76ers G Tyrese Maxey was “not happy” that Knicks fans took over the 76ers’ home arena in the playoffs, capped off by a sweep on Sunday. The Knicks won Game 4 144-114 “in front of a pro-Knicks crowd at Xfinity Mobile Arena.” Maxey said, “It absolutely sucks, if I’m being honest.” He added, “It felt louder here for them than it did in the Garden. We got to put a stop to it as a team. Winning these games, that’s gonna make our fans louder than theirs or whatever. I don’t know how to keep them out” (Newark STAR-LEDGER, 5/10). The Knicks presence in Philadelphia was “so overwhelming the arena cranked up both the music and the public-address announcer in a futile attempt to drown out” Knicks fans (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 5/10).
Knicks fans “made a habit of scooping up tickets by the thousands at the Sixers’ arena for playoffs games over the years” and Game 4 was the fan base’s “loudest statement yet.” Fans “raised brooms outside the arena and waved ‘Always Knicks’ towels once inside, all while noisily neutering the few Sixers fans that didn’t make a few extra bucks on the secondary market and stuck around.” The 76ers’ franchise “failed to stop Knicks fans in their effort to buy tickets” (AP, 5/10).
