Sports
Lakers add big-ticket courtside seats for playoffs
Mar 12, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; Spike Lee (left) and Denzel Washington attend the game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the New York Knicks at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images The Los Angeles Lakers are making room for more movers and shakers — and celebrities — this playoff season.
The team announced Thursday the availability of additional floor seats, where Jack Nicholson, Denzel Washington, Will Ferrell, Ice Cube, Leonardo DiCaprio, Kim Kardashian and fellow celebrities have sat for years. The Lakers said their floor seats have been sold out for more than 50 years.
“Courtside Reserve is second-row courtside seating that places fans in the heart of the action within the highly sought-after and exclusive floor section, offering an immersive experience,” the Lakers said in a news release. “The new on-floor seating features premium hospitality, including in-seat food and beverage service, VIP club access and a seamless, elevated experience from the moment guests enter the arena.”
To buy tickets, fans must request access through a dedicated page on the team website. The team said buying one of the limited Courtside Reserve seats now, which are being “offered in the smallest quantity to preserve the exclusivity of the courtside environment,” will move the purchaser to the front of the line to buy season tickets in the section.
That must mean Courtside Reserve won’t be one and done just for the postseason.
But how much will the seats cost per game? The Lakers did not reveal the number, but the New York Post reported Thursday that courtside seats in the regular season range from $4,000 to $10,000 per seat, depending on the day of week and the opponent. Playoff tickets can cost between $20,000 and $40,000 per seat, per game.
Since winning the NBA championship in the bubble in the 2019-20 pandemic season, the Lakers have failed to make the playoffs once, been eliminated in the first round three times and reached the conference finals once.
With three games left, the Lakers and Houston Rockets are tied with 50-29 records, but Los Angeles currently stands as the No. 4 seed based on tie-breakers. Being the No. 4 seeds guarantees home-court advantage in the first round.
If the standings remain the same, the Lakers would host the Rockets to open the playoffs.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Dallas Fuel reach grand final of OWCS NA Stage 1 playoffs
Dallas Fuel downed Spacestation Gaming 3-1 on Saturday to advance to the grand final of the Overwatch Champions Series’ North America Stage 1 playoffs.
Spacestation Gaming dropped to the lower-bracket final in the double-elimination playoffs on Sunday against Team Liquid, with the winner advancing to the grand final against Dallas Fuel later in the day.
Team Liquid stayed alive on Saturday by blanking LuneX Gaming 3-0 in the lower-bracket semifinal.
The Overwatch 2 online competition, with a prize pool of $75,000, began with six teams playing a regular season with a round-robin format.
The top four teams advanced to the regional playoffs, and all sealed berths in North America Stage 2. All playoff matches are first-to-three except for the grand final, which is first-to-four.
The championship team will receive $30,000, the runner-up $15,000, with both teams receiving berths in the OCS Champions Clash, scheduled for May 22-24 in Tokyo.
Dallas Fuel opened the best-of-five on Saturday with a 2-0 win on Busan Control before Spacestation Gaming earned a 3-3 draw on Numbani Hybrid. Dallas came through with a 2-1 victory on Watchpoint: Gibraltor Escort, then lost 3-1 on Aatlis Flashpoint.
In the decisive final map, Dallas won on Esperanca Push, 87.01 meters to 47.24 meters.
Team Liquid swept LuneX Gaming 2-0 on Lijang Tower Control, 4-3 on Havana Escort and 144.4m to 62.39m on Runasapi Push.
Overwatch Champions Series’ North America Stage 1 prize pool
1. $30,000, qualifies for Champions Clash, NA Stage 2
2. $15,000, qualifies for Champions Clash, NA Stage 2
3. $12,000, qualifies for NA Stage 2
4. $8,000, qualifies for NA Stage 2 — LuneX Gaming
5-6. Extinction, Disguised — $5,000, qualifies for NA Stage 2 promotion/relegation
–Field Level Media
Sports
Timo Baumgartl scores in 61st minute as St. Louis City tie FC Dallas
Apr 11, 2026; Frisco, Texas, USA; St. Louis CITY SC forward Simon Becher (11) dribbles the ball as FC Dallas defender Osaze Urhoghide (3) defends during the first half at Toyota Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images Timo Baumgartl’s 61st-minute goal negated Louicius Deedson’s opener as visiting St. Louis City SC earned a 1-1 draw against FC Dallas.
