Sixers Felt a Boost From Limited Fans vs. Spurs on Sunday

Sixers' home court advantage is back.

For the first time since March of 2020, the Wells Fargo Center opened its doors to allow a little over 3,000 fans in the stands to watch the Philadelphia 76ers take on the San Antonio Spurs for the first time this season.

The environment might not have been completely authentic as there was still an extremely limited capacity, but it made a difference for the better. And the Sixers, who didn't have Joel Embiid to rely on, instead relied on the energy from the crowd.

“It was awesome,” said Sixers veteran Tobias Harris. “From the minute we came out, the energy that they provided us, it was long overdue for us to have our fans. We’ve played in a couple of arenas with fans, but it felt like a packed crowd tonight just how loud they were, their energy, and atmosphere. So for us, that was an added boost.”

Harris, who has had an outstanding season so far this year, got to show fans firsthand just how much better he is on this year's Sixers team. In 28 minutes of action, Harris collected 23 points by knocking down 10 of his 18 shots from the field. 

“It was amazing,” said Sixers All-Star Ben Simmons. “The energy is completely different when they’re there. I think it was a great experience for everybody who hasn’t played in Philly that’s on the Philly team now. I think they really understand it. Even if it was 3,000 fans, you can really feel them and feel the energy.”

A message from Tobias Harris to the #Sixers fans pic.twitter.com/6XfgXq4FuO

— Justin Grasso (@JGrasso_) March 14, 2021

Simmons doesn't typically play to the Philly crowd as he's locked in and tuning out the background noise. But on Sunday night against the Spurs, the fourth-year guard couldn't help but interact with the fans on several occasions as he signaled a section to get pumped up and even flexed after a big dunk. 

Knowing how much of a boost Sixers fans give the team night in and night out, Simmons was clearly excited for his newer teammates and head coach to find out how important those screaming fans can be on game night.

“Man, when they were there, and you walked out, it was awesome,” Doc Rivers said. “I thought their noise, their spirit; I thought it got our guys excited. It’s amazing how much we missed the fans and particularly miss our fans. I thought our crowd came like they haven’t been to a game either, and they couldn’t wait to cheer."

Rivers, who met Philly fans for the first time on Sunday, was happy that his team gave everybody something to really cheer about. “They gave us an extra boost, obviously as a team, a little bit of an adrenaline rush of the fans in there," said Sixers guard Seth Curry. "It was a great atmosphere. Obviously, it hasn’t been the same all year with no fans in the arena. I really appreciate the energy they brought all night.”

The fans returned with a bang. Despite the 76ers missing their MVP candidate Joel Embiid, they managed to destroy the San Antonio Spurs 134-99. The Sixers issued San Antonio the worst loss in franchise history this past weekend. Talk about fans motivating the players and bringing the energy.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_ & Instagram: @JGrassoNBA.