New York took a commanding 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series against Philadelphia this Sunday afternoon with a 97-92 win, aa the game was marked by Jalen Brunson’s record breaking 47 points and the fact that a sea of Knicks fans invaded the Wells Fargo Center.
Once the game was over, rival Joel Embiid admitted that he wasn’t too happy after hearing so many away fans inside his home arena. “Disappointing,” the big man revealed. “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.
“[But] 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 OK.”
FUCK EMBIID chants in Wells Fargo. The Knicks fans have taken over @BarstoolNYC
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) April 28, 2024
Believe it or not, it was even cheaper for New York fans to travel all the way to Philly to show support for their team, as Madison Square Garden tickets cost at least double the price at the Wells Fargo Center. The Manhattan crowd sure made their presence known this Sunday.
Despite the hordes of Knicks’ supporters, the Sixers players showed appreciation for their own fan base. “Our crowd did a great job,” Tyrese Maxey said. “We appreciate them. It’s a close two organizations. Like they’re right up the street from us, honestly. So, it is what it is, and you just got to go out there and you got to defeat that.”
Despite knowing how much love New York has for their NBA team, and how badly they’ve been waiting for a run like this in the playoffs, Brunson admitted that he was also surprised to witness so many Knicks fans shouting around the arena.
“Not going to lie, this Philadelphia fan base, I’ve said this before, they’re very relentless, very passionate,” the guard said. “I mean, I’m an Eagles fan. I would know. But seeing the Knicks, hearing the Knicks here is pretty cool. It’s awesome.”
Jalen Brunson Breaks Knicks’ Playoff-Scoring Record With 47-Point Display Vs. Sixers
Just after Jalen Brunson powered his team through a 97-92 triumph in Philadelphia and took another step towards the playoff’s second round at 3-1 in the series, he told the press he would remember this moment forever. “I’ll look back when I retire,” he said. “Seriously. It’s great right now, it helped us get a win. But it’s not going to do anything for us going forward.”
The guard dropped 47 points and broke New York‘s postseason-scoring record, while also becoming the first Knick to post at least 40 points and 10 assists in a playoff match. Jalen also turned into the third athlete to have at least 45 points, 10 assists and 1 or none turnovers in the big stages, joining only Kevin Johnson and Damian Lillard.
The New York squad has been through a lot this campaign, especially after they played short handed by injuries at least the entire second half of regular season. Now, they’ve learned to play without stars like Julius Randle, and their coach is convinced that the team continues to improve throughout the year.
“I think we learned that throughout the course of the season,” said Knicks’ Tom Thibodeau, when explaining the secret formula behind his squad’s success. “Jalen has played at such an incredible high level all season long, and we can play off that.”
