The Philadelphia 76ers face a must-win situation on Thursday as they trail the New York Knicks 3-2 in the best-of-seven NBA Eastern Conference quarterfinal.
Hosting what could be the final home game of the season, the 76ers ownership group announced it purchased 2,000 tickets to give to first responders, health care professionals and other Philadelphia-based organizations.
Sixers owners Josh Harris, David Blitzer and David Adelman, along with Fanatics CEO Michael Rubin, jointly purchased the tickets.
"We absolutely CANNOT let Knicks fans take over our arena again," Rubin wrote on X, adding tickets would be distributed once "we know they’re legit Sixers fans and not imposters."
Just 93 miles separate the two cities, making it an easy road game for fans to travel to.
Game 4 of the series was the last time the 76ers were at home. They lost the game 97-92 in front of a large contingent of Knicks fans.
The 76ers needed little help selling out games during the regular season. Philadelphia was one of three NBA clubs that averaged more than 20,000 fans per home game during the 2023-24 season.
The Knicks also posted solid attendance figures, ranking No. 5 in the 30-team league.
The 76ers played slightly better at home this year, going 25-16 at the Wells Fargo Center, while going 22-19 on the road.
The Knicks were 23-18 away from Madison Square Garden and 27-14 at home.
