The Philadelphia 76ers’ ownership, alongside Fanatics CEO Michael Rubin, is joining forces to acquire and distribute over 2,000 tickets for Thursday night’s crucial Game 6 showdown against the New York Knicks.
This initiative follows after a significant influx of Knicks fans took over the Wells Fargo Center during Game 4.
Josh Harris, David Blitzer, @david_adelman and I just bought more than 2,000 tix for Sixers Game 6 – we absolutely CANNOT let Knicks fans take over our arena again!!! Giving them to first responders, health care professionals and other local Philadelphia-based organizations once… https://t.co/HQkOWJpHgB
— Michael Rubin (@michaelrubin) May 1, 2024
In response to the invasion, the Sixers ownership aims to fill the arena with their own fans and reclaim home-court advantage after the Knicks fans dominated the stands and could be heard chanting “MVP” for Jalen Brunson during the 76ers’ 97-92 loss Sunday.
There almost wasn’t a Game 6 until Tyrese Maxey’s standout performance in Game 5 saw him tally an impressive 46 points, including seven crucial ones within the last 25.1 seconds of the fourth quarter to send the game to overtime. His late-game heroics ultimately kept the 76ers alive. The Knicks lead the series 3-2.
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The Knicks and 76ers rivalry runs deep as they have played 38 games against each other in the playoffs. The Knicks tally 15 victories and the 76ers have 23.
So for Knicks fans, Joel Embiid is their villain. They were heard chanting “F— Embiid” at Madison Square Garden this series.
“It’s not hostile. I love New York. New York is my favorite city in the world. I have a place here for the past five years,” Embiid said. “So I just love New York and then the fans when you play against a team, you know, they’re always gonna pick that guy. They seem to have picked me, which is fine. I love it. If I gotta be the punching bag and hear a lot of ‘F— Embiid,’ that’s okay. I love it. I wish I was myself. It usually gets me going in those situations because you want to put yourself in those situations and kind of shut them up.
“It’s just supporting their team. They’ve been amazing. That’s why they’re the Knicks, they get hyped about everything and they’ve been doing a fantastic job.”
The 76ers face elimination Thursday night in Philadelphia for Game 6.
(Photo: Elsa / Getty Images)
