PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The Sixers have had one of the more dominant home-court advantages in the NBA in recent years. Although they were 16-3 this season headed into the weekend, one very important aspect was missing: the fans.
The 76ers dazzled fans Sunday night for the first time in more than a year, with 3,071 in attendance at the Wells Fargo Center — deemed a “sellout” by the official NBA box score.
The last time fans attended a home game was March 11, 2020, the night the NBA suspended the 2020 season due to the coronavirus pandemic.
“Man, when you were there and you walked out, it was awesome,” said Sixers head coach Doc Rivers, who is in his first year with the organization. “Our crowd came like they hadn’t been to a game either, and they couldn’t wait to cheer. Fortunately, we gave them something to cheer for.”
The Sixers cruised past the San Antonio Spurs, 134-99. That blowout was a gift to fans in the crowd, and it was evident too that players fed off their energy.
The night started with a tradition: Philadelphia fans welcomed the Spurs with boos and “SUCKS” chants. Then, before the opening tip-off, Tobias Harris and the team gathered at center court to share a message with the fans.
“We’re so happy to see you guys up in the seats,” Harris said. “We’ve missed you.”
This was not the first time the 76ers played in front of limited crowds. Other cities have welcomed spectators back sooner than Philadelphia, but Ben Simmons said this game was different.
“Wells Fargo 3,000 was completely different to Phoenix, Utah, Orlando,” he said. “It was just completely different. It feels like a packed arena.”
Even without Joel Embiid — who is out for at least two weeks with a left knee bone bruise — the Sixers held the DeMar DeRozan-less Spurs to 47 second-half points and one below 100 for the game. The Sixers are 6-0 this season when they hold opponents to under 100.
Meantime, they shot at least 50% for the fifth game in a row, which included 78.2% in the third quarter, and they won in convincing fashion for the third time in three games after the All-Star break.