Josh Hart has faith in resourceful Knicks fans procuring tickets next week in Detroit despite restrictions that could keep New Yorkers from invading Little Caesars Arena for their first-round NBA playoff series.
“After [what happened in] Philly last year, I don’t blame ’em,” Hart said Wednesday, referring to the sea of blue and orange-clad fans at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia during the first round in 2024. “New York, they have the best fans in the world, that’s the one thing that’s different about this fan base is how they travel. It’s cool to see the difference. I was in LA and the Lakers have one of the biggest fan bases in the world. There’s Lakers fans everywhere. So it’s tough to see how they travel, because there’s just so many fans anywhere in the country.
“But then seeing the Knicks fans, you see and you hear everything about everyone’s traveling and getting tickets and flights and those kind of things. So it’s really cool. It’s really cool to see that. And knowing Knicks fans, they’re gonna find a way to get those tickets. So I know they’re not really too stressed. The only way for them not to get those tickets is if the [Pistons] owner buys a couple thousand tickets.”
The Pistons placed geographical restrictions on who can purchase tickets to their home playoff games, although a team spokesman said it was more directed at ticket brokers and not a direct attempt to block Knicks fans from storming their downtown arena when the series shifts back to Motown for Game 3 next Thursday night.
Still, potential ticket buyers for upcoming postseason games in Detroit — which also include Game 4 next Sunday and a potential Game 6 on May 1 — must use a credit card with a mailing address “located in Michigan and in certain parts of Ohio, Indiana and Ontario, Canada,” according to Ticketmaster.
The restrictions obviously would not affect purchases on the secondary market.
“We implemented geo-fencing for two main reasons. First, we saw a high volume of ticket brokers attempting to buy up large blocks of tickets — especially the more affordable options — during our presale,” a Pistons spokesman told The Post on Sunday. “Second, like many teams and organizations across the entertainment industry, we continue to face ongoing threats of fraud. Geo-fencing is one of the tools used to help protect against that and ensure a better experience for our fans.
“This approach is not about keeping any particular group out. It’s about protecting our fans and maintaining the integrity of our ticketing process.”
Knicks fans often have taken over road arenas in Brooklyn, Philadelphia and southeast cities such as Washington, Atlanta, Charlotte, Miami and Orlando — although not usually in Detroit.
The Pistons, who moved from their longtime home The Palace at Auburn Hills to downtown in 2017, improved by 30 wins from an NBA-worst 14-68 mark last season to reach the playoffs for the first time since 2019.
