After Game 4′s New York invasion, Dawn Staley urges Sixers fans not to sell their Game 6 tickets
“I need the Wells Fargo Center full of Sixers fans,” Staley wrote on social media.
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.
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.
“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.
» READ MORE: Tyrese Maxey saves Sixers’ season with miracle performance in 112-106 Game 5 overtime win
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.