Game 4 of the NBA Finals between the San Antonio Spurs and the New York Knicks will be held on Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
Game 3 was overshadowed by President Donald Trump's attendance, which led to heightened security, including a restricted zone around the Garden and the cancellation of the watch party outside of the arena.
Now, even though the president isn't expected to attend Wednesday night's game, heightened security remains in place. The NYPD announced that starting at 4 p.m. ET, they will once again enforce a secure zone around Madison Square Garden, spanning West 29th St. to West 35th between Sixth and Eighth avenues, with screenings in place.
On Tuesday, Madison Square Garden Sports released a statement opposing the additional security efforts, which was shared by SNYtv reporter Ian Begley, blaming the heightened security on Mamdani and police commissioner Jessica Tisch.
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The memo is titled "Mayor Mamdani and Police Commissioner Tisch are New York City's Biggest Party Poopers."
In the memo, MSG Sports called for the lifting of those restrictions, including the security screenings, saying that clearly the mayor and police commissioner "don't want to see these celebrations happen."
The statement specifically called out the fact that extra security measures remained in place, despite the fact that President Trump will not be in attendance. The memo reads, "We now know these restrictions were never about the President — it was just a convenient excuse to restrict how and when Knicks fans celebrate."
Mamdani, however, responded on Wednesday at a press conference regarding a housing announcement. Mamdani said that they approved the permit that Madison Square Garden had applied for for the watch party itself, and that the security in place was standard for large events or holiday gatherings in the city.
"We approved the maximum end for 999 attendees," Mamdani said. "As my police commissioner outlined at her security briefing on Monday, additional security measures will be in place outside of Madison Square Garden for game four to ensure that everyone can safely enjoy the event, and the security in place this evening is in line with the measures that the NYPD uses for gatherings at this size, whether it be July 4th or New Year's Eve.
"And we want to encourage every New Yorker to celebrate in this moment, to do so responsibly, and to be looking out for one another through it all," he added. "We want this to be a memorable night for all the right reasons."
In a subsequent tweet, Mandani said MSG applied for a watch part of 500-999 fans and that Knicks owner James Dolan has now canceled the party.
Dolan spoke earlier in the day about his dislike of the ticketed watch party. He said they weren't even going to put up screens for the fans at the event. "So if you're going to the watch party, you're not seeing the game!"
Even without the president in attendance, there are still plenty of concerns to warrant additional safety measures. There were 21 arrests after Game 3, following several fights at a watch party in Bryant Park. Other fights of Knicks fans ganging up and fighting Spurs fans also hit social media.
Dolan seemed a little out of touch with that aspect, saying the watch party wasn't MSG's and blaming the mayor. He added, "All I would say to the mayor and to the commissioner - believe in New Yorkers. Believe New York can handle this. We're the greatest city in the world, greatest citizens and fans. They are not going to turn this into Armageddon."
That wasn’t the end of it, either. About an hour before the game was set to begin, MSG Sports released a statement claiming the party was canceled because only 1,000 people would have been allowed into the area:
"Madison Square Garden and the New York Knicks declined to use the permit that was granted by Mayor Mamdani's office due to the fact that only 1,000 people would be allowed into the area and they would need to be ticketed, leaving the tens of thousands of people who want to come to The Garden to celebrate the Knicks out in the cold. We did not think it was fair to just allow a small group to celebrate outside The Garden when everybody else was being shut out."
Katie Honan of The City Reporter also acquired the Knicks’ actual permit application… which shows an attendance of 500-999 people, as Mamdani said. Per Honan, the Knicks could have requested up to 10,000 people.
Spurs star Victor Wembanyama was one of several NBA Finals players to condemn the violence after the game, saying, "We can't forget it's a game. We're just playing a game out there. And I am all for passion, but, to the respect of each other. It's unacceptable."
The Knicks have a 2-1 series lead but lost Game 3 on their home court, ending a 13-game playoff win streak. New York cannot clinch the series Wednesday night, but can take a 3-1 lead into San Antonio with a victory, which would put the Knicks just one win away from their first NBA championship since 1973.
