NBA Playoffs – First Round

The NBA Playoffs have arrived. There is not a better time to plan spontaneous sports trips only a few days to a week ahead of time. With the amount of teams involved in the playoffs there are many travel options.

The last couple of years I was commuting between Los Angeles and Chicago, so there were multiple playoff games to attend with the Lakers, Clippers and Bulls making the playoffs during that time. But this year, I am living and working in Chicago. Thus, the Lakers resurgence as a #1 seed does not affect me.

With the Bulls out of the playoffs, the next cities on my priority list in which I would attend first round playoff games are:

1) Milwaukee – 1.5 hour drive
2) Indianapolis – 3 hour drive (probably would combine with another event)

However, both of those teams are out of the playoffs as well. My next option is to look at the cities in which we have family – San Francisco and Orlando. The Warriors are out. The Magic's home playoff schedule does not work well for our schedule. Thus, I may not attend an NBA Playoff game for the first time since the 2003 NBA Playoffs. We'll see what happens in the later rounds as the Detroit Pistons and Cleveland Cavaliers try to advance and my radius for travel expands.

On a side note, the only Chicago team in the playoffs right now is the Chicago Wolves (AHL – Minor League Hockey). Based on the fact I pass the Allstate Arena on the way home from work this could be a viable option.