PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — “It’s chaos!” But in a good way, as one young fan put it.
For the first time since before the COVID-19 pandemic began, a nearly full crowd packed the Wells Fargo Center for a Philadelphia 76ers playoff series-clinching win.
The first game since the lifting of COVID-19 capacity restrictions happened Wednesday night, as the Sixers won Game 5 of the NBA Eastern Conference Playoffs first round series against the Washington Wizards.
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Even before the arena parking lots opened outside the Center at 5 p.m., plenty of fans in Sixers red, white and blue streamed off the subway into the sports complex area and into nearby pubs, restaurants and other gathering spots.
When they opened the parking lots to vehicles, it felt like floodgates opened. KYW Newsradio's Andrew Kramer found fans who could not contain their excitement.
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"It's been a crazy year. I work in a hospital. I've seen the worst of the worst. I'm so excited to get back to a full crowd," said one woman attending the game.
More than an hour before tipoff, the pregame entry line extended past the Ed Snider statue.
Those fans then poured into the arena.
About 45 minutes from tipoff, Andrew estimated that there were already more people inside the arena than had attended any individual game for the season.
Fans also received code of conduct reminders after three fan-related incidents during the playoffs, two of them during the Sixers-Wizards series.
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Then the arena bowl filled for tipoff, with the energy that was normal for years in playoff season, but which has become an abnormal experience compared to the last 15 months.
“It’s wonderful, I’m a season ticket holder, I’ve been coming to the games in small capacity...people are thrilled,” said Eric Marturino.
“There’s that moment at the beginning of the pandemic where you think I don’t know where this is going, but here we are. I’m happy to be here. Hopefully we stay here and things get more and more back to normal.”
One fan even took a tow truck transporting his non-functional vehicle to the arena, knowing he did not know how he would be able to get home. It didn't matter.
Just like a possible crowd of 20,000 others, he just wanted to be there.