Knicks fans on Long Island, at Madison Square Garden watch a winner

The Knicks, about to tip off for Game 1 of the NBA Finals, had basketball fans on Long Island and in New York City on the verge Wednesday night — of hysteria? Elation? Indignation (at the refs)? Resignation? Only the outcome, after nearly three hours of back-and-forth between the visiting hometown heroes and the San Antonio Spurs, would reveal the answer.

When that answer came, around 11:15 p.m., with a hard-fought win in front of an unfriendly Texas crowd, Bella Russo, 19, like pretty much everyone else at The Spread Bar and Grill in Lindenhurst, went Knicks-crazy.

"Oh my God!" Russo, of Lindenhurst shouted as she and her family packed up to leave an outdoor viewing party at the restaurant. "We came back from 14 points down!" Her mother, Kim Russo, said with determination: "This is a new team."

At Madison Square Garden, fans by the thousands streamed out after the Knicks took down the Spurs, 105 to 95, and into an already packed outdoor viewing party that was now a victory celebration. A few blocks away, the Empire State Building was bathed in blue and orange light.

The Knicks' improbable championship run sparked Long Island restaurants and watering holes, like The Spread, to throw open their doors for watch parties, where fans could grab a souvenir T-shirt or, at least at The Spread, a special discount on beer buckets.

Knicks fans began gathering outside the Garden, at the corner of West 33rd Street and Plaza33, well before tipoff in San Antonio, Texas, most decked out in orange and blue: jerseys, hats, creative clothing choices.

"Lets go Knicks," came the boisterous and familiar chant. 

By the start of the second half, with the outcome far from settled, many fans had moved inside the sold-out Madison Square Garden to watch on a big screen.

Serge Cadesca, 35, of Coram, sat on the upper bridge of the Garden, staring at the game beaming from the screen, and remaining confident the Knicks could steal the first one on the road.

"It feels like a real game, like they're here," Cadesca said. "It's looking like Knicks basketball. They go down, they come back and take leads — it's how they've been playing all year."

Hours before, with Knicks fans in Lindenhurst and Manhattan spending the pregame doing some pregaming themselves, the atmosphere was anything but calm.

"Knicks in Four," came a chant from some of the sea of fans assembled outside the Garden.

And, as seemed appropriate, just blocks from Broadway a group of fans performed a festive limbo beneath a broom to underscore that a Knicks sweep was, of course, a foregone conclusion.

"The energy and the vibes of it all is an amazing atmosphere," said Hannah Wise, 20, of Massapequa, who jumped on a Long Island Rail Road train with her friend Ariana Dorazio, also 20 and from Massapequa, to soak up the scene at the Garden.

"Everyone in New York knows how to rally and it makes us proud to be Knicks fans," Wise said.

It was all about loud rock and hip-hop blaring from the speakers at The Spread, along with baskets of nachos and Buffalo wings, and buckets of Michelob Ultra and Surfside spiked iced tea to wash it down, as fans waited for tipoff.

Jeremy Selden, 31, of Selden, said he and his friends since kindergarten make it a point to try and watch every Knicks game together, whether it’s at one of their houses or at a bar. On Friday, they plan to attend a viewing party outside Madison Square Garden. Game 2 of the Finals is set for at 8:30 p.m. in San Antonio.

"We want to be outside," Selden said of why they like viewing parties. "It's a better environment, better vibe. If someone scores, you want to be around people."

When the Knicks are this good, said Shawn Fenton, one of three owners of The Spread and a lifelong Knicks fan, it just feels different, and he acted accordingly.

"I wanted to do something that would be memorable for the event," Fenton said. "With the Jets and Giants or the Mets and the Yankees, there's a lot of rivalry. With the Knicks, it feels like everybody comes together."

Sean Tims, who joined Selden at the eatery, said he was confident the Knicks would win Game 1 "by 20 points." Like the limbo crowd outside MSG, Tims was predicting a sweep.

"The Spurs are coming off a hard-fought battle." said Tims, 32, of Selden. "The Knicks are well-rested."

Once the game started, the fans in Lindenhurst, and their MSG cohort, got down to the serious business of rooting, and loudly.

"This is like history and I'm so excited," Russo said at The Spread as she watched the Knicks struggle early.

"It's not over until it's over. I have faith in our boys."