NYC cancels Knicks NBA Finals watch party over Trump visit as MSG fires back
The New York Knicks sit just two victories from their first NBA championship in more than a quarter century, and Monday night's Game 3 of the Finals against the San Antonio Spurs at Madison Square Garden carries the weight of a city waiting nearly three decades for this moment. Yet on the eve of what could be the most significant home game the Garden has hosted in 30 years, the planned Plaza33 outdoor watch party outside the arena has been called off.
The NYPD announced that no watch parties would be permitted outside Madison Square Garden for Game 3 only, citing coordination with the Secret Service in anticipation of President Donald Trump's attendance at the game. The department indicated that outdoor gatherings at the Plaza would resume for Game 4.
Madison Square Garden offered a different account, stating that the permit for the Plaza33 Game 3 watch party was denied by the city's permitting office in consultation with the NYPD. The Garden added that the White House would confirm the decision was not related to the President, while noting that NYPD Commissioner Tisch was planning additional street closures around the arena.
City Hall and the NYPD have pointed to the presidential appearance as the reason for the shutdown rather than directly taking responsibility for the expanded street closures.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani is also expected to attend Game 3, though he and the President will not be seated near each other.
Friday's watch party during the Knicks' Game 2 victory spilled into chaos on the surrounding streets, with numerous arrests and at least one officer hurt as fans celebrated the franchise's first Finals appearance since 1999. Twenty-seven years of pent-up anticipation, combined with a crowd swollen by the absence of tickets, turned parts of Seventh Avenue into an impromptu street festival. City officials moved quickly afterward to reassess whether such large outdoor gatherings could be safely managed with the additional demands of a presidential visit.
For Knicks fans shut out of the arena itself, the cancellation means the usual communal viewing experience on the Plaza will not be available. Supporters without tickets are being directed to local bars and other viewing locations throughout the city, including Central Park.
The Knicks enter Monday's contest holding a 2-0 series lead after consecutive wins to open the Finals, putting the franchise on the brink of a championship that has eluded New York since 1999. With games remaining in the series, any celebration that does come could prove difficult for the city to contain regardless of how tightly the streets are sealed.
