Midtown will again be the orange and blue capital of the world on Friday night.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced another watch party outside Madison Square Garden for Game 2 of the Knicks’ finals run against the San Antonio Spurs – though he cautioned fans to behave.
“As much as we want New Yorkers to be able to enjoy themselves, I would like to remind New Yorkers to not jump on any emergency vehicles or ambulances or to block their passage,” he said Friday morning on 1010 WINS. “We want to make sure that all of that can still function even amidst the incredible feeling [at] this moment where we've taken a 1-0 lead in the series.”
City officials had said permits for watch parties would be decided on a case-by-case basis, after briefly threatening to cancel them altogether following some rowdiness at previous gatherings.
Wednesday night’s watch party on West 33rd Street and 7th Avenue drew throngs of ecstatic supporters – even though the game itself was being played on the Spurs’ home court in Texas. Friday’s game also will be in San Antonio.
Police officials said eight people were ultimately taken into custody outside Madison Square Garden for various offenses as the game ended around 11:15 p.m. Five of them were released on criminal summonses for disorderly conduct, while three face charges including assault, resisting arrest, obstructing governmental administration and criminal mischief.
Social media video from the boisterous scene showed police placing at least one person in handcuffs after they appeared to climb on top of an ambulance near the arena.
City Hall officials said they could not yet confirm whether a watch party would be allowed for Game 3 on Monday, when the series makes its debut at Madison Square Garden.
