Sixers Are Literally Giving Away Tickets Just to Keep Knicks Fans Out of Their Own Building
The Philadelphia 76ers have officially reached peak desperation. They're donating 500 tickets for each remaining home playoff game to local community groups. Why? Because they can't stop New York Knicks fans from invading their arena and turning it into Madison Square Garden East.
This is their second attempt to solve the problem. First, they tried using Ticketmaster to geographically restrict ticket sales to the greater Philadelphia area. Apparently that didn't work. Now they're just handing away 500 seats per game to area nonprofits, hoping that gets enough of their own supporters in the building to actually make it feel like home.
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Two years ago when these teams met in the first round, Knicks fans completely overran Philadelphia. The building felt like it belonged to New York. So before this series even started, All-Star center Joel Embiid sent out a direct plea to Sixers fans: don't sell your tickets. "Last time we played the Knicks, it felt like this was Madison Square Garden East," Embiid said. "So we're going to need the support. Don't sell your tickets. This is bigger than you. We need you guys."
Community Heroes Fill the Void
The Sixers have committed to donating 250 tickets to front-line medical personnel from Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and Penn Medicine, plus 250 more to other area community groups, for each home game still left to play. It's a decent gesture, sure, but it also underscores how many of their own fans are willing to cash out to Knicks supporters willing to pay premium prices.
The Sixers know the atmosphere they've built at home lately, especially that Game 7 push, is crucial. But they can't count on their own fan base to show up when the price is right for a New York visitor. So they're buying loyalty with donated tickets instead.
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This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.