Madison Square Garden will again host a watch party for Game 1 of the NBA Finals against the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday night.
Tip-off is at 8:30 E.T., with doors opening at 7:30 p.m. The $10 tickets were snapped up quickly and sold out within an hour of the posting on Ticketmaster. Fans will be able to watch the game on Garden Vision and other screens inside the Garden.
It’s a stark turnaround from what city officials were saying just a week ago as the Knicks were eliminating the Cleveland Cavaliers in a four-game sweep.
The New York City Police Department had to stop watch parties outside “The World’s Most Famous Arena” during the Cavaliers series, claiming fans became unruly. On May 21, six people were arrested after more than 6,000 fans celebrated following New York’s 109-93 victory over Cleveland in Game 2.
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Celebrities turn out for Knicks vs. Cavaliers showdown in New York
Spike Lee reacts during the first quarter of a game between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the New York Knicks in Game One of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals at Madison Square Garden on May 19, 2026 in New York City.
(Sarah Stier, Getty Images)
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Celebrities turn out for Knicks vs. Cavaliers showdown in New York
Spike Lee reacts during the first quarter of a game between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the New York Knicks in Game One of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals at Madison Square Garden on May 19, 2026 in New York City.
(Sarah Stier, Getty Images)
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Celebrities turn out for Knicks vs. Cavaliers showdown in New York
Ben Stiller looks on during the first quarter of a game between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the New York Knicks in Game One of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals at Madison Square Garden on May 19, 2026 in New York City.
(Sarah Stier, Getty Images)
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Celebrities turn out for Knicks vs. Cavaliers showdown in New York
Spike Lee reacts during the first quarter of a game between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the New York Knicks in Game One of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals at Madison Square Garden on May 19, 2026 in New York City.
(Sarah Stier, Getty Images)
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Celebrities turn out for Knicks vs. Cavaliers showdown in New York
General view of Madison Square Garden before game one of the eastern conference finals during the 2026 NBA playoffs between the New York Knicks and Cleveland Cavaliers on May 19, 2026.
(Brad Penner, Imagn Images)
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Celebrities turn out for Knicks vs. Cavaliers showdown in New York
General view of t-shirts and rally towels on seats before game one of the eastern conference finals during the 2026 NBA playoffs between the New York Knicks and Cleveland Cavaliers at Madison Square Garden on May 19, 2026.
(Brad Penner, Imagn Images)
Crowds were seen jumping on top of subway entrances, climbing on police barricades, causing traffic problems, throwing bottles and just being an overall nuisance.
Fans can also participate in free watch parties outside of Madison Square Garden at Plaza33 and at SummerStage in Central Park. The team also said that additional Game 3 watch parties will take place at both venues when the Knicks return home to play on June 8.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NBA Finals 2026: Knicks watch party back outside after NYPD ban
