Josh Hart after Knicks fans' road invasion: 'I used to think Philly was a sports town'

Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News on May 11, 2026

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NEW YORK — Josh Hart is among the New York Knicks who played college basketball at Villanova, so he knows a thing or two about Philadelphia sports.

But the Knicks fans’ jarring takeover of Philly’s Xfinity Mobile Arena over the weekend just might have changed his perspective.

“I used to think Philly was a sports town,” Hart said with a smile Sunday after the Knicks completed a sweep of the Philadelphia 76ers in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

“I don’t know if it is anymore.”

In a scene reminiscent of the teams’ 2024 first-round series, an overwhelming contingent of Knicks fans invaded the Sixers’ home arena and, well, made itself right at home.

During Sunday afternoon’s series-ending Game 4 — which the Knicks won, 144-114 — the New York fans booed Joel Embiid loudly and taunted him with posters showing Mitchell Robinson dunking on him two days earlier.

They roared when Robinson made back-to-back free throws, then stuck around to chant “Knicks in 4” at a similar decibel as the so-called “Mother’s Day massacre” neared its merciful end.

And they continued to party postgame, both inside and out of the arena. Some rowdy revelers even surrounded reporter Cheyenne Corin of the local TV station 6abc as she conducted a live broadcast from the concourse — a viral moment that she impressively took in stride.

“It absolutely sucks, if I’m being honest,” 76ers star Tyrese Maxey said of the Knicks fans’ presence. “It just sucks, bro. It just sucks, man. It sucks. That’s all I can really say about it.”

Ahead of the series, Embiid urged Philly fans not to sell their tickets, eager to avoid a repeat of the Knicks fans’ 2024 incursion.

The Sixers took part in that effort, too, by restricting original ticket sales to residents of the Greater Philadelphia area and by donating seats to local community groups.

But that wasn’t enough to deter Knicks fans — not with Philadelphia a mere 90 miles away from Manhattan, and not with how much cheaper the tickets were compared to games at Madison Square Garden.

By Friday afternoon, the ticket resale marketplace TickPick said nearly 61% of purchases through their platform for that night’s Game 3 had come from New York and New Jersey, compared to 21.7% from Pennsylvania.

At that time, 66% of TickPick purchases for Sunday’s Game 4 had come from New York and New Jersey, compared to 17.3% from Pennsylvania.

“It felt louder here for them than it did in the Garden,” Maxey said after Sunday’s loss. “But we’ve got to put a stop to it as a team. Winning these games, that’s what’s gonna make our fans louder than theirs. I don’t know how to keep them out. I don’t know the logistics of it. But it does suck. I can’t even lie.”

The Knicks treated the fans who made the trip to a historic performance, making 12 of their first 13 attempts from 3-point range and tying an NBA record with 18 made 3-pointers in the first half.

They finished 25 of 44 (56.8%) on 3-pointers as they wrapped up their fourth win by at least 29 points in this postseason.

“I know that we travel well, and obviously, being close to New York helps,” said Knicks star Jalen Brunson, who also played at Villanova. “It’s a really cool feeling. It’s something I will always think is one of the coolest things in the world, when you hear Knicks fans in opposing arenas. It’s a really cool feeling. I can’t lie.”

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