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Courtesy: Pin-Show Lu

Courtesy: Pin-Show Lu

What do you call 70 T-birds under one roof? Fun?

And if they’re taking the US Airways Center by storm? A riot of fun!

What started out as a small gathering of T-birds taking in the Suns vs Rockets basketball game last Sunday, quickly ballooned into a bleacher full of cheering T-birds. From 20, the number quickly climbed into the 50s before the proponents of the idea quickly had to close out the numbers. A large number of international students, eager to take their first NBA game formed the majority. And so when Sunday afternoon rolled around, a train of cars left the campus in high spirits.

IMGP1934Thanks to some slick wheeling and dealing (this is where students put the Global Negotiations class to good use), a discounted deal was attained wherein T-birds not only got in to the US Airways Center early, they were also treated to the sight of the Phoenix Suns & Houston Rockets teams warming up before the game. As part of the sweet deal, each attendee also got to take home some Suns swag in the form of bags.

Courtesy: Pin-Show Lu

Courtesy: Pin-Show Lu

Right off the bat, T-birds were in for a show with a tight game between both teams, with the Rockets leading the first half, only for the Suns to make a comeback in the second. The entertainment was non stop even when the teams were on a timeout with fans being engaged in a noise battle – leading to several of the T-birds scoring not only some Suns apparel, but a shout-out on camera as one of the better cheering sections. Dancers, performers, and slam dunk specialists took to the court to keep fans engaged. As the last minute of the last quarter rolled around, T-bird fans of both teams were on the edge of their seats with both teams tied – only for the Rockets to deny the home team right at the end.

Courtesy: Deepali Ramaiah

Courtesy: Deepali Ramaiah

For the Suns fans in the crowd, it was a result so close yet so far. Phoenix may be known for its sunsets, but ardent fans at the game weren’t quite anticipating a Suns-set

(Special thanks to Guido Chua & Howard Chao for organizing not only the tickets, but a carpool as well. Keep an eye out on Facebook for more plans for upcoming games!)