Madison Square Garden is under heavy security on Monday as President Trump prepares to attend Game 3 of the NBA Finals between the New York Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs and become the first sitting US president to attend an NBA Finals game.
In coordination with the US Secret Service, the NYPD established a multiblock security perimeter around the arena in Midtown Manhattan. Madison Square Garden has put a no-bag policy into effect, and ticket-holders have been asked to arrive to the venue at least two hours before the 8:30 PM tip-off so they can go through TSA-style screening at one of the five entry points.
The outdoor watch party held outside of Madison Square Garden during Games 1 and 2, and planned for Game 3, was canceled. Officials say it was due to the security demands of a presidential visit and as a result of the rowdy Game 2 party that resulted in 17 arrests.
Instead, there will be three official watch parties, all free of charge, being held at Bryant Park, Wollman Rink in Central Park, and Brooklyn Bowl in Williamsburg — all of which filled up quickly. Tickets to the Bryant Park event were spotted for resale on Facebook Marketplace for upward of $150.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani is also expected to attend Game 3 at MSG, having purchased a standing-room ticket directly from Madison Square Garden for about $1,000 — a fraction of the $6,000-plus tickets on the secondary market.
The Knicks have won 13 straight playoff games and enter Monday night two wins away from their first NBA championship since 1973. The San Antonio Spurs, meanwhile, face a series deficit or 0-2.
Monday's game is the first NBA Finals game at Madison Square Garden in 27 years. The one took place in June 1999, when the Knicks lost to the San Antonio Spurs in five games.