NBA: Detroit Pistons at Chicago Bulls

As I have had for most of the Bulls games I have attended this season, I already had my ticket for the Bulls game tonight. I bought a $10 ticket at the start of the season. And, as usual, I sat in a lower row in the upper deck ($60 face value).

The Game
This game was not the most exciting game to attend but I figured I would have a free Monday night at the start of the season and I did. The Bulls defeated the Pistons convincingly 120-87 to give the Pistons their 13th consecutive loss. Detroit matched its longest losing streak since 1993-94.

Luc Longley was in the stands watching his first NBA game in about 10 years. He sat courtside.

NBA: Indiana Pacers at Chicago Bulls

After attending Monday Night Football some fans may take Tuesday night to relax and recover. I chose to recover at the Chicago Bulls game.

Obtaining Tickets
I am not sure if I would have actually attended tonight’s game if I did not already have a ticket. However, I had bought $10 tickets to a few games before the start of the season. The reason I bought the tickets is that my general theory is that you should pay as little as possible to just get into the game. Then you can sit anywhere you like – especially at Bulls games where there are usually many seats available. I normally sit in the first few rows of the upper deck (face value $60) rather than try to sneak into the lower level.

The Game
After the first quarter the Bulls were ahead by 19 points. A lead they lost when the Pacers took a 72-71 lead with 6:24 left in the 3rd quarter. After the Pacers took the lead, the Bulls went on a 10-0 run and won the game 104-95.

NBA: New York Knicks at Chicago Bulls

Tonight the Bulls came back from a 17 point deficit to defeat the Knicks 98-89. The Knicks attempted 47 three-pointers falling two shy of the NBA record while only taking 39 two-point shots. Dallas holds the league record when they attempted 49 three-pointers on March 5, 1996.

The Northwestern Football team was in attendance as the Bulls wished them luck in their upcoming bowl appearance in the Outback Bowl on January 1, 2010.

Obtaining Tickets
I had already purchased my ticket for the game – cost $10. Since it is difficult to pay less than $10 on the secondary ticket market I buy a few games before the start of the season. Then I sit wherever I want in the United Center since plenty of seats are always available. Last night I sat in the first few rows of the upper deck – face value of those seats is $60 (non premium game).

Win #2: Nets at Bulls

For the second consecutive game in Chicago, the worst team in the league came to town. On Sunday, the Rams (1-10) played the Bears. Tonight, the New Jersey Nets (1-19) played the Bulls.

The Bulls showed how poorly they are playing right now losing to the Nets 103-101. The Nets, who set the record for the worst start in NBA history by starting the season with 18 losses, have now won 2 out of 3. This was also the Nets first win on the road in 18 games dating back to last season.

The game was tied at 54 going into halftime. The Nets went on an 8-0 run to start the third quarter and were ahead 80-70 at the end of the third quarter. The Bulls went on a 9-0 run to start the fourth quarter but could not pull out the win.

Obtaining Tickets
Back in October when I attended a pre-season game I bought $10 tickets for a few games this season. Tonight was one of the games I already had a ticket. Good thing too since the snow was really coming down as I walked to the United Center – not the best weather to try and buy a ticket on the secondary market.

Replay Determines Victory: Nuggets at Bulls

The Bulls game ended in dramatic fashion last night as Brad Miller hit the game winning shot with 0.0 seconds left to give the Bulls the lead 91-90 – only to have it overturned by replay review which gave the Nuggets the win 90-89.

Referees used replay three times in the final 10 seconds of the game. First, with 10 seconds left they determined that the Nuggets in fact had possession of the ball. Second, after Chauncey Billups purposefully missed a free throw with 0.6 seconds left that allowed time to expire, the referees used replay to determine that Joakim Noah rebounded the ball and called timeout within 0.3 seconds. Third, the review of Brad Miller’s “supposed” game winning basket that was then overturned.

It is hard to believe that a team can rebound a missed free throw, call timeout and shoot the game winning shot, but I guess it is possible in the NBA these days – although it did not work out for the Bulls last night so maybe it is not possible.

Missed in all of this drama down the stretch was Noah’s career high 21 rebounds which is only the ninth time I have seen a player grab 20 rebounds in one game (the eighth time I saw it was last week when Luol Deng had 20 rebounds).

