National Basketball Association

Wednesday 9th December 2015

Tip off 20.30

Dallas Mavericks 95 Atlanta Hawks 98,  attendance 19,936

Mavericks Starters ;

Zaza Pachulia, 11 pts, 17 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl

Deron Williams, 18 pts, 7 reb, 6 ast,

Wesley Matthews, 17 pts, 4 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl, 2 blk

Dirk Nowitzki, 13 pts, 8 reb, 2 ast, 3 stl, 1 blk

Raymond Felton, 11 pts, 6 reb, 5 ast, 1 stl

Playing Reserves ;

Dwight Powell, Chandler Parsons, Devin Harris, J.J. Barea, Charlie Villanueva, Jeremy Evans

Hawks Starters ;

Al Horford, 14 pts, 8 reb, 4 ast, 2 stl, 2 blk

Paul Millsap, 20 pts, 11 reb, 5 ast, 3 stl, 1 blk

Kyle Korver, 8 pts, 1 reb, 2 ast, 1 stl, 1 blk

Jeff Teague, 14 pts, 2 reb, 6 ast,

Thabo Sefolosha, 7 pts, 6 reb, 2 ast, 1 blk

Playing Reserves ;

Kent Bazemore, Dennis Schroder, Lamar Patterson, Tiago Splitter, Mike Muscala,

@ American Airlines Center

2500, Victory Avenue

Dallas, TX 75219

Admission free,  corporate guest in VIP Box, including free Gold Car Park Pass.

Programme free, 36 pages.

Watching a game from a VIP Box is certainly different. Yes, there is the free food and drink flowing freely and the car park is under the stadium , so you arrive by elevator onto the middle level of the arena and into your box, where there are 16 very comfortable seats, set in two rows, but although it is open, you somehow feel detached from what is going on around you and it feels a bit strange. Sadly, the Mavs were pretty poor so the atmosphere felt flat. I had quite fancied a Season Ticket here, but the cost is astronomical.

The AAC was opened in 2001 at a cost of $420 million. Capacity for Basketball is 19,200 which obviously doesn’t include the VIP seats judging by the attendance tonight. The Dallas Stars of the NHL also play home games here.

National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I

Thursday 3rd December 2015

Tip off 19.00

University Texas Arlington Mavericks 90 University North Texas Mean Green 67,  attendance 6,107

@ College Park Center

600, South Center Street

Arlington, TX 76019

$10 admission

Programme free, 16 pages.

Opened in February 2012 at a cost of $78 million, having a seated capacity of 7,000. Tonight’s attendance has only been bettered once for a Mavericks home game, when 6,228 attended the opening match at the arena versus UTSA Roadrunners on 1st February 2012.

One thing you certainly notice here is the fantastic atmosphere the fans generate. Well worth the admission money and nice to park for free in the multi storey car park less than 100 yards walk away.

Following photos of poor quality due to camera malfunction.

National Basketball League

Wednesday 25th November 2015

Tip off 19.30

Los Angeles Clippers 91 Utah Jazz 102,  attendance 19,060

Clippers Starters ;

Blake Griffin, 40 Pts, 12 reb, 3 ast, 2 blk

Chris Paul, 24 Pts, 5 reb, 8 ast, 3 stl

DeAndre Jordan, 8 pts, 11 reb, 3 stl, 4 blk

J.J. Redick, 3 pts, 1 ast, 1 stl

Wesley Johnson, 0 pts, 1 reb

Playing Reserves ;

Jamal Crawford, Austin Rivers, Josh Smith, Lance Stephenson, Paul Pierce, Luc Mbah a Moute

Jazz Starters ;

Gordon Hayward, 33 pts, 7 reb, 2 ast, 3 stl

Rudy Gobert, 10 pts, 11 reb, 1 ast, 2 stl, 2 blk

Derrick Favors, 22 pts, 3 reb, 2 ast, 3 stl

Rodney Hood, 13 pts, 4 reb, 5 ast

Paul Neto, 10 pts, 1 reb, 6 ast, 3 stl

Playing Reserves ;

Alec Burks, Trevor Booker, Trey Burke, Joe Ingles, Chris Johnson, Trey Lyles, Jeff Withey

@ Staples Center

1111, South Figueroa Street

Los Angeles, CA 90015

Admission $35 + $8.50 fees.

Team sheet, free.

The arena was opened in October 1999 at a cost of $375 million. It is shared with fellow NBA team Los Angeles Lakers and is also home to NHL team Los Angeles Kings. Oddly, the capacity for Clippers games is 19,060, whereas it is only 18,997 when the Lakers are playing host.

It is the only arena in the NBA shared by two teams from the same league and one of only two North American professional sports venues hosting two teams from the same league, the other being MetLife Stadium, in East Rutherford, home to New York Giants and New York Jets of the NFL.

National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I

Monday 23rd November 2015

Tip off 18.00

University Southern California Trojans 96 California State University Northridge Matadors 61,  attendance 2,764.

@ Galen Center

3400 South Figueroa Street,

Los Angeles, CA 90089.

Admission $15

Programme $5, covers all home November games, 84 pages.

The arena was opened in 2006 having cost $147 million to build. The capacity is 10,258, which was sold out for the record attendance versus the Arizona Wildcats in January 2008.

On 10th May 2014 the arena staged the World Boxing Council Heavyweight title fight between Chris Arreola and Bermane Stiverne.

National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I

Saturday 14th November 2015

Tip off 19.00

Southern Methodist University Mustangs 85 Sam Houston State University Bearkats 50,  attendance 6,852.

@ Moody Coliseum

6024 Airline Road

University Park, TX 75205

Admission free, borrowed Season Ticket.

Programme free, 4 pages.

Moody Coliseum has been home to SMU since December 1956. The arena has held as many as 10,276, but after four upgrades over the years capacity is now 7,000.

Excellent seats along the side of the court and even better when they are free as we were offered 2 season tickets by friends who couldn’t make the game.

Surprised to be sat opposite former U.S. President George W. Bush and wife Laura, an SMU graduate, who live locally and are regular visitors to the Moody Coliseum.