Heading into Game 4 trailing the New York Knicks 2-1 in their NBA Playoffs matchup, Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers knew they were in for a fight today at the Wells Fargo Center. Yet, after winning their first home game of the series on Thursday, the 76ers had confidence in their ability to even the series at two wins apiece.
What the Sixers didn’t know was that Jalen Brunson was in for the game of his life, scoring a career-high 47 points to help the Knicks take a commanding 3-1 series lead in the 97-92 win.
The 76ers got outplayed, there’s no denying that, but the NBA’s reigning MVP wasn’t happy with the lack of local fan support from fans in Philadelphia.
While the official attendance at Wells Fargo Center was listed at 21,048 spectators on Sunday, which actually exceeds their listed capacity, Embiid says he was disappointed by seeing so many Knicks fans in the stands.
“Disappointing. I love our fans. Think it’s unfortunate and I’m not calling them out, but it is disappointing. Obviously you 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 pisses 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 okay.”
Joel Embiid after Knicks took a 3-1 series lead over 76ers
"Disappointing. I love our fans, think it's unfortunate. I'm not calling them out, but it is disappointing… I've been here for 10 years, kind of pisses me off."
— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) April 28, 2024
– Joel Embiid on the lack of home-court advantage and the significant amount of Knicks fans at Wells Fargo Arena pic.twitter.com/UcGX0LIkrn
The good news is Embiid won’t have to worry about a lack of fan support in the 76ers’ next playoff game. The bad news is his next matchup comes on the road, in the hostile environment at Madison Square Garden, with a Knicks team seeking a 4-1 elimination series win on Tuesday.