INDIANAPOLIS — As the Indiana Pacers get ready to take on the Los Angeles Lakers in Las Vegas for the NBA In-Season Tournament championship Saturday, Gainbridge Fieldhouse will be packed with fans to watch the game.
"15,000 of our closest friends in Gainbridge Fieldhouse watching the game on the center hung (videoboard), so it's going to be a rocking environment," Pacers vice president of external affairs Danny Lopez.
It's not just the young team fans will watch, but they'll hear former shooting guard Reggie Miller on the broadcast as an analyst.
"I know Reggie watches this team from afar, but to actually have him there and then seeing the Pacers having the success they had, it was really neat to see," said Chris Denari, TV voice of the Pacers on Bally Sports Indiana.
Denari is normally courtside for games, but once the team got to Vegas, he's been able to experience the game as a fan.
"To have everyone together at Gainbridge Fieldhouse is going to be something special," he said.
This young team has created history in the tournament, winning all six games, including back-to-back wins over Boston and Milwaukee - the two top teams in the Eastern Conference - and have been able to put their names on the map.
"To be out there and doing it on a stage, I don't think a lot of people really gave us a shot to get to the championship and potentially winning," Lopez said. "The team is excited to prove people wrong."
But this also gives the team the opportunity to show fans what they can expect for the rest of the season.
"We have a long way to go in the season, but I think the opportunity to play in big-time games is going to be really impactful, not only for this year, but moving forward," Denari said.
The free tickets for Saturday's watch party have all been distributed, but fans can still watch the game with fellow Pacers fans at any of the 19 bars in the team's Corona Bar Network across central Indiana.
Tip-off for the game is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. EST.