Owning a sports arena that can host sports matches and concerts often has a delicate balance of scheduling to make sure events are not double-booked.

One NBA team saw their arena schedule dates for concerts in the month of April, which is when the NBA Playoffs take place.

Was the arena hoping for the team to not make the NBA Playoffs?

What Happened: The 2023 NBA Playoffs saw the number one seed of the Eastern Conference lose in the first round, the first such exit since 2011.

The number two seed Boston Celtics of the Eastern Conference defeated the seventh-seed Atlanta Hawks Thursday night in Game 6 to win the series four games to two games.

Thursday night’s game took place at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia, but instead of hosting a basketball game, it was almost the site of a concert.

Back in December, the tour dates for Janet Jackson with special guest Ludacris were announced by Live Nation Entertainment Inc (NYSE:LYV). Listed among the dates was April 27 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta. At the time the Hawks were 12-12 but the team had also reached the playoffs in consecutive seasons. The placement of the show on the schedule in the depths of playoff season might have signaled that the arena didn’t think the Hawks would make the postseason or would worry about it when the time arrived.

Due to television deals and making sure teams have rest and travel time, the NBA has a pretty strict layout of how the NBA Playoff series go.

Entering the start of the Hawks and Celtics series, there was a big question mark that the arena could be double-booked.

The Celtics entered the series as a huge favorite with odds of -850 at DraftKings Inc (NASDAQ:DKNG) to beat the Hawks in the first round. Betting platforms also expected the Celtics to win the series in four or five games with odds of +340 and +165 respectively.

The Hawks ended up winning Game 3 and Game 5 to force a Game 6 in Atlanta. The Hawks lost Game 6 with a score of 128 to 120.

Due to Game 6 being necessary, the Janet Jackson concert was bumped to Friday, April 28.

Related Link: Steph Curry Down 0-2 For First Time In NBA PLayoffs Career, A Look At The Betting Odds For A Comeback 

What’s Next: Live Nation shared a statement that the concert would move to Friday and all original tickets would be honored. Doors for the concert open at 6:30 p.m. ET Friday night with the concert beginning at 7:45 p.m. ET.

Refunds were offered for ticket holders who were unable to change plans and attend Friday’s concert.

Moving of the concert from Thursday to Friday could be bad news for anyone who had made arrangements to attend and can not change their plans to see the “Rhythm Nation” singer.

The city of Atlanta and concertgoers could see travel and parking logistics cause potential trouble.

Several people on the Twitter post from State Farm Arena questioned the parking passes they had reserved and if they were guaranteed.

Happening at the nearby Mercedes-Benz Stadium, home of the Atlanta Falcons, is a concert of Taylor Swift Friday night. Swift will play at the stadium Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

With the series win, the Celtics are one step closer to advancing to the NBA Finals and with the Milwaukee Bucks out of the picture now find themselves as the betting favorite.

The Celtics have odds of +145 to win the NBA Championship.

In their series against the Philadelphia 76ers in the second round, the Celtics are a favorite at odds of -310 versus +250 for the 76ers.

For more on the sports betting landscape and what could be next for popular betting segments and legislation, tune in to the Benzinga Sports Betting Titans virtual event on May 24.

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