Tyrese Maxey stunned the world and re-energized Sixers fans with his late-game heroics to win Game 5 and send the series back to Philadelphia.
Now, one of the Sixers’ high-profile fans is encouraging everyone to give that energy back — and pack the Wells Fargo Center on Thursday night.
I need the @WellsFargoCtr full of @sixers fans….season tickets holders DO NOT SELL YOUR TICKETS to Knicks fans….I repeat DO NOT SELL YOUR TICKERS to Knicks fans! Pour into our @sixers! We can really do this ish man!!!
Dawn Staley urged Sixers season ticket holders not to sell their season tickets to Knicks fans for Thursday’s game, to ensure a dominant home court advantage for the Sixers in Game 6.
Advertisement
“I need the Wells Fargo Center full of Sixers fans,” Staley wrote. “Season ticket holders DO NOT SELL YOUR TICKETS to Knicks fans. I repeat DO NOT SELL YOUR TICKETS to Knicks fans! Pour into our Sixers! We can really do this ish man!!!”
As many Sixers fans saw, Knicks fans came down to Philadelphia in droves to support their team on Sunday. “M-V-P” chants for Jalen Brunson rang down from the crowd throughout the game. After their victory in Game 4, New Yorkers gathered on the concourse to chant for the Knicks and curse a few select Sixers, and they took the party outside, even putting a Knicks jersey on the Wilt Chamberlain statue.
The crowd was so divided that even Joel Embiid called out the number of Knicks fans after the game.
“I love our fans,” Embiid said after Game 4. “I think it’s unfortunate and I’m not calling them out, but it is disappointing. Obviously you’ve got a lot of Knicks fans and they’re down the road and I’ve never seen it, and I’ve been here for 10 years. Yeah, it kind of [ticks] me off, especially because Philly is considered a sports town. They’ve always shown up and I don’t think that should happen. Yeah. It’s not OK.”
Will Sixers fans heed Staley’s call? We’ll find out Thursday.
Sixers Tyrese Maxey and Nicolas Batum celebrate their Game 5, 112-106 overtime win against the Knicks in New York, Tuesday, April 30, 2024.Read moreYong Kim / Staff Photographer
Sixers head coach Nick Nurse and Joel Embiid celebrate their Game 5, 112-106 overtime win against the Knicks in New York, Tuesday, April 30, 2024.Read moreYong Kim / Staff Photographer
Sixers Kyle Lowry and Joel Embiid celebrate their Game 5, 112-106 overtime win against the Knicks in New York, Tuesday, April 30, 2024.Read moreYong Kim / Staff Photographer
Sixers Joel Embiid calls for a timeout with the ball against Knicks Miles McBride during overtime in Game 5 in New York, Tuesday, April 30, 2024.Read moreYong Kim / Staff Photographer
Knicks Jalen Brunson reacts after throwing the ball away in late overtime in Game 5 in New York, Tuesday, April 30, 2024.Read moreYong Kim / Staff Photographer
Sixers Joel Embiid is fouled as he makes a basket against Knicks Miles McBride during overtime in Game 5 in New York, Tuesday, April 30, 2024.Read moreYong Kim / Staff Photographer
Knicks Jalen Brunson lays up the basketball past Sixers Joel Embiid during overtime in Game 5 in New York, Tuesday, April 30, 2024.Read moreYong Kim / Staff Photographer
Sixers Tyrese Maxey after hitting the game-tying three pointer in the fourth quarter to put Game 5 into overtime in New York, Tuesday, April 30, 2024.Read moreYong Kim / Staff Photographer
Sixers Tyrese Maxey shoots the game-tying three pointer against the Knicks during the fourth quarter to put Game 5 into overtime in New York, Tuesday, April 30, 2024.Read moreYong Kim / Staff Photographer
Sixers Joel Embiid reaches for the loose ball against Knicks OG Anunoby during the fourth quarter of Game 5 in New York, Tuesday, April 30, 2024.Read moreYong Kim / Staff Photographer
Sixers Tyrese Maxey passes to Joel Embiid against the Knicks defense during the fourth quarter of Game 5 in New York, Tuesday, April 30, 2024.Read moreYong Kim / Staff Photographer
Sixers Tyrese Maxey scores against Knicks Donte DiVincenzo and Josh Hart, left, during the third quarter of Game 5 in New York, Tuesday, April 30, 2024.Read moreYong Kim / Staff Photographer