Obtaining Tickets
I had already purchased a $10 upper deck ticket for this game since it is difficult to find a ticket for less than $10 outside of the United Center.

20 Rebound Night: Bucks at Bulls

Tonight Luol Deng had 20 rebounds. It was just the eighth time I have seen a player bring down 20 or more rebounds in a single game. The other seven can be found here. The Chicago Bulls ended up winning the game 83-81 but neither team wanted to win the game down the stretch.

The Bulls took the 83-81 lead with 21 seconds left. With 14 seconds left Derrick Rose blocked Brandon Jenning’s 12-foot jumper, Joakim Noah rebounded the shot and drew the foul. Noah proceeded to miss both free throws to keep the Bucks in the game. However, the Bucks could not come up with a good play to tie the game and Ersan Ilyasova missed a 27-foot three point shot with one second left to win the game for the Bucks.

Obtaining Tickets
When I attended the Bulls pre-season game versus the Bucks three weeks ago I bought $10 tickets to 10 games this season. Last night was one of those 10 games. Usually I advise showing up at the United Center to buy tickets for a Bulls game. However, with the next price point higher at $40 there are not many fans willing to part with their ticket for less than $20 and beating $10 is nearly impossible. Since you can sit nearly anywhere in the United Center I buy $10 tickets at the beginning of the season for games I know I can attend to save myself the hassle of negotiating with scalpers or fans. I then end up sitting in the $40 or $60 seats in the upper deck.

NBA Pre-Season: Bucks at Bulls

For the first time in three years I attended a non-neutral site pre-season NBA game. The last two seasons I have attended pre-season games in London, England (2007) and Champaign, IL (2008). Last Tuesday, I also attended the Bulls game in London versus the Utah Jazz.

Last night, with the wife not getting back home until 9 pm, I decided to attend the Chicago Bulls pre-season game versus the Milwaukee Bucks. It was the first NBA pre-season game I have attended at the United Center since October 12, 1999.

Parking
As I did a few times last year, I parked for free in the 2100 block of W. Warren Blvd. The spot on the street is directly across from a Red Top Parking lot making the walk from the car to the United Center quick and safe.

Obtaining Tickets
I thought I had a high probability of receiving a free ticket since it was a pre-season game. However, after walking around the United Center once I had no luck and instead bought a $10 ticket from the box office. I came up with a theory as to why there were not many extra tickets outside the arena – the tickets did not show up. With a regular season game, fans will show up with their extra tickets because they want to attend the game themselves. However, fans with tickets will not show up for a pre-season game.

The Madhouse on Madison
The 300-level at the United Center had a makeover over the summer – a throwback to the old Chicago Stadium. There are now three bars that over look the court (or ice in the case of a Blackhawks game) and 144 flat screen televisions around the concourse – although there are now 800 less seats in the upper deck for both the Bulls and the Blackhawks.

I was impressed with the new look and, given the fact I spend most of my time at the United Center on the 300-level, appreciate the new changes. Last night was a good night to try it out since not many people were in attendance. I’ll find out what it is really like once I attend a regular season game.

The Game
The Bulls hit a free throw with 24 seconds left in the game to win 87-86. Joakim Noah led the Bulls with 20 points and 16 rebounds. Derrick Rose did not play again with a strained right ankle.

NBA in London: Jazz vs. Bulls

I extended my trip one day in order to attend the Chicago Bulls pre-season game versus the Utah Jazz at the O2 Arena on Tuesday night. In all practicality I probably should have flown back to Chicago instead, since I did attend the Minnesota Timberwolves and Boston Celtics pre-season game two years ago at the O2 Arena.

The O2 Arena is located in zone 2 for underground purposes but is at the end of the zone. The station to get off at is North Greenwich.

Obtaining Tickets
I had looked up on ticketmaster.co.uk before the game and saw that the cheapest seats (£35) were sold out. Thus, I was hoping to find a ticket for that amount or less. When I approached the box office there was a man who had a £35 pound seat. This was promising since I would have to pay more if I bought a ticket from the box office. He offered the ticket for £35 at first but then dropped his price to £30 immediately after I hesitated. I probably could have bought the ticket for cheaper but decided not to negotiate. The guy ended up buying me a beer in the arena after I told him my ticket buying strategy. He was thankful I did not cut his price any lower.

