Thousands of Knicks fans have turned out to celebrate the team making the finals and to gather to watch the previous two games in the series, both of which were hosted in San Antonio—and both of which the Knicks won.
A viewing party held at Madison Square Garden during Game 2 on Friday became rowdy in the wake of the team’s victory, leading to more than a dozen arrests. Among those arrested was a woman who allegedly punched a police officer.
Mamdani called the assault on the officer “unacceptable” in a social media post at the time. “New Yorkers are rightfully excited about the Knicks’ historic Finals run, and we want fans to celebrate this moment together. There is, however, no place for violence, and no tolerance for attacks on police officers.”
If the Knicks win the series against the Spurs, it will mark their first NBA championship since 1973—more than half a century ago.
The tickets for the finals games in New York have been some of the most expensive in sports history, with some courtside seats being auctioned off by the Knicks for as much as $1,000,000, according to Business Insider.