Knicks fans showed up to Wells Fargo Center on Sunday afternoon and made their presence known while their team took a commanding 3-1 series lead.
Loud chants of “MVP” rained down on Jalen Brunson as he set a Knicks playoff record with 47 points in the win for New York, while cheers of “Deuceeee” broke out when Miles “Deuce” McBride knocked down a 3-pointer.
Sixers fans tried to drown out the chants with boos during game four, but the presence of Knicks fans was palpable, even to the players and Joel Embiid.
“Disappointed,” Embiid said. “I love our fans. I think it’s unfortunate - and I’m not calling them out - but it is disappointing. Obviously you got a lot of Knicks fans, they’re down the road. I’ve never seen it, and I’ve been here for 10 years. Yeah, it kind of pisses me off, especially because Philly is considered a sports town. They’ve always shown up. I don’t think that should happen.
“Yeah, it’s not OK.”
The Knicks, coming off their most successful regular season in 11 years, have captured New York City in 2024, leading many fans to take the short trip down the Turnpike and invade South Philly. They celebrated outside the arena after the 97-92 victory, needing just one more win to bounce the Sixers and advance to the conference semifinals for the second straight season.