The New York Knicks are heading to the Eastern Conference Finals for the second consecutive year, but achieving the status of one of the top four teams in the East brought a familiar problem for their fanbase; this time, it’s from Cleveland.
The Cavaliers’ official ticket purchasing page states that access for ECF home games at Rocket Arena will be restricted to fans with billing addresses in select areas of Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York. The move is a direct attempt to keep Knicks fans from turning Cleveland into another road home game.
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The policy reads: “For the ECF, ticket access for games at Rocket Arena will be limited to fans with billing addresses in select areas of OH, PA and NY. Get your tickets, keep your tickets, be here early, be loud, wear the shirt.”
The geo-restriction approach has been tried before.
People who live on the western tip of NY State can buy tickets, but that is 6.5 hours from NYC
The Philadelphia 76ers also adopted this policy earlier this postseason for their second-round home games against the Knicks, restricting ticket sales only to Greater Philadelphia residents. Besides, 500 tickets per game were gifted to local community organizations, and fans went a step further by raising the cost of Amtrak train tickets to deter New York supporters from traveling.
None of it worked. Knicks fans took over Xfinity Mobile Arena in both Game 3 and Game 4, and New York swept the Sixers out of the playoffs.
Tyrese Maxey acknowledged it afterward. “It absolutely sucks, if I’m being honest,” he said. “That’s really all I can say about it, man.”
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The main issue with this type of limitation is that it just covers the primary market. After those tickets are passed to StubHub, SeatGeek, or other resale platforms, they are up for grabs for anyone.
The Sixers found out very painfully that none of it actually does the trick. Amid the geo-fencing, community ticket free giveaways, and Joel Embiid even pleading the fans himself not to sell, Philly left no stone unturned in trying to solve the problem. Nevertheless, Knicks fans managed to dominate the arena at both games.
For context, the Knicks got here by sweeping the 76ers 4-0 in the second round. The Cavaliers had a tougher road, needing all seven games to outlast the Pistons.
Game 1 of the ECF tips off May 19 at Madison Square Garden, with Cleveland’s home games beginning May 23.
If history is any guide, the Cavaliers may want to start thinking beyond the billing address.
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