Pre Game Dining
There are at least 20 restaurants within the O2 Arena, but are technically outside of the arena. I definitely recommend eating there if you are heading to the arena as most of the restaurants are crowded and have a good atmosphere. I chose to eat at S&M (stands for Sausage and Mash) Great British Pub – I figured my last meal in England should be English. After eating dinner, I went over to the pub that was the most crowded – the Slug and Lettuce.

The Game
Luol Deng was playing in front of a home crowd. However, it was James Johnson who sent the crowd home in a frenzy after he made the game winning shot at the buzzer to give the Bulls the 102-101 victory.

This was the second time I saw the Bulls and Jazz play a neutral site pre-season game. Last year I saw both teams play at Assembly Hall on the campus of the University of Illinois in Champaign, IL.

Post Game Dining
After the game I was hungry so decided to grab an appetizer at one of the many restaurants at the O2 Arena. I walked into Thai Silk since they had a £2 glass of wine or pint of beer special. I did not notice many other specials from the other restaurants post game.

I made sure I left the O2 Arena soon enough so I would not miss the tube going back to Lambeth North. I did not want to repeat my mistake of staying out too late and the only option being taking an expensive cab or the bus a long distance.

Greatest NBA Game I Have Attended: Celtics at Bulls

Since I had missed Games 3 and 4 of the Celtics and Bulls series while traveling to Germany, I definitely wanted to attend Game 6 (even though the Chicago Cubs were also playing at the same time) – a decision that turned out to be correct.

Obtaining Tickets
During the day I looked for tickets on the typical sites I use to analyze the ticket market – stubhub.com, craigslist.org and ebay.com. At first I almost bought a ticket in section 309 row 1 for $30 from StubHub, but with StubHub’s service fees the total came out to be $50. I decided to pass even though most requests on craigslist.org were asking for $60 or more.

Finally, I decided to check out eBay. One auction listed buy-it-now standing room only tickets for $35 each. I emailed the seller and asked if I could pay $25. He accepted the offer, sent me a PayPal invoice and sent me the electronic ticket after I paid. Whenever I buy SRO tickets, I usually am able to find a seat.

Parking
Since I was driving from my office in Oak Brook, IL, I exited I-290 at Western Ave. with the plan to park for free in front of my friend’s house at the 2200 block of Warren Ave. If you are willing to walk through the neighborhood, parking for free west of the United Center is pretty easy.

The Game
Needless to say the game went back and forth, with 17 ties and 21 lead changes. Late in the first quarter Rajon Rondo continued his controversial play by throwing Kirk Hinrich into the scorers table. Hinrich came back and Rondo and the players on the court got involved. The first overtime period set a record for number of OT periods in a single playoff series. The Celtics and Atlanta Hawks played four overtime periods in 1957.

In overtime, the Bulls decided to display the Green Bay Packers logo on the scoreboard in order to get the fans to Boo. The fans did not respond as was expected and I am not sure why the logo was shown.

Personal Records
I had some personal records set as well. It was the first triple overtime game I have attended. The only double overtime game I attended was on March 17, 2000 when the Bulls defeated Golden State Warriors.

This was the third highest point total I have seen from a home team and the third highest point total I have seen from a visiting team. All of the games listed below were non-OT games.

Home Team Point Totals
1) 146: Golden State Warriors defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves on April 1, 1994.
2) 132: Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Utah Jazz on November 30, 2006.

Visiting Team Point Totals
1) 128: San Antonio Spurs defeated the Golden State Warriors on January 10, 1992.
2) 128: Houston Rockets defeated the Los Angeles Clippers on February 14, 2006.

This game also tied my personal record for most total points scored by both teams. The Golden State Warriors and Minnesota Timberwolves scored 255 points on April 1, 1994. The Warriors won 146-109.

50 point games
This was the sixth game I have attended in which a player scored 50 points. Ray Allen has 51 points. My other 50-point games can be found here.

Doubleheader Day Part 2: Raptors at Bulls

In the second game of the day, I saw the Toronto Raptors play for the first time in five years as they dominated the Bulls throughout the game to win 109-98. The Bulls loss combined with the 76ers win in Cleveland knocked the Bulls to the 7th seed in the Eastern Conference on the final day of the regular season.

