Desperate times. On Tuesday, a few superstitious Knicks fans stood outside Madison Square Garden burning sage. They wanted to scrub away the bad vibes from Monday’s 115-111 loss to the San Antonio Spurs, a defeat that snapped New York’s beautiful 13-game winning streak. Maybe the witchcraft worked. By Tuesday evening, Mayor Zohran Mamdani hopped on social media to deliver the good news: the outdoor watch party for Game 4 is officially back on.
“We have approved a ticketed MSG watch party for Game 4,” Mamdani posted, trying to sound like a leader in control. He promised details soon, adding a boilerplate warning about keeping things peaceful and celebrating responsibly. The subtext was obvious. Donald Trump is not coming back. The president made history on Monday as the first sitting commander-in-chief to attend a Finals game, invited by billionaire Knicks owner James Dolan. It was a logistical nightmare. Midtown froze. Fans waited two hours in security lines. When Trump’s face hit the Jumbotron during the anthem, the Garden erupted in boos. Naturally, fans blamed him for the loss.
He is gone now. ESPN’s Shams Charania confirmed Trump has “scheduling conflicts.” But the headache lingers. MSG Sports complained that the NYPD is keeping its draconian “frozen zone” security perimeter anyway. It is a bureaucratic mess. The Garden brass pointed out that blocking off the streets kills the local mom-and-pop shops relying on game-day foot traffic.
The circus has left, but the game goes on. The Knicks still lead the series 2-1. While A-listers like Spike Lee, Ben Stiller, and Timothée Chalamet will likely preen courtside inside the arena, ordinary fans can finally gather outside at Plaza 33. If that gets too crowded, they can head to Wollman Rink in Central Park or Brooklyn Bowl. Just leave the political entourages at home.
