PHILADELPHIA — Normally, the Philadelphia 76ers have one of the best home-court advantages in the NBA. The passionate fans of Philadelphia fill up the Wells Fargo Center on a nightly basis and show support for their team.
That was not the case in games 3 and 4 against the New York Knicks. Sure, there were likely more Sixers fans in both games, but the Knicks fans that made the trip let their voices be heard. The arena felt like a neutral site game rather than a home-court game for Philadelphia.
“Disappointing,” said Joel Embiid after the Game 4 loss to the Knicks. “I love our fans. I think it’s unfortunate. I’m not calling them out, but it is disappointing. Obviously, we got a lot of Knicks fans and they’re down the road, but I’ve never seen it. I’ve been here 10 years.”
The city of Philadelphia is a big sports town. The fans show up for the Sixers, Phillies, Eagles, Flyers and every other Philadelphia sports team–professional or college. The Knicks fans didn’t care about any of that.
“It kinda pisses me off,” Embiid finished. “Especially, because Philly is considered a sports town. They’ve always shown up, and I don’t think that should happen. It’s not OK.”
The Sixers are facing elimination and look to keep their season alive on Tuesday when they head back to New York for Game 5.
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