A broadcast of a National Basketball Association (NBA) preseason game in Shanghai on Thursday avoided mention of Hong Kong in an event preceded by intense backlash from the Chinese government and fans over a team executive's tweet in support of Hong Kong pro-Democracy protesters. The matchup in which the Brooklyn Nets beat the Los Angeles Lakers 114-111 was played as scheduled to a packed audience at the Mercedes-Benz arena after widespread speculation on social media that the game could be canceled. Sportscasters Chris Carrino and Tim Capstraw stuck to game chatter and stayed away from political talk.