Joel Embiid’s worst fear came true. After completing a 3-1 comeback against the Celtics, The Process knew the Knicks were up next. “Last time we played the Knicks, it felt like this was Madison Square Garden East,” said Embiid. The former MVP craved to see a wave of Philadelphia 76ers fans becoming a factor in this series. What happened instead was another takeover.

The same Embiid, who is carrying multiple injuries, had to face the crowd’s wrath at the Xfinity Mobile Arena. The 76ers’ cornerstone was booed when at the free-throw line. The arena was visibly colored in Knicks fans, celebrating every run as if it were really Madison Square Garden. They didn’t need celebrities to be courtside.

“Good thing about New Yorkers, man, they’re persistent. They don’t care, bro. They’re going to do it, man,” Knicks forward Josh Hart had predicted. This was, although the ticket sales were limited to Philadelphia residents. As an organization, the 76ers tried to keep the Knicks fandom as far away from the arena as they could. But in this case, resilience won.

And the fans became pivotal in motivating the Knicks as they fought back to steal Game 3 of the series on the road. A moment at the end of the game summed everything up. As Mike Brown pulled his starters, Josh Hart walked back to the bench to a rapturous applause. Knicks fans didn’t let the team feel the difference between being at home and being on the road.

A crowd to call your own: considered the greatest strength in the NBA playoffs was stolen from the 76ers. Or rather, the teams’ fans dug their own grave. They were outnumbered and silenced. Kelly Oubre Jr. just saw clueless, appearing to say “I don’t know, man” as he heard the same roar and passion from the first two games of the series.

Knicks take 3, Joel Embiid’s wait on verge of remaining unfulfilled

The most absurd things have happened with the 76ers. In 2019, a miracle shot from Kawhi Leonard ended their season. Since then, the franchise talisman, Joel Embiid’s rotten luck with injuries, has regularly sparked around playoff time. It feels like a curse at times. But after showing an incredible character against the Celtics, this seemed to be the year to do something they’ve never done.

The 76ers took an early 12-point lead in the first quarter. However, the Knicks, using the crowd’s fervor at the Xfinity Mobile Arena, came back before Philly could even react. They now stand with a 3-0 lead in this series. No team has ever overturned that scoreline. Joel Embiid’s chances of snapping a 12-year drought not making the conference finals have slimmed down to a fraction.

Although without OG Anunoby, the Knicks still had Jalen Brunson. The captain scored 33 points to go with 9 assists in just 38 minutes. Mikal Bridges remained productive, with 2 points in the 108-94 win. The Knicks shot 50% from the field. They also recorded twice the number of free throw attempts compared to the 76ers’ 16.

As for Philadelphia, this was another double-digit loss with Joel Embiid on the court. Across two games in the series, the 76ers have been outscored by 33 points with the star center on the floor. The Knicks have managed to hold him below 20 points both times. Embiid recorded just 18 tonight, ranking only behind Kelly Oubre Jr. in scoring for the 76ers.

Tyrese Maxey and Paul George only combined for 32 points. The 76ers’ 94 points were never going to be enough. But now, with a home arena lost to a Knicks invasion, the chances of coming back from their position appear bleak.