Some fans will be allowed to go to games at AAA

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the Miami Heat will begin allowing a limited number of fans to attend games at AmericanAirlines Arena before month’s end.

The Miami Heat will begin allowing a very limited number of fans attend home games later this month.

As part of an email sent to season ticket holders Friday evening, the Heat announced it will “host an extremely limited number of Season Ticket Members” beginning with its Jan. 28 home game against the Los Angeles Clippers. This limited capacity scenario will continue through Miami’s Feb. 9 home game against the New York Knicks, and “health and safety guidelines will be in place to ensure everyone is observing proper physical distancing protocols.”

This stretch with limited capacity at AmericanAirlines Arena will include six home games, including Jan. 30 vs. Sacramento Kings, Feb. 1 vs. Charlotte Hornets, Feb. 3 vs. Washington Wizards, and Feb. 5 vs. Wizards.

Fewer than 2,000 fans will be allowed to attend each of these games at AmericanAirlines Arena, which has a capacity of 21,000.

“Tickets for the six games scheduled from January 28th through February 9th will be very limited and will be sold online on an in

WE HAVE TO TAKE THE NEXT STEP. WE’VE GOT TO DO IT. WE CAN’T TALK MUCH. WE’VE GOT TO DO IT ON THE ICE, AND WE’VE GOT TO SHOW EVERYONE THAT WE’RE TAKING THE NEXT STEP.

dividual game basis,” the Heat said in the email to season ticket holders. “Based on availability, you will have the opportunity to buy game tickets or apply your existing credit toward any ticket purchases. More information about this process will be forthcoming next week.”

But the Heat’s three home games leading up to Jan. 28 — Saturday vs. Detroit Pistons, Monday vs. Pistons and Jan. 27 vs. Denver Nuggets — are expected to be played without fans in attendance.

That means the Heat’s first nine home games

(one preseason and eight regular-season games) will be played without fans at AmericanAirlines Arena. An additional seven games have been missed because of the shortened 72-game regular season, totaling 16 Heat home games missed for fans.

“Because of the Arena’s reduced capacity, the seating available for the January 28th through February 9th games will not accommodate all of our Members,” the Heat explained in the email. “Your usual season ticket seat locations for these six

DAVID SANTIAGO dsantiago@miamiherald.com The Panthers have made the playoffs just twice since Aleksander Barkov joined the team as the No. 2 pick in the draft in the 2013-14 season.