Joel Embiid does not want a repeat of 2024.
Knicks fans took over Philly’s Wells Fargo Center the last time that New York faced the Sixers in the playoffs.
And after clinching a repeat matchup in the second round, the center had a plea for Sixers ticket-holders.
“I just have a message for our fans,” he began after Philly’s Game 7 win over the Celtics Saturday night.
“Last time we played the Knicks, it felt like [Philadelphia] was Madison Square Garden East. We’re going to need the support. Don’t sell your tickets. This is bigger than you. We need you guys.”
Two years ago, swaths of Knicks fans made the short trip down I-95 for Games 3, 4 and 6 in Philly, causing Embiid to say at the time that the situation “kind of pisses me off.”
Owners Josh Harris, David Blitzer and David Adelman even teamed up with Michael Rubin to buy over 2,000 tickets for that year’s Game 6.
The Knicks ultimately won that game and the series, but Embiid is hoping for better results and support this time around.
“Knicks fans travel — they buy tickets,” he said on Saturday. “There’s going to be people who will sell the tickets because they need the money.
“Don’t do it, we need you guys. We need the support, and we need them to be extremely loud. If you need money, I’ve got you.”
Embiid’s comments came after the No. 7-seeded Sixers stunned the Celtics 109-100 in Boston to complete a 3-1 series comeback and advance to the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
The center, who missed the first three games of the series following an emergency appendectomy in April, shined in the Game 7 as he scored 34 points, grabbed 12 boards and dished out six assists. He averaged 28 points in the series.
He’ll look to keep things rolling when the Knicks host the Sixers for Game 1 on Monday.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