Chris Bosh, who had 19 total rebounds on the night, grabbed his 4,000th career rebound during the game. The Bulls final record (for games in which I was in attendance) was 11-5 on the season.

NBA: Philadelphia 76ers at Chicago Bulls

Almost three years ago to the day (April 8, 2006) I saw the Philadelphia 76ers play at the United Center. That was the last time I saw the 76ers play.

Obtaining Tickets and Parking
Thursday night I already had my $10 ticket from the tickets I bought at the start of the season. Usually I park in the Red Top Parking lot on the corner of Madison St. and Ashland Ave. However, since I was driving from Oak Brook, IL, and not my house, I decided to park for free at the 2200 block of Warren Blvd.

The Game
The Bulls wore green jerseys for NBA green week and defeated the 76ers 113-99 after going on a 20-6 run in the third quarter to put the game away.

NBA: New York Knicks at Chicago Bulls

Last night, after passing my PMP certification exam, I attended the Chicago Bulls game. Once again, I had purchased the ticket at the start of the season for $10. Since I took my exam in downtown Chicago I had wanted to eat dinner in the West Loop before the game. However, I decided to go home and relax after the test and drove directly to the United Center for the start of the Bulls game.

The Game
The Bulls defeated the Knicks 110-103. In the first half, the Bulls showed a video tribute to Michael Jordan who was inducted to the Hall of Fame on Monday. They also showed a video tribute to Jerry Sloan.

NBA Entertainment
Roberto the Magnificent performed at halftime and the Bucket Boys performed between the 3rd and 4th quarters. What I had not realized before is that the Bucket Boys are actually sponsored by the Illinois Lottery.

NBA: Indiana Pacers at Chicago Bulls

On Saturday afternoon, the Bulls defeated the Pacers 112-106 in a game that had a couple large lead changes. At one point the Bulls trailed by 14 points and they also blew a 10 point lead in the 4th quarter.

Obtaining Tickets
The Ultimate Sports Wife and I attended the game with two other couples – a “triple date” so to speak. When attending a game with more than 4 people it is generally wise to buy tickets ahead of time since it will guarantee everyone can sit together – especially if the team is offering a discount on their tickets. The Bulls sent an email earlier in the week stating they were selling their $46 tickets to $23. I decided to buy the tickets from ticketmaster.com for a total of $30 each (after Ticketmaster fees). If the Bulls had not discounted their tickets, we would have bought tickets outside of the United Center.

Before buying the tickets from Ticketmaster, I thought we may have been able to buy tickets for less outside the United Center and sit together since their have been many empty seats in the upper deck at Bulls games. However, the work involved would not have been worth the effort. Negotiating with scalpers with five people standing around is sometimes annoying for those waiting and some people may be uncomfortable. Also, we would probably have had to buy tickets from at least two scalpers since scalpers generally do not have six tickets and may not have saved too much money in the end ($5 to $10 each).

Post Game Dining
After the game we ate lunch at Lou Malnati’s Pizzeria located at 958 W. Wrightwoord in Lincoln Park. However, there are other Lou Malnati’s locations closer to the United Center if you are looking for good Chicago pizza after the game.

NBA: Detroit Pistons at Chicago Bulls

The Chicago Bulls and Chicago Blackhawks are home every day this week. With the Bulls home Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday and the Blackhawks home Wednesday, Friday and Sunday I needed to decide which games to attend since attending all six would not be possible.

Earlier today Nicole called me to say she would be working at the ice skating rink until 8:30 pm and be home around 9 pm. Since the Bulls game started at 7 pm and I would be home no later than 10 pm, I decided tonight was a good night to go.

Obtaining Tickets
Earlier this season I bought $10 tickets for most of the Bulls games I have attended. However, tonight I had not purchased a ticket ahead of time. As usual I parked in the Red Top Parking Lot I bought coupons for at the beginning of the season, since the walk from the parking lot passes many ticket scalpers. However, I did not find a $10 ticket on the walk so I went to the box office which also did not have $10 tickets.

Instead I found a scalper willing to sell a $55 face value ticket for $10. I bought the ticket, but rather than sitting in my “ticketed” seat, I sat in the same area where I had bought my other $10 tickets.

