Need tickets? What to know about the playoff runs by the Miami Heat and Florida Panthers

The Miami Heat and the Florida Panthers barely made the playoffs. Now the teams are one win each from the semifinal rounds of NBA Playoffs and the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Whether you’re a lifelong fan planning to make this your big splurge of the year or a Bandwagon Betty or Benito who wants to hop on a happy ride, here’s what you need to know if you want to be in the house for the coming games:

When are the next Heat and Panthers games?

▪ Both the Heat and the Panthers play on Wednesday. Each has three of the four wins necessary to win the current series. Both teams are in the second of four playoff rounds, one win from their leagues’ Eastern Conference finals.

▪ The Heat, leading its series 3-1, play the New York Knicks in Game 5 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Tipoff is 7:30 p.m. The game will air on TNT.

▪ The Panthers, up 3-0, face the Toronto Maple Leafs at FLA Live Arena in Sunrise. The puck drops at 7 p.m. The game will air on ESPN.

What happens if the Heat and Panthers win?

▪ If the Heat wins any of the next three games against the Knicks, next up is the Eastern Conference final, one of the NBA Playoffs’ two semifinals. Miami will play the winner of the Philadelphia vs. Boston series. The 76ers lead the series 3-2.

▪ If the Panthers win any of the next four games against Toronto, they go to the Eastern Conference final, one of the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs’ two semifinals. They’ll play the winner of the New Jersey vs. Carolina series, which Carolina leads 3-1.

What if they lose?

▪ If the Heat loses Wednesday in Game 5, the team comes back home for Friday’s Game 6. If the Heat loses there, it’s back to New York for Game 7 on Monday.

▪ If the Panthers lose Wednesday in Game 4, they go to Toronto for Game 5 on Friday. If they lose that, it’s back to Sunrise for Game 6 on Sunday. A third straight loss would send them to Toronto for Game 7 on May 16.

Only four teams in NHL history have come from 3-0 down to win a playoff series.

Are tickets still available and how much do they cost?

▪ Tickets for Wednesday’s Panthers game in Sunrise are still available on TicketMaster. The seats are in the 300 level, high in the house (which some puckheads prefer), and the cheapest cost $109. If those tickets sell out or you just like being closer to play, you’ll have to hit the secondary market of StubHub, SeatGeek, Vivid Seats or TicketMaster Verified Resale. For the 300 level, the prices aren’t much more than face value. As you move down, sellers want to turn a profit. Some front row seats are selling for $1,000-$3,000.

▪ If Game 6 is necessary between the Heat and Knicks Friday at downtown Miami’s Kaseya Center, expect to drop some cash. You can get in the arena, standing room, for $125. The cheapest seat available Tuesday afternoon was $140, in the 400 level sections. On the 100 level, there were two tickets in 101 for $525 each. And, of course, there’s the secondary market websites.

▪ Heat-Knicks tickets for Wednesday’s game at MSG remain available and not just on the resale market. By Tuesday afternoon, barstool seats at the top of the Garden were going for $285 face value. But we did see two tickets all the way down in Section 3 for only $525 each.

▪ More scarce would be tickets for a Friday Panthers-Maple Leafs Game 5 in Toronto. The Leafs have been sold out for about as long as their Stanley Cup drought (1967), and ticket prices could be supply-and-demand lessons. We spotted a pair of tickets in the 300 level for $320 in U.S. currency. Hockey scouts like to watch games from corner sections, and we did see two tickets in Section 101 for about $639 U.S.

What about parking? Can I Uber there? How early should I get to the game?

For Panthers games at FLA Live Arena:

▪ You can purchase pre-paid parking online or pay at the gate on game day. Parking costs $35 or $45 depending on where you park. Valet parking is $55.

▪ If you’re taking a rideshare like Uber or Lyft, to FLA Live Arena, you’ll get dropped off and picked up at the North Pedestrian Walkway entrance.

For any Miami Heat playoff game at Kaseya Center:

Depending on where you’re coming from, you can use the free Miami Trolley or Metromover. You can also take a rideshare or pay for valet parking. If you’re coming from Broward, consider taking the HEAT Gameday Express service bus, which costs $30 round trip. It departs from Outdoor World in Dania Beach 90 minutes before tip-off. If you’re coming to Miami from Palm Beach or Broward counties, you can also take Brightline to the Miami station and then hop on a free Metromover to get to the Kaseya Center.

To learn more about parking options, visit nba.com/heat/parking.

How to watch the game if you’re not in the arena

If you can’t go to the Heat or Panthers games, you can also watch it on TV or by online streaming. Bally Sports, which carried first round playoff games and the vast majority of the teams’ regular season games, will have postgame shows, but not the games.

▪ Wednesday’s Heat game will be televised on TNT, streaming available on Watch TNT. If the Knicks vs. Heat is necessary Friday, it’ll air on ESPN.

▪ Leafs vs. Panthers Wednesday will be televised on ESPN, ESPN Deportes, Sportsnet, CBC and TVA Sports. Streaming available on Watch ESPN.