New York City canceled the Plaza33 outdoor watch party for Monday’s Knicks-Spurs NBA Finals Game 3 — and the NYPD and Madison Square Garden are blaming each other.
The Knicks hold a 2-0 series lead and are two wins from their first championship in 27 years. Game 3 at MSG is set to be the biggest home game in three decades. Thousands of ticketless fans were planning to pack the outdoor watch party. Now there is no party at all.
The NYPD claims the cancellation is due to security for President Donald Trump’s visit and the Secret Service footprint.
In a statement to Fox News Digital, the NYPD said:
“There will be no watch parties outside of Madison Square Garden for Game 3 only. This was done fully in coordination with the Secret Service because of the presidential visit. We expect watch parties at Madison Square Garden to resume for Game 4.”
MSG fired back, saying the permit was denied by local city officials — not because of Trump’s attendance.
“The permit for the Plaza33 Game 3 watch party was denied by the City’s permitting office in consultation with the NYPD,” MSG’s statement read. “However, the White House will confirm that this is not about the President. We understand NYPD Commissioner Tisch is planning additional street closures around Madison Square Garden.”
City Hall and the NYPD are pointing to Trump’s appearance as the reason. MSG accuses local officials of pinning the decision on the White House rather than taking ownership of the additional street closures themselves.
Socialist Mayor Zohran Mamdani is also slated to attend Monday’s game, though he reportedly won’t be sitting anywhere near Trump.
Friday’s watch party after Game 2 got rowdy. Multiple fans were arrested and a cop was injured during the celebration near MSG. When you combine a 27-year championship drought with thousands of fans and overpriced beer, chaos is inevitable.
Still, scrapping the outdoor gathering feels like an overreach by a city government that loves to micromanage. Instead of letting the streets bleed orange and blue outside the arena, fans are being told to scatter to local bars or Central Park.
The bureaucrats killed the party. But if the Knicks go up 3-0 Monday night, no amount of Manhattan barricades can contain the celebration.
