The Philadelphia 76ers are entering the second round with sky-high confidence as the first seven-seed to ever topple a #2 seed. However, they know that talent alone might not be enough to keep this series against the New York Knicks competitive—they need a hostile home-court advantage. Haunted by the “ghosts” of their 2024 playoff exit and responding to a direct plea from superstar Joel Embiid, the franchise has implemented a strategy to ensure the crowd remains loyal to the red, white, and blue.

“Sales to this event will be restricted to residents of Greater Philadelphia area,” according to a notice on the team’s website. “Residency will be based on credit card billing address. Orders by residents outside Greater Philadelphia area will be canceled without notice and refunds given.” The franchise is leaving no room for loopholes and has officially geo-fenced its ticket sales. This drastic measure stems from the bitter lessons of the 2024 first-round series against New York, as the home court had transformed into “unfriendly territory.”

Many Knicks fans bought tickets for the three games in Philadelphia to cheer on their team, making the then-Wells Fargo Center feel like another Madison Square Garden. The Sixers’ star center doesn’t want that to happen again. “I just have a message for our fans,” Embiid said after Saturday’s Game 7 win over the Boston Celtics.

“We’re gonna need the support, don’t sell your tickets. This is bigger than you, we need you guys. The atmosphere that we’ve had the last couple of games in Philly, especially the last one, pushing it to game seven. I mean, we need all of it. There’s gonna be some people who need the money. ‘I’m probably gonna sell tickets,’ but don’t do it; we need you guys; we’ve got a pretty good chance, we’re gonna need our support. We’re gonna need them to be extremely loud. And if you need money, I’ve got you, ” Joel Embiid jokingly concluded.

While the last line might have been a joke, the feelings from the encounter two years ago aren’t. Knicks star Jalen Brunson received booming “MVP! MVP!” chants in the Game 4 victory in 2024 after Knicks fans poured into Philadelphia. Joel Embiid hasn’t forgotten the “disappointing” atmosphere. “Obviously, you got a lot of Knicks fans, and they’re down the road, and I’ve never seen it, and I’ve been here for 10 years,” Embiid remarked at the time. This isn’t the first time Philadelphia has tried to block the methods of the away fans.

The 76ers’ ownership group—including Josh Harris, David Blitzer, and Michael Rubin — two years ago bought more than 2000 tickets after the series was extended to Game 6. They distributed it to local first responders and health care professionals. Despite these expensive efforts, Knicks fans have historically found ways to infiltrate the building.

Sixers fans are divided on the ruling, despite Joel Embiid’s appeal

The decision has left the local fanbase split. According to reporting from CBS Philadelphia, only about half of the 76ers faithful are fully behind the residency ruling. Reporter Eva Andersen spoke to the fans at the Shibe Vintage Sports in Center City, and a fan said, “Love it. Let’s get all these Knicks fans out of here. New Yorkers, no way.” While another Philly faithful disagreed and stated playoff vibes are better when “enemies are inside the building.”

While they stay divided, Knicks’ Josh Hart knows the “persistent” New Yorker won’t mind taking over again. “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 said. With Philadelphia being less than a two-hour drive or a quick train ride from New York, and tickets in Philly often trending significantly cheaper than the astronomical prices at Madison Square Garden, the Knicks fans can once again establish an advantage.

The Get in prices for Game 1 and Game 2 at MSG are $503 and $507, respectively, and compared to Game 3 and 4 at the Xfinity mobile Arena ($278 and $262), it’s nearly double. That’s why the Sixers have put in such measures to avoid the repeat of the 2024 scenario. Even Joel Embiid pleaded to the fans as he is also fighting to be fit for the series opener. Currently, The Process is listed as probable with a right hip contusion. But many predict him to start and actually lead the franchise to the NBA Finals.