive NBA game of the week. Lakers tickets in general are not cheap on the year despite the losing, but fans from both sides get a mild break with this one dropping $12 from L.A.’s season average. Chicago fans see a large spike from the average price of Bulls tickets ($201.84 on average), but a likely win in L.A. could be enough to get Bulls fans to hit the road.