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(Bloomberg) — New York Knicks fans will once again be allowed to congregate outside Madison Square Garden to watch the team compete in the first game of the NBA Finals.
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The New York Police Department granted a permit for the watch party outside of MSG ahead of Wednesday night’s matchup against the San Antonio Spurs, according to Ryan Watson, a spokesperson for Madison Square Garden. The gatherings were popular during earlier rounds of the playoffs but had been suspended after rowdy fans made crowd control difficult.
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In one instance late last month, an estimated 6,000 people flooded the streets around the Garden in midtown Manhattan. Knicks loyalists climbed on top of subway entrances and blocked traffic. Six people were arrested, Fox5 New York had reported.
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The first two games of the best-of-seven series will be played in Texas, with Game 3 set to be played in New York on June 8. Tickets for that matchup had topped $50,000 on secondary market websites, creating a dilemma for season ticket holders who are debating whether to watch their team from the Garden or cash out by selling their seats.
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Those without tickets who want to watch with a throng of fellow Knicks fans can gather at watch parties around the city — both at official sites, like outside of the Garden in midtown or at local bars that are running promotions to celebrate the team’s first appearance in the Finals in decades. MSG is also hosting a viewing of the first game inside the arena, which is already sold out, according to its website.
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Sam Raskin, a spokesperson for New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani , added that another watch party for Game 1 will be hosted in Central Park. The administration is “proud” to support the effort for New Yorkers to gather and celebrate the playoff berth, Raskin said.
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The city estimated the Knicks’ postseason has generated about $202 million in economic activity from home games so far, with the potential for a $465 million total windfall if all three potential New York-based matchups in the Finals are played, Mamdani’s office said in a press release.
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“New Yorkers have been waiting 27 years for this moment,” Mamdani said in a statement. “When the Knicks win, New York comes alive. And as these numbers make clear, that energy supports small businesses, workers and neighborhoods that make New York what it is.”
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Earlier this week, the mayor signed an executive order temporarily repealing bedtimes for New York City children during the series. Game 1 starts at 8:30 p.m. Eastern on Wednesday.
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—With assistance from Laura Nahmias.
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(Updates with comments from Mayor Mamdani’s office beginning in sixth paragraph.)
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