This is what it feels like to be a Miami Heat virtual fan during the NBA Playoffs

Fans are banned from the NBA bubble in Orlando, but I managed to sneak in and snag a second-row seat for Game 3 of the Miami Heat playoff series against the Indiana Pacers.

If you looked carefully on your TV screen last Saturday, there I was, behind the Heat bench, in a black shirt and turquoise-rimmed glasses, eating popcorn and enjoying the game with 31 other fans in my section.

Well, technically, I was sitting at my dining room table in Coral Gables watching the game on my laptop computer. But thanks to an innovative virtual fan initiative by the NBA and Microsoft, I was one of about 300 people livestreamed onto one of 10 video boards surrounding the court in Orlando.

The players and coaches could see us and hear some of our cheers mixed in with canned familiar sounds piped in from pre-COVID Heat home games.

Each virtual section has 32 seats with fans’ upper bodies superimposed on chairs to give the illusion of arena seating. Sometimes, the image of one person mistakenly migrates into the next person’s area and face sizes vary depending on distance from computers. At one point a woman appeared to have a smaller man’s head attached to her left cheek.

Seven of the fan boards are reserved for the “home” team, one for the visiting team and two for the NBA. An area behind the basket is saved for the players’ families and friends and other VIPs. Rapper Rick Ross (shirtless, so easy to spot) was among the virtual fans who showed up for Saturday’s game. Others who have made appearances include Shaquille O’Neal and Chris Bosh.

The majority of the spots are for fans who register online. Priority goes to season-ticket holders, the rest go to other fans. The Heat has had 17,000 applications so far, and more than 1,000 of those have made the big screen.

Although there are only 32 seats in each section, they assign up to 80 fans to the group so that if somebody turns their camera off or steps away for an extended time, another fan will immediately be placed in that spot.

I found that out when my laptop camera turned off momentarily three minutes into the game. All of sudden, I was gone and replaced by a guy in a white t-shirt and black ball cap. Thankfully, I reached the moderator in the group chat and was able to get back into a seat during the next time out.

Everybody was required to sign a Code of Conduct. No signs. No standing. No vulgar language. No offensive apparel.

Microsoft Teams, the conferencing platform we used, put us in “together mode,” which places all the participants on a video call together in a virtual space backdrop such as an arena, auditorium or meeting room so it looks like we are all together rather than in separate squares like the Brady Bunch.

I put my laptop in split screen so I could simultaneously watch my fan section and the game feed, which, by the way, is live for virtual fans, seven seconds ahead of the T.V. broadcast.

My group included our spirited moderator Brandon Myles, who is a Miami Heat season ticket manager, and an eclectic collection of fans — 23 men, 5 women and 4 kids. Audrey and Craig are season ticket holders since 1988. Joe was watching from Chicago. Some offered running commentary. Others kept their microphones on mute.

Although it wasn’t like being at AmericanAirlines Arena, it was fun to experience a game with a group after COVID-19 has kept sports fans (and reporters) locked out of stadiums and isolated for five months.

“Please, nobody cough or sneeze,” one fan joked during warmups.

When I commented that my husband made me popcorn, a fan lamented not having a husband to bring her popcorn, and another fan began reciting his phone number. By the second half, we all had bonded.

One of my co-fans, Andrew Rice, said: “I think it’s a great initiative by the NBA. While it’s not the same as being in the arena for a game, it provides a level of engagement that watching a broadcast alone doesn’t offer.

“It’s a bit of an exercise in people watching. The characters you meet in the virtual section are similar to the characters that surround you at the arena -- the loud guy, the old-timer, the guy who’s constantly texting, the eater, the beer drinker, the hyperactive child, etc... a digital cross-section of the ‘real life’ fandom that makes the NBA gameday experience special. It’s a small sense of `social’ that’s been missing since the country shut down, and a hint at the community that’ll be restored once the pandemic has passed.”

Although reporters aren’t normally allowed to cheer, I made an exception for this assignment. I clapped when the starting lineups were announced. I sang the national anthem. I pumped a fist when the Heat made three-pointers. I waved my arms when the Pacers shot free throws.

I felt like part of the game, even though I was in my dining room.

Veronica Torres has been a virtual fan twice. “The Heat staff hosting has made it feel like you’re amongst friends enjoying a game at home,” she said. “Since we’re in quarantine there isn’t a whole lot of hosting friends at home so getting that feeling from total strangers on a screen is so special.”

Heather Shapiro, 20, was initially waitlisted for the virtual experience, but wound up being selected twice for games Aug. 8 and 10.

“It was an amazing experience to be a part of the Heat community again,” Shapiro said. “The way the fans were set up created opportunities for engagement with the game, as well as with other. I was able to virtually high-five the person sitting next to me. When our section figured out we were located behind the basket, we all pretended to be asleep when an opposing player was shooting free throws. Obviously, there’s a certain energy being in the arena that can’t be replicated, but I had so much fun. Also, you’ll be sure to get texts from your friends when they spot you!”

A few more benefits of being a virtual fan: No parking. No traffic. When the game is over, you just close your laptop and you’re already home.