Average attendance for the NBA is up 1.2% through February 3, buoyed in large part by Western Conference teams, who are seeing a 2.6% jump at the gate. The Trail Blazers, on the heels of a 19.5% jump in attendance last season, are averaging 20,543 fans per game at the Rose Garden, which is up 7.6% from the same period a year ago. The Mavericks also continue to average 20,000+ fans at each home game, but despite packing American Airlines Center to 104.2% capacity, average attendance is off 1.2% from a year ago. The Hornets are also seeing good signs from fans in New Orleans. The franchise, which signed a lease extension at New Orleans Arena last year, would get the option to leave after this season should the team average less than 14,735 in paid attendance for the final five months of last season through the end of the current season. The team is averaging 16,729 fans per game this season, up 34.3% from the same period a year ago. Through 57 regular-season home games since the signing of the new lease agreement, the team is averaging 15,541 fans per game. On the flip-side of the attendance coin are the Kings, who remain the only Western Conference team to see a double-digit decline in attendance (-12.2%). The chart below lists team-by-team attendance for the NBA Western Conference, with comparisons to the same period last year (THE DAILY).

NOTE: * = Relocated from Seattle after '07-08 season.