Sixers Tyrese Maxey is blocked by Knicks Donte DiVincenzo, left, and OG Anunoby during the third quarter of Game 5 in New York, Tuesday, April 30, 2024.Read moreYong Kim / Staff Photographer
Sixers Joel Embiid is fouled by Knicks Isaiah Hartenstein after putting up points during the third quarter of Game 5 in New York, Tuesday, April 30, 2024.Read moreYong Kim / Staff Photographer
Sixers Kelly Oubre Jr. lays up the basketball against Knicks Jalen Brunson, right, Isaiah Hartenstein, left, and Josh Hart during the third quarter of Game 5 in New York, Tuesday, April 30, 2024.Read moreYong Kim / Staff Photographer
Sixers Tyrese Maxey jumps to the basket against Knicks Josh Hart and past OG Anunoby, left, during the third quarter of Game 5 in New York, Tuesday, April 30, 2024.Read moreYong Kim / Staff Photographer
Sixers Tyrese Maxey goes after the basketball against Knicks Josh Hart in the third quarter of Game 5 in New York, Tuesday, April 30, 2024.Read moreYong Kim / Staff Photographer
Sixers Joel Embiid is called on an offensive foul against Knicks Mitchell Robinson during the second quarter of Game 5 in New York, Tuesday, April 30, 2024.Read moreYong Kim / Staff Photographer
Sixers Kyle Lowry, left, and Tobias Harris double team Knicks OG Anunoby during the second quarter of Game 5 in New York, Tuesday, April 30, 2024.Read moreYong Kim / Staff Photographer
Sixers Tyrese Maxey lays up the ball against Knicks OG Anunoby, left, and Josh Hart during the second quarter of Game 5 in New York, Tuesday, April 30, 2024.Read moreYong Kim / Staff Photographer
Sixers Tyrese Maxey fouls Knicks Miles McBride during the second quarter of Game 5 in New York, Tuesday, April 30, 2024.Read moreYong Kim / Staff Photographer
Sixers Tyrese Maxey is blocked by Knicks OG Anunoby in the second quarter of Game 5 in New York, Tuesday, April 30, 2024.Read moreYong Kim / Staff Photographer
Sixers Paul Reed, right, and Kelly Oubre Jr. double team Knicks Jalen Brunson during the second quarter of Game 5 in New York, Tuesday, April 30, 2024.Read moreYong Kim / Staff Photographer
Sixers head coach Nick Nurse calls over the team during the first quarter of Game 5 against the Knicks in New York, Tuesday, April 30, 2024.Read moreYong Kim / Staff Photographer
Sixers Joel Embiid gets fouled by Knicks Miles McBride, right, with Jalen Brunson during the first quarter of Game 5 in New York, Tuesday, April 30, 2024.Read moreYong Kim / Staff Photographer
Knicks Josh Hart lays up the ball after he’s fouled by Sixers Nicolas Batum during the first quarter of Game 5 in New York, Tuesday, April 30, 2024.Read moreYong Kim / Staff Photographer
Sixers Joel Embiid is blocked by Knicks Isaiah Hartenstein, left, and OG Anunoby during the first quarter of Game 5 in New York, Tuesday, April 30, 2024.Read moreYong Kim / Staff Photographer
Sixers Tyrese Maxey lays up the ball against Knicks Josh Hart during the first quarter of Game 5 in New York, Tuesday, April 30, 2024.Read moreYong Kim / Staff Photographer
Sixers Joel Embiid looses the ball against Knicks Donte DiVincenzo during the first quarter of Game 5 in New York, Tuesday, April 30, 2024.Read moreYong Kim / Staff Photographer
Sixers Tyrese Maxey lays up the ball past Knicks Josh Hart during the first quarter of Game 5 in New York, Tuesday, April 30, 2024.Read moreYong Kim / Staff Photographer
Sixers Kyle Lowry dribbles past Knicks Jalen Brunson during the first quarter of Game 5 in New York, Tuesday, April 30, 2024.Read moreYong Kim / Staff Photographer
Sixers Joel Embiid against Knicks Josh Hart, right, and Isaiah Hartenstein during the first quarter of Game 5 in New York, Tuesday, April 30, 2024.Read moreYong Kim / Staff Photographer
Sixers Tyrese Maxey grabs the basketball past Knicks Donte DiVincenzo during the first quarter of Game 5 in New York, Tuesday, April 30, 2024.Read moreYong Kim / Staff Photographer
Sixers Tyrese Maxey drives to the basket against Knicks Donte DiVincenzo during the first quarter of Game 5 in New York, Tuesday, April 30, 2024.Read moreYong Kim / Staff Photographer
Sixers Joel Embiid blocks Knicks Donte DiVincenzo in the first quarter of Game 5 in New York, Tuesday, April 30, 2024.Read moreYong Kim / Staff Photographer