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Mavericks Announce 2021 NBA Playoff Attendance Will Be 'Near' Full Capacity
May 21, 2021
The Dallas Mavericks' 2021 home postseason games at the American Airlines Center will be "near" the stadium's full basketball capacity of 20,000.
ESPN's Tim MacMahon relayed the news Friday.
Dallas will take part in a rematch of its first-round playoff series from last year, when the Mavericks lost in six games to the Los Angeles Clippers in the NBA bubble at Walt Disney World Resort near Orlando, Florida.
This year, the Clips have home-court advantage. The series tips off at Staples Center in L.A. at 4:30 p.m. ET Saturday.
Dallas will get three home contests if the matchup stretches to six games. The Mavs will host Games 3 and 4 on Friday, May 28, and Sunday, May 30. Game 6, if necessary, will be in Dallas on Friday, June 4.
Other NBA teams will welcome similar numbers of fans as more people get vaccinated amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Of note, the New York Knicks sold out 15,000 seats apiece for Games 1 and 2 of their first-round matchup against the Atlanta Hawks. The Utah Jazz will host 13,000 fans when they face the Memphis Grizzlies-Golden State Warriors play-in game winner.
On the flip side, some teams will not welcome nearly as many fans. The Portland Trail Blazers' Moda Center will be at just 10 percent capacity (2,000), and Capitol One Arena, the home of the Washington Wizards, is only allowed to be filled to 25 percent capacity (5,000 fans).
The playoffs begin Saturday when the Miami Heat visit the Milwaukee Bucks at 2 p.m. ET in Fiserv Forum, which will host 9,000 fans (50 percent capacity).