Pistons restricting ticket sales to limit Knicks fans

The Detroit Pistons have not hosted a playoff game at Little Caesars Arena in six years and are intent on not allowing the Knicks fans to take over when they meet in Game 3 and 4 in the opening round of the postseason. The Pistons are restricting sales to locals only as they put playoff tickets on sale.

There are no dates set yet for those games, but the Pistons already moved to try to keep their home games from mimicking those that Knicks fans have crowded into and sounded louder than the home fans. That most recently happened in Philadelphia last season in the opening round of the playoffs.

On Ticketmaster when heading to the page for Pistons postseason tickets this message was posted at the top of the page.

“To better serve local fans looking to attend the playoff games at Little Caesars Arena, the Detroit Pistons are restricting tickets sales to customers located in Michigan and in certain parts of Ohio, Indiana, and Ontario, Canada, as determined by the Pistons and subject to change.

A customers eligibility to purchase tickets for this game is determined by the credit card billing address utilized for the transaction. Orders by customers with a billing address outside the restricted sales area will be canceled without notice, and those customers will receive a refund”

This will not restrict fans from buying on the secondary market — or Knicks fans in the area of those local markets from purchasing on Ticketmaster. But Detroit has not typically been one of the arenas that are overwhelmed with Knicks fans.

 — Steve Popper