Jason Burgos
A new report suggests close to half of Rocket Arena — the home of the Cleveland Cavaliers — will be filled with New York Knicks fans for Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
Yes, the Knicks have not won an NBA championship since 1973. And in the decades since, they have had many rough seasons. Yet, despite the poor treatment their fanbase has endured over the last 50 years, there is no better, more loyal fanbase in the NBA than Knicks fans — and they travel.
New York is one of the few teams where lovers of the franchise can be found in nearly every city, and in some places, they take over the arena. Cities like Washington, DC, Miami, Atlanta, and Philadelphia can be like a second home court for Knicks players. That is why Joel Embiid implored 76ers fans to stop NYC diehards from taking over their home arena ahead of their semifinals series.
That request fell on deaf ears, and Knicks fans showed up in stunning numbers in Games 3 and 4 of that series. But will they travel to Ohio for Games 3 and 4 of the Conference Finals against the Cavaliers? It seems they will.
41% of Game 3: Knicks vs. Cavs sold to New York and New Jersey residents
According to the third-party ticket-selling platform TickPick, close to 42% of ticket sales for Game 3 of Knicks vs. Cavaliers came from New York and New Jersey. The site claims 31.2% were from New York and 10.5% from New Jersey.
A couple of weeks ago, TickPick revealed 59% of tickets for Game 3 and 66% of tickets for Game 4 versus the Sixers game from NY and NJ. Obviously, the numbers are not as big for the next game versus the Cavaliers. However, close to half of the arena being New York fans for a huge playoff game is still an impressive number. Further showing how ravenous Knicks fans are to watch their team get to the Finals next month.
