Category: NBA Finals

The narratives entering Game 1 of the NBA Finals surrounded the Boston Celtics' lack of quality opponents faced in the Eastern Conference playoffs.

Many of those statements were true. The Celtics ran through injury-plagued versions of the Miami Heat, Cleveland Cavaliers and Indiana Pacers en route to their second NBA Finals appearance in three years.

But in the first half of Game 1 on Thursday night against the Dallas Mavericks, the Celtics reminded NBA fans that they were a league-best 64-18 in the regular season, and that they were rightfully the Finals favorites.

Boston surged out to a 37–20 first quarter lead—the largest first-quarter lead in a Game 1 in NBA Finals history—and took a 63–42 lead into halftime. The Celtics shot 54.5% from the floor and hit 11 first half threes, while celebrating the triumphant return of Kristaps Porzingis, who poured in a team-high 18 points on 7-for-9 shooting in 13 minutes.

The Mavericks lacked defensive intensity from the jump, and couldn't get out of their own way offensively against a stout Celtics defense. The Mavericks shot 43.9% from the floor in the first half, but went just 3-for-13 from three (23.1%). Luka Doncic led the way with 17 points on 7-for-14 shooting, but no other Mavericks player scored in double-digits in the first half.

Here are some of the best reactions from social media to Boston's torrid start:

It's been a long break since the conference finals wrapped up, but the 2024 NBA Finals between the Boston Celtics and Dallas Mavericks is here at last. Game 1 will tip off on Thursday, June 6 at 8:30 p.m. ET.

It is a heavily anticipated matchup with legacies on the line. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown will vie for their first ring against Luka Doncic doing the same, and Kyrie Irving, on the hunt for his second championship many years and teams after the first. There is some "unstoppable force meets immovable object" energy here, too. The Mavs have been on a heater since transforming their roster at the trade deadline and took down two of the NBA's very best teams en route to the Finals. The Celtics have been amazing all season long, putting up a 64–18 regular season record before going 12–2 running through the East playoff bracket.

It will be a fascinating series and, fans hope, a competitive one. Some will be lucky enough to see it for themselves by way of purchasing tickets to an NBA Finals game. Like any finale of a major American sport, it will not be cheap.

What's the ticket price range for the 2024 NBA Finals? Here's the breakdown for each game (ticket prices as of Wednesday, June 5).

Game 1 is on Thursday night and will be held at TD Garden in Boston, MA. as the Celtics earned home court advantage throughout the postseason by way of owning the league's best record. The hometown fans are, as expected, very excited to watch their team compete for the championship. So it is going to be an absolutely packed house, and one that will run a pretty penny per ticket.

Most expensive tickets

Per the Ticketmaster sales page, the most expensive ticket to see the Celtics play the Mavericks in Game 1 is a cool $27,000. That's right—nearly thirty grand. The ticket is in Row A of the VIP11 section, which is a courtside seat near the baseline across from the Mavs' bench. The ticket must be bought with its seat partner so this is a package that will cost $54,000 before fees, which in this case are an extra $12,000. So if you want the absolute best seat available, it's roughly a $66,000 investment.

In the interest of fairness, those two are particularly exorbitant. There are two similarly-priced sets of seats available— two seats on the baseline under the basket are $25,000 each, and a pair right next to the Celtics' bench on the floor are $17,000 each. But otherwise, most of the good seats (i.e. lower bowl) do not pass the $10,000 mark and instead hover between $6,000 and $10,000.

Cheapest tickets

All the above prices are largely unattainable for the vast majority of the population barring an unwise loan and/or second mortgage. But it is possible to get in the door for less than an arm and a leg. The cheapest ticket available is in section 305, row 15 (three rows from the wall of TD Garden), which is listed for $620 before fees. Still very expensive, but it doesn't hit the four-digit mark.

There are actually many tickets available at that general price point. The 300 level of TD Garden has over a dozen listings for tickets ranging from $620 to $700.

Game 2 is scheduled to tip off on Sunday, June 9 at 8 p.m. ET, and will once again be held at TD Garden in Boston.

Most expensive tickets

Tickets for Game 2 aren't quite as insanely pricey as Game 1. The most expensive ticket available for purchase for Sunday's contest is worth $15,432 and is located in the row directly behind the broadcast table. How much is being on television worth to you? If the answer is over 15 grand, then you have a great opportunity here.

Cheapest tickets

In an interesting contrast, the cheapest available tickets for Game 2 are pricier than Game 1. A ticket to sit in the 300-level with your back against the wall starts at $729 and rises pretty rapidly to over $800.

Game 3 of this year's Finals will be in Dallas at American Airlines Center and is scheduled for Wednesday, June 12 at 8:30 p.m. ET. It'll be the first Finals game for the Mavericks since Dirk Nowitzki's epic 2011-12 run that culminated in the organization's first and only championship. Safe to say the place will be loud and packed to the brim.

Most expensive tickets

It should not surprise you, reader, to learn that the supply and demand for Finals tickets is the same south of the Mason-Dixon Line. The most expensive ticket to purchase for the Mavs' first home game of the Finals is going for $12,650 in section 107—right at mid-court, but not courtside. The best view in the house.

Cheapest tickets

Interestingly, it is even more expensive to just get in the door for the first Dallas game. The cheapest ticket available is in section 302 and going for $770. There are only five other tickets available for fewer than $800.

Game 4 is scheduled for Friday, June 14 at 8:30 p.m. ET. If things go extremely well for one side it could be a closeout game. But with how good both teams are, it seems more likely it'll be a pivotal but not potentially season-ending contest.

Most expensive tickets

The market does not care if you agree with the above sentiments. The tickets are still going to be pricey. In fact, even more so than Game 3. Perhaps in anticipation of a Mavericks or Celtics sweep, the most expensive ticket for Game 4 is on the baseline right next to the Dallas bench, going for a cool $24,000. That is by far the most expensive seat in the arena; most of the high-end tickets are in that same $12,000 range as Game 3.

Cheapest tickets

Continuing on the above trend, Game 4 brings the highest price of admission yet. The cheapest ticket available clocks in at a cool $893 per seat in section 319 at the terrace level. Bring your binoculars.

Ticket prices for Games 5-7 are more likely to fluctuate based on what happens in the series, seeing as there is a non-zero chance those games do not even happen. So we'll keep it at four. For now. Enjoy the basketball and more power to you if you are willing and able to pull the trigger on these ticket prices.