The New York Police Department will once again close several blocks around Madison Square Garden during Game 4 of the NBA Finals on Wednesday. In a post on X, the NYPD said the same “secure zone” implemented around the arena on Monday, when President Donald Trump attended the game, will be in effect. Unlike Game 3 earlier this week, when the normal free outdoor watch party outside MSG was canceled, there will be a watch party at Plaza33 on Wednesday, but it will be ticketed with a capacity of 1,000.
Starting at 4 p.m., the police will close the area from West 29th Street to West 35th Street between 6th Avenue and 8th Avenue to everyone except those “going to the game, restaurant, or bar, or traveling through the train station,” the police said. Everyone who can enter will be screened.
Seventh Avenue between West 29th Street and West 35th Street will be closed to vehicular and general pedestrian traffic.
On Monday, the police said the frozen zone around the arena was necessary because of Trump’s attendance at the Knicks game. On Wednesday, the department said the area will be closed because “we want everyone to be safe.”
When the party outside MSG was canceled on Monday, Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced another free event would take place at Bryant Park instead, in addition to several other events happening across the city. According to the New York Times, after the game, some people were fighting, climbing onto cars, and being combative with police officers. The police arrested eight people and issued court summonses for 13 more.
The party drew more than 7,000 people to the park to watch the Knicks lose to the San Antonio Spurs 115-111.
When asked about the restricted space at an unrelated press conference on Wednesday, Mamdani said MSG applied for a permit for an event on Plaza33 for between 500 and 1,000 people, and the city approved the maximum capacity. The mayor said the security measures will be in line with those for gatherings of this size, similar to what the police do for the Fourth of July and New Year’s Eve events.
“What we’re speaking about here is a moment where this team has brought an extraordinary amount of energy, pride, excitement to every corner of our city, and we want to encourage every New Yorker to celebrate this moment and do so responsibly,” Mamdani said. “We want this to be a memorable night for the right reasons.”
In a statement, MSG Sports called Mamdani and NYPD Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch “New York City’s biggest party poopers.”
“The last several victories the Knicks have had have been celebrated by thousands and thousands outside MSG. The joy and happiness were palpable everywhere. Apparently, Mayor Mamdani and Police Commissioner Tisch, despite what they say, don’t want to see these celebrations happen,” MSG Sports said.
MSG urged the mayor and commissioner to lift the restrictions, adding: “The complete closing of areas around MSG is going to affect not only the celebration but also all the small businesses that rely on Garden fans for their livelihood.”
According to the police, screening sites will be open at 4:30 p.m.; fans attending the game or going to a bar or restaurant in the area should arrive early.
Entry points to the secure zone include:
-West side of Sixth Avenue at West 33rd Street
-West side of Sixth Avenue at West 32nd Street
-West side of Eighth Avenue at West 33rd Street
-Northeast corner of Eighth Avenue and West 30th Street
Tonight’s watch party outside of MSG will be a ticketed event. For past games, the event, which includes large outdoor screens, a live DJ, and giveaways, was free and open to the public. No additional details have been released for the Game 4 watch party yet, but keep an eye on this page.
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The post NYPD closes area around MSG for Knicks game first appeared on 6sqft.
