NEW YORK — Before the ball even tipped off ahead of Game 5 between the Philadelphia 76ers and the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden, the home crowd was chanting right at Joel Embiid. The superstar center has caught the ire of the Big Apple basketball world for several contentious moments in what has been a very hard-fought series.

Knicks fans chanted “F**k Embiid” several times in Game 5, even when the big man wasn’t on the court. Embiid's flagrant foul that nearly injured Mitchell Robinson's ankle in Game 3 and his aggressive play through the series has rubbed the Knicks and their fans the wrong way. Already seen as one of the anti-heroes of the NBA by most fans of the league — a player of great talent that still gets rooted against regularly — Embiid is achieving supervillain status in New York.

The New York Post put Embiid on its back cover with the title of “The Most Hated Man in NY” for the edition on the day of Game 5. Although he didn’t have his best game, he was able to support Tyrese Maxey's stellar performance and stave off elimination in a 112-106 overtime win. All he had for New York after the game were kind words.

“It’s not hostile. I love New York,” Embiid said. “New York is my favorite city in the world. I have had a place here for the past five years. I just love New York.”

Embiid knows that fans at Madison Square Garden glom onto the opposing team's star and let him hear it. It makes for an environment that several of his teammates have previously spoken highly about.

“If I’ve got to be the punching bag and you hear a lot of ‘F Embiid,’ that’s okay. I love it,” the 76ers center said.

Knicks fans have made an impact on this series by showing up in droves to the Wells Fargo Center, matching or even exceeding the noise of Sixers fans. Embiid said that it was disappointing to see that happen in his home arena. But in New York, playing in front of the enemy crowd fires him up.

“It usually gets me going in those situations because you want to push yourself in those situations and kind of shut them up…They've been doing a great job just supporting the team. They've been amazing. You can see that. That's why they’re the Knicks. They get hyped about everything and they've been doing a fantastic job.”

With Game 6 back in Philly, Joel Embiid and the 76ers will be fighting for the privilege to return to New York for the winner-take-all Game 7.