James Dolan pulls plug on watch party, but Knicks still electric
New York Daily News • • sports
Key Points:
- Madison Square Garden owner James Dolan canceled a planned ticketed watch party for Knicks vs. Spurs Game 4 outside MSG, citing the NYPD permit’s limit of 999 attendees as too restrictive.
- The Knicks completed a historic comeback to win Game 4 by 107-106, taking a 3-1 series lead and positioning themselves to close out the Spurs in Game 5.
- Mayor Mamdani approved the permit for up to 999 fans but criticized Dolan for canceling the event, emphasizing that Knicks fans will support the team regardless of official permissions.
- MSG criticized the city’s security restrictions and “frozen zone” around the arena as unfair limitations on fan celebrations, suggesting the measures were excessive beyond concerns about presidential attendance.
- Previous watch parties drew large, sometimes unruly crowds, leading to increased security and ticketing for Game 4; however, no tickets were actually made available before the event was canceled.