KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Portland Trail Blazers face the Atlanta Hawks in the first-ever NBA game at the Sprint Center in Kansas City.

The exhibition contest starts at 7 p.m. today, seven years after the last NBA preseason game drew 7,100 to watch the Detroit Pistons against the Houston Rockets at Kemper Arena.

Turnout for the Blazers-Hawks game could measure the area's interest in the NBA. The Kings packed up and moved from Kansas City to Sacramento in 1985.

Sprint Center vice president and general manager Brenda Tinnen said around 11,000 people are expected at the game. That's about the same number that attended the NHL exhibition game between St. Louis and Los Angeles on Sept. 22.

Tinnen said "Our ultimate goal is to have an NHL team or NBA team or both if anybody is out there granting wishes."