NBA fan dies in at In-Season Tournament game after emergency

An NBA fan has tragically died at a game after suffering a medical emergency at the league’s inaugural In-Season Tournament.

A fan died at an NBA In-Season Tournament game.

An NBA fan has died after suffering a medical emergency during the In-Season Tournament game between the Sacramento Kings and New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday (AEDT).

During the first quarter at Sacramento’s Golden 1 Center, a spectator who was attending the game with a family member had a medical emergency.

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Emergency Medical Services performed CPR on the man for more than 20 minutes, but he couldn’t be revived and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Local Sacramento television station FOX 40 reported that the man was in his 30s and was unresponsive when paramedics arrived.

The Sacramento Kings said in a statement: “During the first quarter of the Kings vs. Pelicans game, a guest had a medical emergency.

“EMS immediately responded and administered CPR. Tragically, these efforts were unsuccessful and the guest passed away.

“The organisation offers its deepest condolences to the guest’s family and loved ones.”

The Kings were eliminated from the NBA’s inaugural In-Season Tournament in a 127-117 loss to the Pelicans.

The Indiana Pacers, fuelled by Tyrese Haliburton’s first career triple-double, beat the Boston Celtics 122-112 to also reach the semi-finals of the In-Season Tournament in Las Vegas.

A fan died watching the Sacramento Kings vs New Orleans Pelics. Photo: Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images/AFP.

Haliburton scored 26 points with 10 rebounds and 13 assists and the Pacers put together a 9-0 scoring run with less than two minutes remaining to take control of a tightly contested battle.

The Pacers, ranked sixth in the Eastern Conference regular-season standings, knocked out the East-leading Celtics and will face either the Milwaukee Bucks or New York Knicks in the semi-finals.

The Bucks host the New York Knicks in the quarters on Wednesday and Haliburton said the Pacers will be ready for either team.

“We’re a young, hungry group and we want to win every night,” Haliburton said. “So we’re excited to be there, but we’re not complacent being there. We want to win.” Buddy Hield added 21 points for the Pacers, who had seven players score in double figures to the delight of the 16,000-plus crowd at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

“The atmosphere is crazy,” Haliburton said of the playoff-type intensity in the arena, which was just what the NBA was looking for when it launched the in-season tournament hoping it would lend excitement to the early stages of a long season.

“I love this,” Haliburton said.

Jayson Tatum scored 32 points and grabbed 12 rebounds and Jaylen Brown added 30 points and nine rebounds for Boston, who dominated inside in the first half but just couldn’t keep the prolific Pacers offence in check in the second.

The Indian Pacers have qualfied for the semis of the NBA’s In-Season Tournament. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)

In Sacramento, the Kings led by as many as 15 points in the first quarter, but the Pelicans clawed back to lead 69-61 at halftime and never trailed in the second half as they handed the Kings their first defeat of the tournament.

Pelicans star Zion Williamson had a relatively quiet night with 10 points, but Brandon Ingram scored 30 and Herb Jones added 23 as six New Orleans players scored in double figures.

De’Aaron Fox led the Kings with 30 points. Domantas Sabonis notched a triple-double of 26 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists for Sacramento, who had won all four of their group-stage games.

The Pelicans will play the winner of Wednesday’s quarter-final between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Phoenix Suns.

The title game is on Sunday in Vegas — where the finalists will be competing for the first NBA Cup and the USD$500,000 in prize money per player for the winning team.

— With AFP

Originally published as NBA fan dies in at In-Season Tournament game after emergency