Fans happy to secure tickets for Hawks-Heat

By mid-afternoon about 1,000 tickets remained for tonight’s Hawks-Heat playoff game at Philips Arena, with officials expecting a second straight sellout.

“We know the game is going to sell out - we just don’t know at what point,” said Tracy White, the Hawks’ senior vice president of sales and marketing.

Fans can buy tickets for the 8 p.m. game at the box office, or through Hawks.com.

Several fans were pleasantly surprised to be able to walk up and buy tickets Wednesday afternoon.

“I was hoping I could get these,” said Paula Felisma, a cake designer from Atlanta who bought $48 tickets for herself and her husband. “I would really think they’d be sold out because they’re really doing well. I think they’re going to shock the world.”

Felisma attended Sunday’s 90-64 Hawks’ blowout, as well as last year’s series against the Celtics. Tony Gomez of Marietta will be seeing his first playoff game tonight after buying a $75 ticket.

“I’m a little bit surprised, particularly after the way the Hawks won that first game,” he said. “There’s nothing like being there in person, seeing the atmosphere and being a part of it.”

Despite the lack of a quick sellout, ticket scalper Kedral Long planned to at least double his investment. He said he snatched up the last two $145 club seats and hoped to sell them for $300 to $400 each. It is illegal to re-sell tickets within 2,700 feet of Philips Arena, a rule Long was aware of.

If the Hawks win the best-of-seven series and face LeBron James’ Cleveland Cavaliers in the second round, Long expects a bigger bonanza.

“That will probably generate a little more excitement,” he said.

Philips Arena seats 18,729 for basketball. White said about 3,500 tickets remained for a potential Game 5 a week from today.