NYPD halts Knicks watch parties outside MSG after 'unruly' fans cause chaos
NEW YORK CITY, UNITED STATES - MAY 19: The New York Knicks fans attend a watch party for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers on May 19, 2026, New York, U.S. (Photo by Selcuk Acar/Anadolu via Getty Images)
NEW YORK CITY - Fans getting ready to cheer on the New York Knicks during Game 3 on Saturday night will have to find another party location.
What we know:
The NYPD announced that they will no longer support watch parties directly outside Madison Square Garden in response to escalating crowd control issues.
The decision comes after an estimated 6,000 people flooded the streets surrounding MSG on Thursday night in what escalated into a potentially dangerous situation with six arrests.
Police say the crowd became very rough, throwing glass bottles, climbing on top of subway entrances, blocking vehicle traffic and drinking in the streets.
What they're saying:
Authorities stress that the decision is not about punishing fans or dampening the city's playoff spirit.
"This is not about having enough of the unruly fans — this is about keeping people safe," an NYPD spokesperson said.
What we don't know:
Police have yet to release further details about the six arrests made Thursday night in connection to the watch parties.
What's next:
While the streets outside MSG will be clear of official watch parties moving forward, the city is not shutting down the celebrations entirely. Fans looking to gather and watch the games collectively will need to pivot to approved alternate locations, such as Summer Stage.
The Source: Information from this article was provided by the NYPD.