Fans stranded at Toyota Center hours after Rockets playoff game
Several hundred fans were stuck at the Toyota Center in Houston hours after the Rockets' Game 4 playoff victory in the Western Conference finals Monday night because of flash flooding in the city.
After the game concluded, Rockets officials urged fans to stay inside until the severe weather and flooding outside let up.
A majority of the 18,239 spectators who watched the 128-115 Game 4 victory over the Golden State Warriors, which cut the Warriors' best-of-seven series lead to three games to one, headed for the exits anyway at the conclusion of the game.
Houston city officials told residents to stay at home as the area is expected to receive several more inches of rain Tuesday, making travel around the city virtually impossible.
Rockets center Dwight Howard was among the people who decided to stick around at the Toyota Center, not wanting to take his chances on the flooded streets of Houston.
"There's no need to try to push it," Howard said to the Houston Chronicle. "One of my friends just hit me up and said he's stuck on the highway now. I don't think it's smart for anybody to try to be out on this weather."
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Howard, who had 14 points and 12 rebounds in Game 4, felt bad for the fans who were left at the arena.
"They're showing the Weather Channel right now," he added. "They need to put on a movie or something.”
Fans watched as the arena crews prepared for the scheduled Neil Diamond concert on Tuesday night and were provided with water, coffee, breakfast snacks and places to charge cell phones while waiting out the storm.
- Scooby Axson
