Miami Heat increasing capacity at AmericanAirlines Arena to 17,000 for NBA playoffs
The Miami Heat fan experience at AmericanAirlines Arena for the NBA playoffs will be as close to normal as it has been all season during the COVID-19 pandemic.
After the Heat announced earlier this week that capacity at AmericanAirlines Arena for its first-round playoff series against the Milwaukee Bucks would rise to 8,600 or 43 percent of its usual capacity of 19,600, it turns out that number will actually be much closer to full capacity.
The Heat announced Saturday that it’s extending capacity at its home arena to 17,000 for the playoffs or about 87 percent of its usual capacity, as the NBA recently updated its policies for teams to welcome more fans into buildings. The downtown Miami arena was previously operating at a capacity of about 5,700 in the final weeks of the regular season.
“This last-minute approval to increase our capacity comes after we have already sold tickets for the first three home games of Round 1 of the playoffs,” Eric Woolworth, the Heat’s president of business operations, said. “We realize this may be an inconvenience to some fans who have already purchased tickets, and we apologize for that, but we believe strongly that we owe it to our players to provide the best home-court advantage for them to compete in the playoffs.”
The new seating capacity of 17,000 will be in place starting Thursday with Game 3 of the Heat’s first-round series against the Bucks and will remain in place for all remaining playoff games.
“I think that will be exciting for the fans, for our players, the organization,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said of the announcement prior to Game 1 of the series on Saturday afternoon in Milwaukee. “You just start to see more and more signs that things are coming around. It brings you a great deal of hope, just in general. I think it’s a great thing.”
As a result of the increase in capacity, additional tickets will go on sale to the general public starting Monday at 4 p.m. on Ticketmaster.com. Season-ticket holders will have the first opportunity to purchase tickets made available by this increase in capacity via a presale, and they will receive communication directly from the team outlining their options.
While AmericanAirlines Arena will be close to full capacity for the playoffs and physical distancing between seats will no longer be required, other health and safety protocols remain in place. That includes a strict masking policy for all fans not actively eating or drinking while seated in the bowl or in designated food and beverage areas, as the Heat announced earlier this week that fans will now be allowed to consume food and beverages while in their seats.
Previously, no food and beverages were allowed to be consumed in the arena bowl. This change does not apply to any fans seated within 30 feet of the court.
The Heat noted that, “Fans who purchased tickets but who no longer want to attend the game due to the removal of the physical distancing requirement may request a refund for their tickets via their place of purchase.”
In addition, with the help of Florida Blue, the Heat will offer Moderna COVID-19 vaccinations outside section 111 to those in attendance at games. The second dose will be scheduled while receiving the first one at the arena.
The Heat isn’t the only team increasing capacity at its home arena for the playoffs after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently loosened some of its recommended protocols for those who are fully vaccinated. The New York Knicks, Boston Celtics, Philadelphia 76ers, Utah Jazz and Dallas Mavericks are among the teams that also announced increased capacity for the playoffs.
The Bucks increased capacity at Fiserv Forum from about 3,300 (18 percent capacity) to 9,000 (50 percent capacity) for their first-round series against the Heat.
The first two games (Game 1 on Saturday and Game 2 on Monday) will be played in Milwaukee before the series moves to AmericanAirlines Arena for Game 3 on Thursday and Game 4 on Saturday. If necessary, Game 5 on June 1 and Game 7 on June 5 will be played at Fiserv Forum and Game 6 on June 3 will take place at AmericanAirlines Arena.
After beginning the season with no fans in attendance at AmericanAirlines Arena amid the pandemic, the Heat first allowed fans to attend home games again in late January. Miami has been slowly increasing capacity since then before this big jump for the playoffs.
Last month, the Heat eliminated the use of vaccinated-only sections and COVID-19-sniffing dogs for home games.
For more information on what to expect while attending Heat games at AmericanAirlines Arena, visit Heat.com/FanSafety.
COACHING WITHOUT A MASK
According to the Associated Press, the NBA told its head coaches on Saturday that they may work without masks during games if they are fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
Head coaches can go without masks after pre-game introductions through halftime, and then again following halftime until the end of the game, according to the AP. Head coaches still have to wear masks during halftime, warmups before the game and before the start of the third quarter, and postgame.
“It feels like in so many ways that there has just been these incremental steps back to normalcy,” Spoelstra said Saturday of the new mask guidelines for head coaches. “Then all of a sudden in the last week, and even in the last 24 hours, it just feels like there have been big moves. I had to read that memo three or four times and had to go to [Heat head athletic trainer Jay Sabol] for him to explain if this is really the case. These are all just signs that I think our world is going in the right place.”
OLADIPO UPDATE
Victor Oladipo’s surgeon told ESPN that he’s optimistic that Oladipo could be cleared to return to full contact basketball as early as November, confirming the Miami Herald’s report from earlier this month that Oladipo is hopeful he’ll be able to play next season by February.
Oladipo, who was acquired by the Heat via trade in March, underwent surgery to repair the quadriceps tendon in his right knee on May 13. Oladipo ruptured that same tendon in his right knee in January 2019.
Oladipo will be an unrestricted free agent this upcoming offseason.
This story was originally published May 22, 2021 at 9:35 AM.
