Jalen Brunson playing for the New York Knicks in 2024. Photo by Rob Carr via Getty Images
The New York Knicks returned the favor to the Philadelphia 76ers following a dramatic Game 6 win, after the 76ers defeated them in Game 5 to send the series back south. But it would be there where the series would stay after the Knicks defeated the Sixers on Thursday night.
The Knicks officially earned the right to move on to the NBA Conference Semifinals, where they will face the Indiana Pacers. Throughout the series, Knicks fans made their presence known down at the Wells Fargo Center, most noticeably taking it over after the Knicks’ won Game 4 there. That caused Joel Embiid to speak out about it, calling the takeover disappointing.
The 76ers attempted to thwart the Knicks’ fans presence at Game 6 following their takeover of Game 4, but it hardly worked. As the seconds ticked down to New York’s 118-115 victory, and the right to advance to the next round, their faithful once again took over the Sixers’ arena. Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau spoke about that and his fans.
“I think the proximity to New York when we end up having a lot of fans here as well, we feel we have the best fans in the world,” said Thobodeau. “They travel, so they go with us wherever we go. But it’s great to play in that atmosphere where there’s so much passion amongst the fans.”
Buying Up Tickets
Prior to Game 6, Sixers owner Michael Rubin and the subsequent ownership purchased over 2,000 tickets in order to reserve them for Philadelphia fans. This was done in order to attempt to counter Knicks fans from purchasing tickets to the game, but whether or not the move worked is up for debate
Thibodeau did go on to praise the Philadelphia fans, citing that like New York, the city is a sports town full of passionate fans. However, it appears that the Knicks fans simply outdueled them in this matchup.
“Philly’s a great sports town. I coached here a couple years, a long time ago,” Thibodeau continued. “It’s just that their fans are great. It’s a great basketball city in terms of great high school basketball, great college basketball, and a great pro team with a rich history, so it’s a great atmosphere to be in.”
Taking The Series
After the Knicks came out storming in the first quarter, taking a 22-point lead at 33-11, the Sixers would mount the comeback, making their lead as large as 10, in the third quarter. The fourth quarter would be a back-and-forth affair which saw these two evenly-matched teams exchange blows.
However, with 24 seconds remaining, Josh Hart silenced his shooting demons, making a critical go-ahead three pointer which gave the Knicks the permanent 118-115 lead. All in all, not one game in this series was a blowout, with every game being a close affair. In the six games, the Knicks outscored the Sixers just 650 to 649 total.
Regardless, the Sixers’ season is over, and the Knicks’ season will continue. They will face the Indiana Pacers at Madison Square Garden on Monday night.
