The Athletic has live coverage of Spurs vs. Knicks in Game 5 of the 2026 NBA Finals.
After violent incidents broke out and dozens of individuals were arrested in the vicinity of fan gatherings in New York following Games 2, 3 and 4 of the NBA Finals, the New York Knicks announced plans to hold watch parties at three Manhattan locations Saturday night for Game 5 of the series.
While the Knicks, who lead the series 3-1 over the San Antonio Spurs, attempt to clinch the franchise’s first NBA championship since 1973 with a win in San Antonio, fans in New York will be able to attend team-sponsored watch parties at Radio City Music Hall, Wollman Rink in Central Park and outside of Madison Square Garden. Game 5 is scheduled to tip off Saturday at 8:30 p.m. ET.
Fans will be required to register before attending, the team said, and the gathering outside of the arena will be limited to 3,000 people. The events at Central Park and Madison Square Garden are free; the watch party at Radio City Music Hall is $10 per ticket.
The New York Police Department said it would establish a security perimeter around MSG during Game 5, as it has done for other recent finals games. Beginning at 4 p.m. Saturday, no one will be allowed in the area from West 29th to West 35th Streets, between Sixth and Eighth Avenues, unless they have an authorized reason to be there, such as a ticket to the watch party or another event inside the perimeter, a train ticket departing from Penn Station, or if they work or live in the area. People are prohibited from bringing items, including but not limited to bags, backpacks, alcohol, bottles and umbrellas inside the security zone, the police said.
The convergence of three overlapping events on Saturday — the Game 5 watch party, a concert at MSG and World Cup fans leaving from Penn Station for the Brazil-Morocco match in East Rutherford, N.J. — is expected to draw “tens of thousands” of people to the area, the NYPD said.
Several violent incidents have taken place around the New York watch parties during the finals. The NYPD said Friday that it is seeking information on a man suspected of beating a 17-year-old into a coma after Game 4 on Wednesday night. According to the NYPD, a group approached the teen on West 35th Street, two blocks north of Madison Square Garden, and after appearing to argue with each other, the suspect allegedly punched and kicked the victim, who had a seizure before falling into a coma.
The police did not say whether that incident was related to the game. Still, the NYPD said it arrested 15 individuals and issued criminal summonses to another 41 in the area around the arena after Game 4, when an estimated crowd of 10,000 gathered in the streets to celebrate the Knicks’ 29-point comeback victory.
“Once again, there were large crowds of people who engaged in incredibly reckless and dangerous behavior last night, both during and after the game,” the NYPD said Thursday in a statement. “This demonstrates exactly why the NYPD has increased our presence in and around Madison Square Garden.”
According to police, members of the crowd on Wednesday night climbed on top of vehicles, damaged four NYPD cars, tried to flip a taxi, hurled glass bottles at police, blocked traffic and climbed scaffolding, light poles, traffic lights and buildings. Ten NYPD officers were injured while attempting to control the scene, the police said, including one who was struck in the head with a glass bottle.
The NYPD arrested eight people and issued criminal court summonses to 13 others after the Knicks’ loss in Game 3. Two of those arrested were charged with assaulting a police officer, and a third was charged with attempted assault on a police officer. After Game 2, the NYPD said it arrested 17 people and handed down nine summonses for disorderly conduct.
Before Wednesday’s Game 4, Knicks owner James Dolan criticized New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani and the NYPD over the city’s strict security plans for a watch party outside MSG, which kept restrictions in place to ensure President Donald Trump’s safety while attending Game 3. Instead of proceeding with the event, the Knicks canceled the gathering and called city officials “party poopers.”
The city had previously denied a permit for watch parties outside MSG in May after police arrested six people during the Eastern Conference finals, but lifted the ban during Games 1 and 2 of the finals.
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