The Game
With Derrick Rose sidelined due to injury, Kirk Hinrich led the Bulls to a 99-91 win over the Pistons. Although he did miss a free throw with 17 seconds left, keeping the Bulls from scoring 100 points – denying fans in attendance from their free Big Mac when the Bulls score 100 points or more and win.

NBA Entertainment
Every NBA game is full on non-game entertainment. One of the Bulls promotions is a tic-tac-toe game where contestants must make a layup in order to put an X or O on the board. Tonight the two contestants slammed their pieces on a square at the same time which ended up breaking the X.

Quick Change, a married couple that changes their clothing quickly, performed during halftime.

NBA: Golden State Warriors at Chicago Bulls

As has been the case with most of the Bulls games I have attended this season, I already had my $10 ticket prior to attending tonight’s Bulls game. Tonight’s game appeared to be sparsely attended even though the Bulls announced an attendance of 20,108.

The Game
Tonight was the first time I have watched the Warriors play in Chicago since February 26, 2001. Since I grew up in the San Francisco area, I used to try to attend the Warriors game each time they came to Chicago. I went to the United Center to see the Warriors in 1995, 1996, 1997, 2000 and 2001. However, I obviously fell out of that habit.

Although the Warriors opened up an early 20-6 lead, the Bulls went on a 12-2 run to cut the deficit to four points and eventually defeated the Warriors 110-88.

Halftime Show
One thing I have not commented on much this season is the halftime show during an NBA game – usually a spectacle. Tonight the Bulls had Adagio on a Unicycle – a man from Cirque du Soleil rode a unicycle while balancing a woman on top of him.

NBA: Orlando Magic at Chicago Bulls

The last time I watched the Orlando Magic in Chicago (New Year’s Eve 2008); I wrote that the Magic embarrassed the Bulls. They beat the Bulls by 19 points that day. Last night the Bulls defeated the Magic 120-102 in similar fashion. It was the Bulls first win in seven games and the first win at home in six home games versus the Magic. The Bulls scored 30+ points in three quarters – almost unheard of for an NBA game these days.

Parking and Obtaining Tickets
I parked in my usual parking lot. Before the season I bought 20 United Center parking passes from Red Top Parking. Instead of paying $12 per game, I pay $10.40 for buying in bulk. Plus, I get to park in “VIP” parking at the front of the parking lot. Red Top owns a few other lots around the United Center. I choose this lot because it is easy to get to from my house.

I already had my ticket for last night. As I wrote for other Bulls games, I bought $10 tickets for games during the week throughout the season. Last night there were a lot of scalpers with extra tickets, but through my experience it is generally difficult to beat $10 for a ticket unless you find a free one from a fan. The face value on your ticket will be higher than $10 if you buy from a scalper, but I sit in the better seats anyway.

Benny the Bull’s Birthday
Last night was Benny the Bull’s birthday for everyone who likes the entertainment at an NBA game more than the game itself. At halftime, Benny competed in a slam dunk contest with three other mascots – Blaze, Boomer, and Crunch. Benny, of course, won after he threw a ball from half way up the first level to his teammate from the Chicago Bulls slam dunk team.

NBA: Detroit Pistons at Chicago Bulls

I had already purchased a $10 ticket to the Pistons at Bulls game for Tuesday night so I was still planning to attend the game even though I had flown back from Dublin, Ireland the day before. However, my plans changed a little when I found out my neighbors were also attending.

Pre Game Dining
I met my neighbors at WestEnd Bar & Grill located at 1326 W. Madison St. – about a 5 block walk to the United Center. On game nights WestEnd has a $5 – 22 ounce domestic beer special and a shuttle that runs to and from the arena. One of my neighbor’s friend’s chose to drive the five blocks to the United Center and pay $12 to park – something I would not recommend doing unless the temperature is extremely cold.

The Game
The Bulls, with Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen in the crowd, finished the game with a 17-2 run to defeat the Pistons 107-102.

In one of the longest halftimes I have ever witnessed, the Bulls honored Johnny “Red” Kerr, who was the first head coach of the Chicago Bulls and spent 30 years as a broadcaster. The halftime clock started at 25 minutes and stopped at 5 minutes for about 10-15 minutes for a total of 40 minutes or so. Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen and Jerry Colangelo gave speeches and were in attendance, while President Barrack Obama and NBA commissioner David Stern gave video messages on the scoreboard.

