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The Philadelphia 76ers did their best to keep their stadium filled with their own crowd, but that didn’t stop New York Knicks fans from taking the New Jersey Turnpike south.
Knicks fans swarmed Xfinity Mobile Arena as they took a 3-0 lead over the Sixers in the second round of the Eastern Conference semifinals, but Joel Embiid seemed to believe there was some Knicks bias on the court, too.
Embiid noted that the Knicks attempted twice as many free throws (32) as the 76ers (16).
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Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers reacts after a foul called during the first half of Game 3 of their second-round NBA playoff series 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 attack on the referees.
“Maybe (some possible fouls) were missed or not. They shot 32 free throws, we had 16. We’re not a team that shoots a lot of three-pointers. We attack, we put the ball on the floor. I don’t know,” he added.
“I guess we just have to have that mentality of not fouling, and be smart enough to not put ourselves in a position where they take advantage of it.”
Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid reacts next to guard Tyrese Maxey after a foul during 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/Image Images)
TIKI BARBER TELLS JOEL EMBIID TO ‘STOP BEING A B-TCH’ AFTER COMPLAINING ABOUT THE KNICKS’ PHYSICALITY
Josh Hart and Mikal Bridges made back-to-back baskets that pushed the Knicks’ lead in the fourth quarter to 92-84. Jalen Brunson, the cool shooter built for these moments, hit a three-pointer from the top of the arc that made the score 95-86 during a 9-0 Knicks run, much to the delight of visiting fans.
Before the series, Embiid openly pleaded with fans not to sell their tickets to New Yorkers. The Sixers limited sales to those in the Philadelphia 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 got inside.
New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns faces Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid during the second quarter of game three of the second round of the 2026 NBA playoffs at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on May 8, 2026. (Bill Streicher/Image Images)
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The Knicks will look to sweep Sunday in Philadelphia.
