Clippers-Rockets exhibition sells out fast

The Oct. 3 NBA preseason game at the Stan Sheriff Center between the Los Angeles Clippers and Houston Rockets sold out within minutes of going on sale to the general public on Tuesday.

Some would-be customers said the ETicketHawaii.com sales website showed zero seat availability within 10 or 15 minutes of ticket sales opening to the public at noon.

A promo code for 9 a.m. presale tickets was circulated for some season-ticket holders and past attendees of Clippers preseason games at the Sheriff, allowing many fans to buy tickets ahead of the general public via word of mouth. There were only a handful of seats left by the time the public had access to the system.

The high demand was not surprising. The Clippers acquired superstars Kawhi Leonard and Paul George in the offseason, while the Rockets paired James Harden with an incoming superstar in Russell Westbrook.

The Clippers, who are holding a third straight preseason training camp in Hawaii, are playing a second exhibition on Oct. 6 against the Shanghai Sharks of the Chinese Basketball Association.

As of Tuesday night, tickets still remained for the Oct. 6 date.