The Philadelphia 76ers found themselves in a tough position heading into Sunday’s Game 4 matchup, but at least they were gaining some momentum in their first-round series against the New York Knicks.
After playing their first two games on the road at Madison Square Garden, a 50-piece from Joel Embiid allowed the Sixers to enter the winner’s circle for the first time during the 2024 NBA Playoffs.
Going into Game 4, the Sixers were hoping to even the series and were eager to have home-court advantage. Unfortunately for them, Knicks fans are very well travelled.
The Wells Fargo Center looked like a neutral site on Sunday. Not only did the Knicks fans fill the house, they brought tons of energy.
The aspect of home-court advantage wasn’t exactly in play for Philadelphia, leaving the team’s star center, Joel Embiid, to express his displeasure with the situation.
“I love our fans. I think it’s a shame. I’m not calling them out, but it’s disappointing,” Embiid said after Game 4. “Obviously, we have a lot of Knicks fans and they’re down the street, but I’ve never seen it. I’ve been here for 10 years.”
The Sixers thought Knicks fans would travel well in the playoffs, considering New York had good attendance in two games in South Philly during the regular season, but the final two games legitimately felt like a power grab, leaving Embiid fuming .
“It pisses me off a little,” the All-Star concluded. “Philly is considered a sports city. They always showed up and I don’t think that should happen. That’s no good.”