MSG Rejects 1,000-Person Knicks Game 5 Permit as 80 Fans Were Detained
Updated
Updated · NBC New York · Jun 12
MSG Rejects 1,000-Person Knicks Game 5 Permit as 80 Fans Were Detained
3 articles · Updated · NBC New York · Jun 12
Summary
MSG said late Thursday it declined the city permit for a Game 5 watch party because only 1,000 ticketed fans could attend, with no update by Friday afternoon on whether an event would be revived.
More than 80 people were taken into custody and nearly 30 were charged after recent Knicks celebrations turned chaotic outside Bryant Park and Madison Square Garden, driving the city and NYPD to insist on tight security.
The city says it approved the maximum crowd size MSG requested — 999 people — while MSG owner James Dolan blamed Mayor Zohran Mamdani's administration for restrictions that would leave tens of thousands shut out.
Game 5 planning is further complicated by a 5 Seconds of Summer concert at MSG on Saturday, while official free watch parties remain available at Wollman Rink and Brooklyn Bowl.