SUBMITTED NEWS RELEASE
The Reno Bighorns will meet the Rio Grande Valley Vipers in the first round of the NBA D-League playoffs, beginning with a Saturday afternoon matchup in the Reno Events Center. To celebrate the day of playoff basketball in the afternoon and Reno Aces baseball at night, a Bighorns Playoff Rally will be held in the Freight House District with an accompanying special ticket offer for both events.
The Bighorns and Vipers will hook-up in a best-of-three series. Game one is set for Saturday at 2 p.m. in the Reno Events Center. Games two and three, if necessary, will move to Rio Grande Valley on Monday, April 12 and Tuesday, April 13. Tip-time from State Farm Arena in Hidalgo, Texas is set for 5:30 p.m. PT for both contests.
Saturday promises to be one of the most memorable days in Reno sports history, as the Bighorns play the first NBA D-League playoff game in franchise history at 2 p.m., and the Reno Aces, Triple-A Affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks, take-on the Fresno Grizzlies at 7:05 p.m. at Aces Ballpark.
To commemorate the Reno Professional Sports Doubleheader, there will be a special Bighorns Playoff Rally in the brand-new Freight House District at noon. More details on the Bighorns Playoff Rally will be available soon on www.RenoBighorns.com and www.RenoAces.com.
The first 500 fans to arrive at the Bighorns Playoff Rally on Saturday with a paid Bighorns ticket will be given a complimentary general admission ticket to the Aces game that evening. This special offer is expected to go very quickly, so fans are encouraged arrive to the Freight House early.
Tickets to Saturday’s playoff game will go on-sale at 10 a.m. Tuesday at www.RenoBighorns.com, the Reno Events Center Box Office, Silver Legacy Box Office, or by visiting any Northern Nevada Ticketmaster location or Web site. The Reno Events Center Box Office will be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Tuesday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. Call (775) 242-2NBA for more details.
The NBA Development League, founded in 2001, is the NBA’s official minor league whose teams have direct affiliations to NBA franchises. For the 2009-10 season, the league will feature 16 teams – including the debut of the Maine Red Claws and the Springfield Armor. A proven developer of talent, 20 percent of players in the NBA at the conclusion of the 2008-09 season boasted NBA D-League experience, while the league continues to develop coaches, referees, and front office staff for the NBA and its teams. In fostering the league’s connection to the community, its teams, players and staff promote health and wellness, support local needs and interests, and assist in educational development through NBA D-League Cares programs. The NBA D-League also advances the game of basketball as the research and development arm of the NBA. Throughout the season fans can watch all NBA D-League games on NBA Futurecast, the free live Web-streaming initiative found at nba.com/futurecast.
