A dream day for New York fans with Knicks on the road to clinch and Brazil vs. Morocco in World Cup

NEW YORK (AP) — If there is a saving grace from the bedlam that is about to ensue in New York City on Saturday, with the Knicks on the verge of a championship and Brazil taking on Morocco in the World Cup, it is that Game 5 of the NBA Finals is on the road.

Of course, that won’t stop orange-and-blue-blooded Knicks fans from teeming into the area near the team’s Manhattan arena to watch on bar TVs and big screens as their team — playing 1,580 miles (2,545 kilometers) away in San Antonio — looks to clinch its first title in 53 years.

Advertisement

The city, which is already blocking off some streets near Madison Square Garden for World Cup transportation, has yet to say what security measures will be in place for Knicks fans gathering outside. The team hasn’t said if it will hold a watch party outside the arena as it did earlier in the series.

The Knicks were granted a permit for a watch party for up to 1,000 people for Game 4 on Wednesday, but team owner James Dolan declined to hold one as he lashed out at Mayor Zohran Mamdani and the police department for keeping in place a security perimeter, metal detectors and other restrictions after President Donald Trump‘s visit to Game 3 on Monday.

All postseason, Knicks fans have flocked to the Garden by the thousands, making playoff pilgrimages to a place known as the “Mecca of Basketball” to cheer, commune and revel in a remarkable feat: 14 wins in 15 games since April 23, and a 3-1 lead over the Spurs in the best-of-seven series.

On Saturday, Knicks fever collides with the New York City area’s first World Cup game in 32 years. The match at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey kicks off about three hours before the Knicks game, but traffic and transit restrictions extend to Manhattan, and soccer fans returning to the city by train will be arriving at Penn Station — right underneath the Garden.

Advertisement

Complicating matters: a concert at the Garden that is expected to bring another 15,000 to 20,000 people to the area and prevents a watch party inside the arena and a scorching heatwave that has city officials advising people to stay indoors. On Sunday, the…


Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/dream-day-york-fans-knicks-040345550.html

Author : MICHAEL R. SISAK

Publish date : 2026-06-13 04:03:00

Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.