The equalizer was the first goal in four matches at Toyota Stadium for St. Louis (1-3-3, 6 points), which has gone 1-0-2 in its last three matches after getting shut out in three straight.
Dallas (3-1-3, 12 points) is now unbeaten (2-0-2) in its last four matches and has outscored St. Louis, 8-1, in those four home matches.
The teams played to a scoreless draw in the opening 45 minutes, despite chances from both sides. St. Louis’ Marcel Hartel had two chances himself early on.
He took the ball down to the end line in the third minute and sent it across the goal mouth, but there was nobody home to tap it in. Then, in the 21st minute, Hartel took the ball down the left side into the box and tried to beat Michael Collodi to the near post, but Dallas’ goalkeeper turned it aside.
In the 30th minute, Conrad Wallem just missed connecting with Sergio Cordova, which would have left the St. Louis attacker alone in the middle.
Dallas’ Kaick, who came on for his injured Brazilian countryman Ramiro in the 36th minute, was high on a header three minutes later off a cross into the box from Deedson.
Petar Musa, who came into the match tied for the MLS lead with seven goals, was quiet for most of the first half, but he came alive late.
He was called offside on an attempt that hit the post in the third minute of extra time, and then, one minute later, he took a pass from Logan Farrington into the box and forced a save from St. Louis goalkeeper Roman Burki, who had two saves.
Musa played a role in Dallas’ goal three minutes into the second half. He intercepted a St. Louis pass and freed up Deedson on the left side, and the Haitian International finished for his first goal of the season.
The assist was Musa’s first of the season, and the goal stood up for 20 minutes. St. Louis’ Daniel Edelman sent a ball to the far post, where two teammates ran onto it. Baumgartl got in first and finished Edelman’s cross with a right-footed shot from close range.
Burki and Collodi, who had four saves, denied late winners off attempts from both attacking sides to preserve the draw.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Team Liquid 1st team to 2-0 at LCS Spring
YMCA member Austin Manengu works the keyboard as he plays a game of Fortnite during the unveiling of the new gaming lab at the Maplewood Family YMCA in Rochester Thursday, June 20, 2024. YMCA of Greater Rochester in partnership with Metro Sports & Entertainment Group will open two gaming labs for youth and teens this year. Team Liquid moved to the top of the standings with a win over Shopify Rebellion as Week 2 of the regular season of the LCS Spring event began Saturday.
Team Liquid won 2-0 in a battle of 1-0 teams, while LYON beat Dignitas 2-1 in the other match of the day.
Eight teams will compete in best-of-three matches in the round-robin regular season before advancing to the playoffs of the League of Legends event, which will be contested in best-of-five matches in a double-elimination format. The top two teams will qualify for the Mid-Season Invitational.
Liquid completed its sweep with a pair of wins on blue in 25 and 38 minutes. Brandon “Josedeodo” Villegas of Argentina and Ru-han “Morgan” Park of South Korea took home MVP honors in the triumph.
Dignitas won the opener of its match in 33 minutes before LYON roared back with a 36-minute victory on red followed by a 30-minute clincher on blue. American/Indian competitor Niship “Dhokla” Doshi and Jonah “Isles” Rosario of Australia were MVPs for the two LYON victories, and American Lawrence “Exyu” Xu was MVP of Dignitas’ opening victory.
Week 2 concludes Sunday with FlyQuest facing Disguised and Sentinels taking on Cloud9.
Regular season standings (Win-loss total, map differential)
1. Team Liquid, 2-0, 4-1
T2 Cloud9, 1-0, 2-1
T2. Disguised, 1-0, 2-1
T4. Shopify Rebellion, 1-1, 2-2
T4. Lyon, 1-1, 3-3
T6. FlyQuest, 0-1, 1-2
T6. Sentinels, 0-1, 1-2
8. Dignitas, 0-2, 1-4
–Field Level Media
