NEWYou can now listen to Pakinomist articles!
The Philadelphia 76ers did everything they could to keep their home court packed with their own crowd, but that didn’t stop New York Knicks fans from taking the New Jersey Turnpike south.
Knicks fans invaded Xfinity Mobile Arena as they took a commanding 3-0 lead over the Sixers in the second round of the Eastern Conference semifinals, but Joel Embiid seemed to think a Knicks bias was on the floor as well.
Embiid pointed out that the Knicks had twice as many free throw attempts (32) as the 76ers had (16).
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON Pakinomist
Philadelphia 76ers’ Joel Embiid reacts after a bad call in the first half of Game 3 of the second round of the NBA playoffs against the New York Knicks in Philadelphia on May 8, 2026. (Matt Slocum/AP)
“I think it’s good when New York wins,” Embiid said in an apparent shot at the officials.
“Maybe (some potential fouls) were missed or not. They shot 32 free throws, we had 16. We’re not a team that shoots a lot of 3s. We attack, put the ball on the floor. I don’t know,” he added.
“We’ve just got to have that mentality of just not fouling, I think, and be smart enough to not put ourselves in a position where they’re going to take advantage of that.”
Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid reacts next to guard Tyrese Maxey after a foul call in the third quarter of game three of the second round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs against the New York Knicks at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on May 8, 2026. (Bill Streicher/Imagn Images)
TIKI BARBER TELLS JOEL EMBIID TO ‘STOP BEING A B-TCH’ AFTER COMPLAINING ABOUT KNICKS’ PHYSICALITY
Josh Hart and Mikal Bridges made consecutive baskets that pushed the Knicks’ fourth quarter lead to 92-84. Jalen Brunson, the stone-cold shooter built for these moments, buried a 3 from the top of the arc that made it 95-86 during a 9-0 Knicks run, to the delight of the visiting fans.
Embiid openly pleaded with fans prior to the series not to sell their tickets to New Yorkers. The Sixers limited sales to those in the Philly area, while also donating hundreds of tickets to local first responders.
But thousands of Knicks fans, including Timothée Chalamet, Ben Stiller and Spike Lee, still made it inside.
New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns drives against Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid during the second quarter of game three in the second round of the 2026 NBA playoffs at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on May 8, 2026. (Bill Streicher/Imagn Images)
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE Pakinomist APP
The Knicks will go for the sweep on Sunday in Philly.
