One drummer shouted across the arena – possibly to a team of break dancers – ‘You all look wack there.’ In previous years, his voice would not have carried that far.
Shortly before hitting, the Nets debuted a video of players talking the lyrics to the Bill Withers classic, ‘Ain’t No Sunshine’, dedicated to absent fans. Then Nets guard Kyrie Irving waved to the crowd on both sides of the court; in an arena with hundreds instead of thousands of people, fans may have been forgiven for thinking Irving was waving individually for them.
“It felt like you were sitting in your living room,” said Dylan Schultz, 27. ‘I’m just sitting with my friend. Not too many people around me. But there is still this game environment right in front of you. You could hear them talking to each other. Sick. ”
Some in the building tried to keep up with the traditions, such as interrupting the opponents’ free throws. On Tuesday, the effort – usually recorded by thousands of fans screaming and waving objects – fell on four drummers behind the basket, sometimes added by the five dancers. (Statistically speaking, they can succeed: the Kings shot 13 of 19 from the line, slightly below their season average.)
As for the game itself, the Nets led most of it and won their seventh consecutive game, 127-118. Starting guard Bruce Brown got a rare turn in the spotlight and scored 29 points, as did James Harden, who had a triple-double: 29 points, 11 rebounds and 14 assists.
For the most part, the crowd – spread over court seats, luxury suites and the lower floor – remained subdued, despite the fact that the Nets team had the most sensitive person to look at in person over the years.
“It feels like you’re watching a workout,” says Rich Schaefer, 42, a season ticket holder. ‘You’re in a high school gym, and there’s no one there. But you’re watching the best players in the world. It’s not the same energy you get during sold out games. But there is something amazing about watching and hearing as a basketball fan how everyone talks and not being distracted by what is happening around you. ”