Knicks Fans Are Disappointed Before Game 4 Begins

New York Knicks fans' joyous playoff run hit a snag Wednesday, and it had nothing to do with the Spurs. Hours before Game 4 of the NBA Finals, a tug-of-war among City Hall, the NYPD, and Madison Square Garden's ownership ended with the cancellation of an outdoor watch party outside the arena, souring what has largely been a street-party atmosphere this postseason, the New York Times reports. A broad security zone is back in place around the Garden—streets shut to cars and pedestrians for several blocks—even as President Trump skips a return visit and fans are left to find their own viewing spots.

Knicks owner James Dolan said he turned down the city's offer to host roughly 1,000 screened fans, mocking the idea of letting in "999 people and tell 20,000, 'No.'" Mayor Zohran Mamdani fired back online that Dolan was "breaking hearts" and urged fans to support the team "wherever we may be." The city points to safety concerns: Eight people were arrested and two accused of assaulting an officer at a Bryant Park watch party Monday. MSG has branded Mamdani and Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch the city's "Biggest Party Poopers." Fans with watch party tickets stepped out of Penn Station and were turned away by police, per the Times. Blocked off by city trucks, Seventh Avenue was empty.

Told by a police officer that the party was canceled, Brandon Caceres, 23, and Reynier Mendoza, 24, said they'd come from Montreal just to watch the game outside the Garden. "Ahhh no way. So where do we go?" Caceres asked. "Dude, we did like 8 hours of driving mixed with energy drinks to get to this." Thousands of Knicks fans have poured into the surrounding streets throughout the team's playoff run, the AP points out, often invoking the rallying cry: "We outside."