The Pistons placed geographical restrictions on who can purchase tickets to their home playoff games, but said the tactic is not an attempt to keep Knicks supporters away from Little Caesars Arena, according to a team spokesman.
Potential ticket buyers for upcoming playoff games in Detroit — which include Games 3 and 4 of the first-round series versus the Knicks — must produce a credit card with a mailing address “located in Michigan and in certain parts of Ohio, Indiana and Ontario, Canada,” according to Ticketmaster.
The move prompted assumptions on social media that the Pistons were maintaining Detroit’s home-court crowd advantage by blocking the well-traveling Knicks fans, who invaded Philadelphia last season for the playoffs.
However, the Pistons said they’re “geo-fencing” to restrict other people — specifically brokers and frauds.
“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. “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,” a Pistons spokesman told The Post. “It’s about protecting our fans and maintaining the integrity of our ticketing process.”Knicks fans tend to overwhelm opposing arenas, but not Detroit, which has a loyal fan base that is fired up over the franchise’s first winning season since 2015-16. The franchises in the Southeast Division — Washington Wizards, Charlotte Hornets, Atlanta Hawks, Miami Heat and Orlando Magic — have a bigger problem with Knicks fans takeovers.
Beginning this weekend, the Knicks and Pistons, who haven’t faced off in a postseason series since 1992, play Games 1, 2, 5 (if necessary) and 7 (if necessary) at MSG. Games 3, 4 and 6 (if necessary) are in Detroit.
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