Evan says Knicks fans invading the Wells Fargo Center to watch their team put the 76ers on the brink of elimination may have been the biggest embarrassment a Philly team has ever suffered against a New York rival.
In any sport.
There have been other candidates, like Tiki’s Giants suffocating the Eagles in the 2000 divisional round, or the Yankees denying the Phillies a chance of becoming the first team to repeat as World Series champions since the Yanks did it in 2000, but Evan says Sunday stands above them all, especially when considering the circumstances, the atmosphere, and the eventual final result.
“What we witnessed on Sunday afternoon in that city, with that sound, with that performance, with the guts and guile off the court, and the loudness of the court, I think that was as embarrassing a New York vs. Philly moment that they’ve ever experienced, and maybe as proud of a New York/Philly moment as we’ve experienced,” Evan said. “They should be embarrassed.”
It wasn’t just that the Knicks went in and beat the Sixers, or that Jalen Brunson heard “MVP” chants in a visiting building, or that New York fans took over the arena after the game, celebrating and hanging a jersey on the Wilt Chamberlain statue outside. It was also how the celebration was earned, as the Knicks dominated the offensive glass and seemed to outwork Philly with momentum in the series hanging in the balance.
“Every loose ball, the Knicks got. Every 50/50 ball, the Knicks got,” Evan said. “The cliché is, the Knicks wanted it more. Here’s what’s not a cliché…New York Knick fans want it more. That’s a reality, and a testament to every Knick fan listening, and every single one of you that got in your car, or on the Amtrak, and said ‘we’re going down there.’ Respect for that.”