NBA gets a perfect debut
Indiana Pacers manage to outrun the Sacramento Kings after trailing behind for most of the match, but audience was the real winner for sheer spectacle
Indiana Pacers never left the Kings’ capes and finally caught up with it in the final seconds of the regular time to clinch the first of the two NBA India Games matches with a margin of 132-131 in the overtime. The match was played at the Dome, NSCI, SVP Stadium in Mumbai on Friday.
Though the Sacramento Kings were more physical and kept the lead intact till the last moments of fourth quarter, Indiana Pacers, who were on their tail, kept finding baskets at the right time to not let the game slip away.
After the regulation time ended at 118-118, the match was decided in the extra five minutes when the Pacers took the lead and eked out a close win.
The first-ever NBA match to be played on Indian soil won't be solely remembered for the high quality basketball displayed by both the teams, as the NBA managed to hit the sweet spot of the Indian masses by combining the sport with live entertainment throughout the match.
Mixed with a fusion of music (Nashik dhol being the best) and dance at the breaks by various Indian and American artists, the event turned into a spectacular evening.
The game was attended by over 3,000 kids from the Reliance Foundation, who welcomed the sport in the country with open arms. The kids, all aged between 10-16 years, were at their sporting best and filled the stadium with roars everytime a point was scored and religiously kept chanting the team names.
The second pre-season game of the tour will be played on Saturday at the same venue.