The last time the New York Knicks and 76ers took part in postseason action out in Philadelphia, Xfinity Mobile Arena seemed to be filled to the brim with fans donning orange and blue threads, making the atmosphere feel more like a game out at MSG.
This time around, the Sixers are publicly pleading with their fans to help them avoid seeing such a turnout in Games 3 and 4.
Point guard Kyle Lowry seems rather confident that Philly fans will come out and support, as he said during Thursday's appearance on NBA on Prime, "I think our crowd, our city, we're gonna show up… I really, truly believe that."
Unfortunately for him, however, recent findings from the secondary ticket marketplace platform TickPick suggest he could be in for a real gut-punch reality check right out of the gate for their two-game homestand, as their records show that 56.11 percent of purchases made for Friday night's Game 3 matchup have come from New York and New Jersey zip codes.
Considering many die-hard Knicks fans have been priced out of seeing their beloved ball club play at the Garden due to disgusting price-gouging practices, coupled with the fact that Philadelphia is roughly a two-and-a-half-hour car ride away from the metro area, it makes sense that they'd be willing to take the trek across state lines.
Joel Embiid begging 76ers fans to take his money ahead of Knicks game
Hilariously enough, the 76ers have become so desperate to avoid a repeat of the 2024 quarterfinals that Joel Embiid is literally offering cash incentives to get them to attend.
That's right, after Philadelphia officially punched its ticket to a round-two matchup against the Knicks, the 2024 league MVP pleaded with his fans not to sell their tickets, going so far as to offer financial assistance, saying, “If you need the money, I got you.”
Now, granted, Embiid is in a good enough spot with his finances that he can afford to make good on this offer. Being he just inked a ridiculous three-year, $193 million extension that hasn't even kicked in yet, doing so likely wouldn't make a dent in his bank account.
Regardless, the mere fact that the superstar center is going to such lengths to entice the Philadelphia crowd to cheer the 76ers on is incredibly comical.
Unfortunately for him, based on the previously mentioned data, it seems these efforts and offerings may be all for naught.
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