Tensions seem to be rising at the New York Knicks and the Philadelphia 76ers game. However, it’s not the players that are acting out, but the fans. Wells Fargo Center recently witnessed an unusual sight as a Knicks fan had to be escorted by 7-8 security guards after the individual engaged in a brawl. ‘Escorted’ seems to not fully describe the picture, as the fan was literally dragged out and pushed by security to get him to leave.

Through this action, it is safe to say that the 76ers ownership’s strategy did not work well. A few hours ago, minority owner Michael Rubin revealed he and three others had bought over 2,000 tickets for Game 6 to ensure that no Knicks fans could get their hands on them. Well, not only did some of them get to enter the arena, but they also made their rowdy presence known. Notably, Rubin’s move was not solely intended to just keep Knicks fans out.

It was also a way to honor the “first responders, health care professionals, and other local Philadelphia-based organizations” by handing out the tickets to them. It was a way to get back at the Knicks for the way they thronged the stands at the Wells Fargo Center during Game 4. It was certainly difficult for 76ers players to perform well in their own home arena while the “Let’s go Knicks!” chant dominated the place.

“[It’s] disappointing,” said 76ers star Joel Embiid after Game 4. “I’ve never seen it, and I’ve been here for 10 years. Yeah, it kind of pi**es me off, especially because Philly is considered a sports town. They’ve always shown up, and I don’t think that should happen. Yeah, it’s not OK.”

Despite the 76ers ownership doing their best, Knicks fans managed to enter the arena. Furthermore, even if the stands were filled with a majority of 76ers fans, it didn’t help the home team as they lost their fourth playoff matchup and are now eliminated from the tournament.

Knicks’ head coach believes his team has the ‘best fans in the world’

By securing this recent win to their name, the New York Knicks will now head to the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals. This allowed Tom Thibodeau to discuss many things to look forward to, in the post-game presser. However, it didn’t stop him from giving credit to his rivals for hosting them during the matchup.

“Philly is a great sports town,” said Thibodeau. “Their fans are great. It’s a great basketball city …. It’s a great atmosphere to be in”. Another advantage that the coach felt Philadelphia held was its proximity to New York, which allowed many of the fans to not travel far to watch their favorite team reach the next stage of the tournament. “We feel we have the best fans in the world,” Thibodeau continued. “They travel. They go with us wherever we go.”

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Jalen Brunson was also there to react to the Knicks crowd present in the stands. During his post-game interview, he proceeded to exclaim, “This crowd is crazy. I’m just happy we got enough Knicks fans down here and they didn’t buy all the tickets”.

It may not be easy for New York fans to travel to Indiana when the Knicks clash against the Pacers during the Semi-Finals. However, they sure would give them a ‘warm’ reception whenever a matchup will be held next at Madison Square Garden.