United Center
During the game, I discovered that the United Center now sells a “Super Nachos.” Although I do not remember the official name, these nachos are a big upgrade from the usual chips covered with cheese dip and jalapenos. The “Super Nachos” comes with beef, salsa, sour cream and shredded cheese and is easily big enough for two people.

NBA: Atlanta Hawks at Chicago Bulls

The Chicago Bulls are now 4-4 this season when I am in attendance at the United Center after losing to the Atlanta Hawks last night 105-102. The loss gave the Hawks their first season sweep of the Bulls in NBA history.

Chicago Bulls Attendance
Two months ago when I saw the Atlanta Hawks play on a Tuesday night the attendance at the game was 21,738 and the arena was pretty full. However, the Bulls are now seven games under .500 after last night’s loss. Although last night’s announced crowd was 20,389 there could not have been any more people in actual attendance than there were for the other two games I have attended in January – those attendances being 18,060 and 18,996.

This lack of people in the seats has made me wonder if I made a mistake in buying $10 tickets to about a dozen games at the beginning of the season. Each time I have walked from where I park (the Red Top parking lot on the corner of Madison St. and Ashland Ave.) to the United Center, scalpers have had plenty of tickets. Last night was no exception and seemed as though they had more. I did not negotiate with any of them, but it appears as though I could have bought a cheap ticket.

Granted I may not beat $10 for a ticket from a scalper but my chances of receiving a free ticket would increase as regular fans might have more extra tickets since their friends may not want to spend an evening to watch the Bulls play.

NBA: Portland Trail Blazers at Chicago Bulls

For the second night in a row I drove down to the United Center. This time it was to watch the Chicago Bulls host the Portland Trail Blazers.

Pre Game Dining
I parked in my usual Red Top Parking Lot on the corner of Ashland Ave. and Madison St. I decided to eat at the Taco Bell that is adjacent to the parking lot. This Taco Bell must be one of the slowest fast food restaurants around – tonight it took 20 minutes to order and receive one bean burrito.

The Game
It was the first game I have attended in which each team had the number one draft pick from the past two seasons – Greg Oden and Derrick Rose. Not to be outdone, each player had a double-double; Oden had 17 points and 13 rebounds while Rose had 13 points and 10 assists. The Trail Blazers defeated the Bulls 109-95.

NBA: Sacramento Kings at Chicago Bulls

Last night the Chicago Bulls defeated the Sacramento Kings 99-94 (and miss giving the crowd free Big Mac’s by one point). It was the first time I have seen the Kings play at the United Center.

The Bulls converted 33 of 36 free throws. The Bulls converted their first 29 free throws which would have set a franchise record if they had not shot 4 for 7 to end the game. The previous Bulls record for free throws without a miss occurred on February 9, 1977 when the Bulls went 25-for-25 versus the Houston Rockets.

As with most other Bulls games this season, I had already bought a $10 ticket for the upper deck. However, since the arena was relatively empty, I sat within the first two rows of the upper deck – a $60 face value ticket (for single games not season tickets).

New Year’s Eve: Orlando Magic at Chicago Bulls

In my third consecutive NBA afternoon game, the Orlando Magic embarrassed the Chicago Bulls 113-94. Dwight Howard had a double-double with 15 points and 14 rebounds, just as he did on Christmas Day and in 23 of his 30 games this season. It was the second Bulls game I have attended on New Year’s Eve – the first coming on December 31, 2001.

Obtaining Tickets
In a round about way, I ended up paying $20 for a $110 face value ticket and sat on the first level. However, the process to buying that ticket was unusual. Here is what happened:

1) I had tried to buy a $10 ticket earlier in the season for this game but they said they were sold out.
2) Assuming the $10 seats were sold out, I tried to buy a seat outside of the United Center for $10. However, a scalper had a $70 face value seat and somehow got me to pay $25 for it.
3) Annoyed I had paid so much; I went to the United Center box office and asked them how much their cheapest seat was - $10 the woman tells me.
4) Even more annoyed, I run into the woman scalper who recognizes me and sell the $70 ticket to her partner for $25.
5) I go back to the United Center box office to buy a $10 seat, but now the $10 seats are sold out.
6) Now super annoyed, I find a fan with an extra $110 seat. I offer him $20, he wants $40 but I tell him $20 is the most I will pay. Annoyed with me, he accepts the offer and I walk into the United Center.

