Knicks Fans Call Out NBA All-Star, Look Past Sixers After Game 1

Fans of the New York Knicks were feeling good after a win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday.

Apr 20, 2024; New York, New York, USA; The New York Knicks hype squad performs during a timeout in / Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

The Philadelphia 76ers couldn’t steal their first game in New York.

As they paid a visit to the New York Knicks for Game 1 of the first-round series in the 2024 NBA Playoffs, the Sixers put together a respectable effort but came up short.

The lead changed over four times throughout the outing. The Sixers possessed a lead as big as 13, while the Knicks’ biggest lead was 14.

There were multiple swings of momentum in each team’s favor, but New York’s fourth quarter run allowed them to seal the deal against a hobbled Joel Embiid-led Sixers team.

Heading into the fourth quarter, the Sixers had an 82-79 lead. In the final quarter, they were out-shot, out-rebounded, and out of time. After getting outscored 32-22 in the fourth quarter, the Knicks pulled away with a 111-104 victory to deal the deal in Game 1.

The hostile crowd at Madison Square Garden showed as usual. As fans exited the world famous arena out to the streets of NYC, they engaged in multiple chants as they celebrated an early victory in the playoffs.

One of the chants was aimed at the Atlanta Hawks All-Star, Trae Young, who had nothing to do with Saturday’s game. Another was essentially a shot at the Sixers, as Knicks fans believe their team is on a path to an early series win over Philadelphia.

Coming for Trae Young

Trae Young and the Hawks weren’t in New York on Saturday, but Knicks fans still wanted to express their dislike for the All-Star guard.

A few years back, the Hawks and the Knicks battled it out in an exciting first-round series. Trae Young became villain in Manhattan as he played into the negative chants from Knicks fans en route to a series win over the Knicks. Clearly, Knicks fans want to continue making it known they dislike the star guard.

“We Want Boston”

Knicks fans chanting “WE WANT BOSTON” after tonight’s Game 1 win vs. the 76ers. pic.twitter.com/jKQMniblPP

— ESPN New York (@ESPNNewYork) April 21, 2024

One win has the Knicks faithful confident they’ll be punching their ticket to the second round already. With confidence flowing, fans started making a call for the Boston Celtics shortly after their team took down the 76ers.

There is still a lot of hoops left to be played between the two Atlantic Division rivals. On Monday, the Sixers and the Knicks will battle it out at MSG for Game 2. Then, the series will make its way to Philadelphia for the next two games.

The Sixers and the Knicks will tip-off at 7:30 PM ET on Monday.