Josh Hart and the Knicks delivered New York’s first four-game playoff sweep since 1999 by eliminating the Philadelphia 76ers.
Josh Hart knows well how passionate Philadelphia sports fans can be. The New York Knicks forward won a national championship at Villanova University, right in the heart of Philly.
But after New York closed out a four-game second-round sweep over the 76ers at Xfinity Mobile Arena—a venue that felt like Madison Square Garden due to the overwhelming presence of Knicks fans—Hart had a change of heart.
“I used to think Philly was a sports town,” Hart said after the game. “I don’t know if it is anymore.”
There was no official count of how many Knicks fans showed up compared to home supporters, but a telling moment came when 76ers star Joel Embiid was booed as his face appeared on the giant video screen just before tip-off.
When these teams met in the 2024 playoffs, Knicks fans took over Philadelphia. Embiid had pleaded with 76ers fans not to sell their tickets ahead of this year’s series. Clearly, his plea didn’t work.
With Philadelphia down 0-3 on Mother’s Day and the Phillies playing across the parking lot at the same time, locals seemingly weren’t eager to keep New York fans out of Xfinity Mobile Arena.
“It absolutely sucks,” Sixers star guard Tyrese Maxey said afterward. “That’s all I can really say about it. It’s hard. It’s definitely difficult.”
“There’s only one way to put a stop to it, and we have to go out there and win these games. Being completely honest, we played better against them at The Garden all season. I know we lost Games 1 and 2, but Game 2 was better, and the regular season was better. I told them, it felt louder here for them than in The Garden.”
For Knicks fans, it’s cheaper to see New York play in Philadelphia than at Madison Square Garden, where ticket prices have skyrocketed. Philadelphia is roughly 90 miles from Manhattan—a little over a 90-minute drive without traffic.