It was not the most skilled secondary market session I have had, but I did end up paying a low price for a great seat.

NBA: LA Clippers at Chicago Bulls

Last season, I witnessed Joakim Noah grab 20 rebounds against the Cleveland Cavaliers. It was only the 6th time I had watched a player with 20 or more rebounds. On Wednesday night, Marcus Camby grabbed 27 rebounds against the Bulls. It was the most rebounds I have ever seen by a single player, breaking my previous record of 24 by Ben Wallace on April 7, 2001. It was also the second time I have witnessed Camby with 20 rebounds – the first game occurring on April 3, 2007.

Also, for the first time since March 16, 2007, I attended an NBA game that went to overtime. The Chicago Bulls defeated the Los Angeles Clippers 115-109 in the 14th all-time overtime game I have witnessed. Ben Gordon converted a 4-point play with 20.5 seconds left in the game to tie the game at 106. In overtime, Andres Nocioni appeared to flop for a foul against Zach Randolph which the Clippers felt should have been called. After the flop, Derrick Rose closed out the game with a 3-point play to take a 113-109 lead with 42.6 seconds left.

Fandemonium
During halftime, I went to Fandemonium to buy a Blackhawks Winter Classic Jersey. Fandemonium is the official team store of the Chicago Bulls and Blackhawks. While I do not purchase very many souvenirs at events, I did want a jersey before the New Year’s Day Winter Classic at Wrigley Field.

NBA: New York Knicks at Chicago Bulls

I made it to the United Center Tuesday night driving through a blizzard. I already had a $10 ticket that I had purchased on NBA opening night. With my ticket already in hand, I avoided having to negotiate for tickets on a windy, snowy night.

The Game
The Bulls defeated the Knicks 105-100. Larry Hughes broke a 97-97 tie by draining a 3-pointer with 55 seconds left in the game.

During the third quarter the video board showed Vice President-elect Joe Biden and David Axelrod, Obama’s advisor. I did not bring my camera to the game. Otherwise their picture would have made the celebrity sightings page.

Atlanta Hawks at Chicago Bulls

For the second time in three days, I witnessed an undefeated team defeat a Chicago team. First was the Titans defeated the Bears at Soldier Field on Sunday and second was the Atlanta Hawks defeating the Chicago Bulls 113-108 last night at the United Center to win their first 6 games of the season – their best start since the 1997-98 season.

Obtaining Tickets
When I attended NBA Opening Night two weeks ago, I bought about a dozen games for $10 each. Since the next price point above $10 is $40, it can sometimes be difficult to find a fan or scalper willing to sell their ticket for $10 or less. Thus, more often than not purchasing a $10 ticket ahead of time will save me money in the long run.

Last season I had to pay $20 occasionally because the face value of the ticket I was purchasing was $50 rather than $20 or $30. Since you can basically sit where you want in the upper deck of the United Center, paying more for a seat location is not worth it.

NBA Opening Night: Bucks at Bulls

Last night was the NBA’s Opening Night. It does not have the same ring as Opening Day for Major League Baseball, but with the Bulls playing and Nicole spending her night working, I was definitely going.

As I was driving to the United Center, I texted “Old Style Tom” – could I stop by after the game? Remember he lives 3 blocks from the UC. He said they were going to bed by 9:30 pm for an early morning workout but were around beforehand if I wanted to stop by.

Obtaining Tickets
In order to not stop by after the game, I figured I should stop by Tom’s house before the game which may make me late. Thus, I had to buy tickets from a scalper before I parked in front of his house. Since I was parking at the 2200 block of Warren Blvd, I knew I could walk the three blocks to the United Center.

Ticket Buying Tip: If you are planning to (or know you will) be late to a game try to have tickets ahead of time.

I stopped at the corner of Madison Ave. and Wabash St. (where the east side scalpers hang out). I offered $10 for a ticket as scalpers slipped their tickets into the passenger side window. None of them accepted my $10 offer (I was at a negotiating disadvantage since I was still in my automobile). So I grabbed my wallet, took out a $20 and asked which one of them had a ticket while stating I needed $5 change (I was offering a $5 premium since I was still in my car. If I was on foot I know my ticket would have been cheaper). My offer was accepted as a scalper found 5 $1 bills out of each of his pockets (remember scalpers do not like to make change).

