Soon, the New York Knicks will have to pay a visit to the Philadelphia 76ers for Games 3 and 4 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
With the Knicks becoming steady playoff contenders within the Eastern Conference in recent years, their fans have been well-traveled when they are just a couple of hours away from South Philadelphia.
Two postseasons ago, Knicks fans proved they could take over the Sixers’ arena, which added salt to the wound of the 76ers losing in six games.
With the Sixers and the Knicks set to meet again for a series, the 76ers are doing what they can to prevent further takeovers.
When Knicks standout Josh Hart learned about the plan to limit Knicks fans in Philadelphia, he made it clear that he’s confident the 76ers will still struggle in that sense.
Josh Hart Reacts to The 76ers’ Plan
“The thing about New Yorkers is they are persistent,” Hart said.
“They don’t care, bro. They are going to do it, man. For a lot of people, everything revolves around money. So, if they can get a good price for those tickets, they are going to sell them. New York, they are passionate about the Knicks. They are going to come out and show love.”
His answer, basically: everybody got a price.
Initial ticket sales directly from the 76ers will be restricted to residents of the Greater Philadelphia Area. Attempts to purchase will only be accepted from those who have a credit card billing address within the area.
Of course, there’s only so much the Sixers can do. The resale market will still play a part. Knicks fans will just end up having to pay above face value for the tickets. In that case, Joel Embiid sent a message to fans who are thinking about selling.
Joel Embiid Sends A Message To Sixers Fans
“I just have a message for our fans. Last time we played the Knicks, it felt like [Xfinity Mobile Arena] was Madison Square Garden East. So, we’re going to need the support. Don’t sell your tickets. This is bigger than you. We need you guys. The atmosphere that we’ve had the last couple games in Philly, especially the last one, pushing it to Game 7. We need all of it,” Embiid said.
“… Knicks fans, they travel. They’re going to buy the tickets and there’s going to be some people that need the money and are probably going to sell tickets. But don’t do it. We need you guys. We got a pretty good chance. We’re going to need our support. We’re going to need them to be extremely loud.”
For what it’s worth, the Sixers have given their fans more of a reason to believe they are the real deal. As the seventh seed, the Sixers took down the second-seeded Boston Celtics, who were getting championship predictions at the start of the playoffs.
The 76ers will likely remain the underdogs from this point on, but the seeding no longer makes a difference. Anything can happen in the NBA Playoffs. The 76ers just want their proper support when the time comes.