Police arrested 56 people and 10 officers sustained injuries as Midtown descended into mayhem Wednesday night after the Knicks’ nail-biting comeback win against the San Antonio Spurs.
More than 10,000 people gathered north of Madison Square Garden between Fifth and Eighth avenues, according to the NYPD. A statement from the department said that as the game progressed, the crowds became "increasingly destructive." Fans flocked to the area even though the Knicks earlier in the evening canceled a sanctioned watch party near the arena.
After crowds of "unruly fans" refused to commands to disperse at multiple locations, police began taking people into custody, the NYPD said. Most were released with criminal summonses. But police said some individuals faced charges including assault on a police officer, criminal possession of a knife, reckless endangerment, criminal mischief, disorderly conduct and resisting arrest.
According to police, some of the reckless behavior included shutting down streets, jumping on occupied vehicles, trying to flip over a taxi and climbing on top of scaffolding, light poles, traffic lights and buildings. Some people threw objects at officers and at other people in the crowd, broke into a tractor trailer and climbed atop NYPD vehicles, police said. Four cruisers wound up with shattered front and back windshields, according to the NYPD.
Elsewhere, fights broke out that resulted in injuries, according to the department. Police said 10 officers sustained injuries, including one who was struck in the head with a glass bottle.
The NYPD said the activity around the department "demonstrates exactly why the NYPD has increased our presence" around Madison Square Garden — an apparent reference to an ongoing spat between the city and Knicks owner James Dolan.
Dolan on Wednesday criticized the city’s decision to maintain extra security procedures around Madison Square Garden for Game 4. He said the extra security and an event limit of 999 people were the reasons he decided to cancel the watch party.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani and the NYPD pushed back, saying MSG had requested an event with fewer than 1,000 attendees in its own permit application.
Police said they ensured that local businesses were able to stay open amid the chaos, and said their primary responsibility for the night was making sure that everyone could celebrate safely.
It is not clear whether there will be a watch party outside Madison Square Garden for Game 5 on Saturday.