The Game
It was Derrick Rose’s NBA debut and in his first game he added his name to the record books. He had 9 assists which tied him for second amongst #1 draft picks in their first NBA game. He tied Lebron James, who had 9 assists 2003, and was second to Jimmy Walker who had 10 assists in 1967.

Assembly Hall in Champaign, IL: Jazz vs. Bulls

For the first time since 1989, the Chicago Bulls played a pre-season game at Assembly Hall in Champaign, IL. Since I had not attended a game at Assembly Hall, I decided to drive to last night’s Bulls game rather than attend a University of Illinois basketball game. Last year, I had planned to drive to Champaign when the Fighting Illini hosted Northwestern on Sunday, January 27. Instead I went to the Chicago Bulls game that day.

The drive to Champaign from Chicago is about 2.5 hours. I have made the drive four times before (3 time for Bears games during the 2002 season and for an Illinois football game when they hosted Northwestern in 2003).

Pre Game Dining
I arrived in Champaign around 5:30 pm and drove to Green St. – the entertainment and retail center for Illinois students. The main two bars on Green St. are Legends and Murphy’s Pub. Six years ago, I remembered going to Legends before the Jets and Bears game. I walked into Legends and texted my friend who went to U of I. He texted back – get out of there and go to Murphy’s Pub. I left Legends and went to Murphy’s Pub – a place the Ultimate Sports Wife and I went before the Lions game in 2002. Each bar had $2 beer specials and Friday night food specials.

Obtaining Tickets
At 7 pm, I headed over to Assembly Hall. I parked in a university lot that did not need a permit on a Friday night – aka free parking. I walked around Assembly Hall and found the main ticket office – normally the spot to find extra tickets. I noticed one fan trying to sell an extra ticket but the scalpers would only offer him $5. He got in line to enter the arena without selling the tickets. I went to find him in line and asked if he had an extra ticket. I also explained I was going to the game and would take the ticket if he was just going to “waste it.” I also promised not to sit next to him if he wanted to extra seat. He seemed annoyed, but handed me the ticket. The ticket was 11 rows from the court. Thus, I found a seat a few sections from where the actual seat was located.

Surprise…it’s a Doubleheader Day

The original plan yesterday was to only go to the Cubs game. I went with my colleague Charles Merritt. The Cubs won a back and forth game 9-7. Fukudome put the Cubs in the lead 7-5 with a clutch two out double in the bottom of the 7th inning bringing on supportive cheers from Wrigley faithful.

After the game, Charles and I went to the bar on the Northwest corner of Sheffield and Byron. I don’t know the name of the place but it has an “Old Style” sign outside of the front entrance. This bar is your best bet in Wrigleyville. Instead of having to navigate crowded bars and pay $6+ for beer before or after a game, this bar sells beer for $2.50 and pitchers for $10 and is not very crowded.

After being home for a couple of hours and watching the first game of the Final Four, the Ultimate Sports Wife decided she was going to the gym. Thus, I decided to go to the Bulls game and we would meet for dinner at BW3 (our normal DePaul Women’s Basketball meeting spot).

Over the past couple of trips to the United Center, I found that there is free parking between 1200 and 1400 Madison Ave. about two to four blocks from where I normally pay $12 for Bulls games. I parked there and walked to the United Center. I paid $10 for a $10 ticket.

The Bulls game was pretty uneventful since the Bulls are basically out of the playoffs. Brendan Haywood of the Washington Wizards scored a career high 25 points and the Wizards beat the Bulls 99-87.

Atlanta Hawks at Chicago Bulls

Again, there was a lack of scalpers outside the Bulls game. It must be the low prices Bulls tickets are selling for now. I walked up to one of the box offices and a man had a $120 ticket available. He offered it for $60 but that was still too much for me. I probably would have paid $30 but never made the offer. After a couple minutes I asked another guy if he had an extra ticket. He had a $10 ticket and gave it to me for free! It was ticketfast but since it was free I could not complain. Once I was in the game, I asked a couple of people for a hard ticket. One woman gave me hers.

The Bulls almost gave up another 10+ point lead after the 4th quarter. But they hung on for the win and scored more than 100 points which was good enough for a free Big Mac.