NYPD: Tight security around Madison Square Garden with Trump at NBA Finals

President Donald Trump’s plan to root for his hometown Knicks in person on Monday night for Game 3 of the NBA Finals will mean tighter security procedures for fellow fans and no watch party outside Madison Square Garden. 

It will be the president's latest appearance at a championship sporting event in New York City. In September, Trump attended the U.S. Open in Flushing, Queens.

Knicks fans with tickets to Monday night's game are urged to arrive at least two hours ahead of the 8:40 p.m. tipoff against the San Antonio Spurs.

Access to the area around Madison Square Garden will be closed to anyone without a ticket, train tickets or other reasons to be there, NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said in a news briefing Monday morning.

Service to Penn Station, Amtrak and the subway should not be affected, but anyone entering the secure area around MSG will be subject to security screening by the NYPD and the U.S. Secret Service.

"It is an extraordinary moment for the Knicks and for fans across the five boroughs, a chance to celebrate this team and this run with the energy that only New York can bring," Tisch said. "There will unfortunately be no watch party outside of Madison Square Garden for Game 3 of the finals, and no access to the immediate vicinity of the Garden without an authorized reason to be there."

The NYPD is closing the area around the Garden from West 30th to West 35th streets between Sixth and Eighth avenues, Tisch said. Seventh and Eighth avenues will be closed to vehicles and pedestrians starting at 4 p.m., and will stay closed through the night until after the game is over. 

"Starting at 4 p.m., no one will be allowed inside the secured area unless they have a ticket to the game, a train ticket, they are going to a business inside the area, they have credentials or they have some other authorized reason to be there," Tisch said.

Police and Knicks said fans should prepare for "TSA-style screening procedures." A no-bag policy will be in place and personal items should be kept to a strict minimum, the team said.

No backpacks, bags or alcohol will be allowed in the secured area, Tisch said. 

Penn Station travelers will be allowed to carry bags, but will still be subject to security screening. Travelers to and from Penn Station can enter Moynihan Train Hall on the west side of Eighth Avenue on 31st and 33rd streets, Tisch said. 

Bars and restaurants between Sixth and Seventh avenues and between Seventh and Eighth avenues will be allowed to operate, with strict capacity limits, Tisch said.

While the watch party outside the Garden was canceled Monday due to the president's visit, several other watch parties were planned elsewhere in the city, and Tisch said watch parties are expected to resume Wednesday for a potential championship-clinching Game 4. 

Ticketed watch parties are planned Monday for up to 5,000 fans at Bryant Park, at Wollman skating rink in Central Park and at Brooklyn Bowl in Williamsburg. 

A Queens native, Trump attended a game when the Knicks were last in the Finals in 1999.

As president, Trump has shown up at several other marquee sporting events, such as the Super Bowl, the U.S. Open tennis tournament and the Ryder Cup on Long Island.

Neither the Knicks nor the Secret Service said whether the president will watch in a private luxury suite or courtside on "celebrity row." 

No matter where the head of state sits inside, the watch party outside the Garden has been shelved. The animated gatherings have drawn thousands, but Friday’s party ended with more than a dozen people being arrested. The NYPD said an officer was struck in the face by a woman.

At September's U.S. Open, Trump watched from a suite as Spain's Carlos Alcaraz battled Jannik Sinner, of Italy, at Arthur Ashe Stadium. His announced appearance led to stepped-up security beforehand and caused lines so long that many missed the start of play.

When Trump appeared in the suite, and his image was projected on the stadium's big screens, a loud chorus of boos came from the crowd.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.