The Philadelphia 76ers are taking a creative approach to home-court advantage, donating hundreds of playoff tickets to local heroes in a bid to keep rival fans out of their building. With the Knicks holding a commanding 2-0 lead in the second-round series, the Sixers announced they've given away 500 tickets for each of their upcoming home games at Xfinity Mobile Arena.

For Friday night's Game 3, the seats will go to medical professionals from Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and Penn Medicine, along with local educators. Sunday's Game 4, a Mother's Day matinee, will feature 500 moms and their children in attendance. The team says the initiative is designed to "ensure Philadelphia's passionate fans are in the building this weekend."

This isn't the first time the Sixers have tried to keep the blue and orange out. Before the 2024 first-round series, team ownership—including Josh Harris, David Blitzer, and Fanatics CEO Michael Rubin—purchased over 2,000 tickets for Game 6 and distributed them to local groups. That effort didn't stop the Knicks from closing out the series in Philadelphia with a 118-115 win.

The concern is real: during that 2024 matchup, Knicks fans flooded the arena, with Joel Embiid famously calling it "Madison Square Garden East." The All-Star center issued a passionate plea to the home crowd ahead of this rematch. "Don't sell your tickets," Embiid urged. "This is bigger than you. We need you guys. The atmosphere we've had the last couple games in Philly, especially the last one pushing it to Game 7, I mean, we need all of it."

Knicks forward Josh Hart, however, isn't fazed by the ticket restrictions. "Good thing about New Yorkers, man, they're persistent," he said with a grin. "They don't care, bro. They're going to do it, man."

For fans on both sides, this series is shaping up to be a battle not just on the court, but in the stands. Whether you're repping the red, white, and blue or the orange and blue, make sure you're geared up for the playoff intensity—there's nothing like the energy of a packed arena when every possession matters.