Capital One Arena to increase crowd capacity to 50 percent for Wizards’ playoff games - The Washington Post

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The Philadelphia 76ers had a clear home-court advantage Sunday during Game 1 of their playoff matchup against the Washington Wizards. More than 11,000 fans were packed into the lower bowl at Wells Fargo Arena, giving the venue a rowdy atmosphere most Washington players hadn’t experienced all year.

Come Saturday, the Wizards will have a similar advantage of their own. D.C. officials granted Monumental Sports & Entertainment a waiver Monday to increase crowd capacity at Capital One Arena from 25 up to 50 percent — nearly 10,000 fans — ahead of the Wizards’ upcoming home playoff games.

Washington hosts the 76ers in the best-of-seven series for Game 3 on Saturday, Game 4 on Monday and, if necessary, Game 6 on June 4.

In addition to the increased capacity, fans who did not purchase seats together will also be able to sit close for the first time since Capital One Arena welcomed spectators in late April. Social distancing guidelines will no longer exist for most seat locations throughout the venue, though fans will be required to continue wearing masks when seated and follow all other recently instated arena protocols including the “no bags” policy.

Previously, fans purchasing seats in groups of two to four were spread throughout the arena, sometimes dispersing and dampening crowd noise and energy. In Philadelphia, Wells Fargo Arena sat the bulk of its fans in the lower bowl, leaving the large majority of the top tier empty.

Asked Sunday about handling the moment of playing in his first payoff game since 2018, Bradley Beal mentioned how much Philadelphia’s fans contributed to the atmosphere. Die-hards at 76ers games are famously fervent even before tip-off; during player introductions spectators chant “sucks!” in unison after the name of every opposing player. At one point during the game, the arena’s sound system had to be cranked up to drown out one particularly profane serenade directed at Russell Westbrook.

“It’s tough, especially with the crowd, because we haven’t had a crowd all year,” Beal said. “The crowd definitely plays a factor, especially here in Philly. Their fans get rowdy. It’s tough. You’ve just got to settle in and you’ve got to understand that it’s just another game. As big and as intense as it is, it’s just another game. We all have the skill and the ability to go out and play at the highest level. So, enjoy it.”

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Capital One Arena to increase crowd capacity to 50 percent for Wizards’ playoff games - The Washington Post
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