Barbara Barker: It's going to be even crazier than usual in Game 3 when Knicks host Spurs at raucous Garden
The Knicks’ Josh Hart, left, Jalen Brunson, back to camera, and Jordan Clarkson share a funny moment during practice on Sunday before Monday night's Game 3 of the NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden. Credit: Newsday/J. Conrad Williams Jr.
Everyone, absolutely everyone, wants a piece of these Knicks.
A sitting United States president, a Democratic Socialist mayor, well-heeled fans who are able to spend $8,000 or more to see a sporting event and 250 underserved youth who were lucky enough to get free tickets. All are expected to be on hand Monday night for the first NBA Finals game at Madison Square Garden in 27 years.
New Yorkers, who often have a hard time agreeing on anything, have lost their collective minds over this Knicks team that has won 13 straight playoff games, including the first two games of this championship series in San Antonio.
“I’ve seen Hasidic Jews breakdancing with Black kids,” Knicks superfan Fat Joe told reporters at the team's practice on Saturday. “This is the greatest unification of the city since 9/11.”
Suffice it to say, Game 3 is shaping up to be the most expensive game with the craziest atmosphere in NBA history.
Donald Trump is expected to become the first sitting U.S. President to attend an NBA Finals game. Because of his attendance and the increased Secret Service presence it entails, the Knicks have instituted a no-bags policy. The New York Police Department in conjunction with the Secret Service canceled all watch parties outside of Madison Square Garden.
Before Trump went into politics, he attended numerous regular-season games at the Garden, often sitting courtside with the other celebrities. He is expected to be in a suite for this game, similar to when he attended a match at the U.S. Open last summer, which led to long security lines.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has said he plans to attend the game, though given his remarks in a news conference last Thursday, a chance encounter with Trump does not seem likely.
““I will be in a very different section,” said the mayor, who his aides said will be paying for his own ticket.
What impact will all this demand and drama have on the game? Well, it should be advantage Knicks. This is a franchise used to dealing with a fair amount of drama and craziness, given the passion of their fans, some of whom have been waiting 53 years to win a championship.
“The environment, the atmosphere is going to be electric, obviously,” Josh Hart said after practice Sunday. “We’re happy that we’re at home and we have them at our back. “I kind of wish the ticket prices weren’t as crazy as they are. I feel like a lot of people who have been waiting for this moment for a very long time unfortunately aren’t able to get into the building. The cheapest ticket is] $7,000, $8,000. That’s ridiculous. But it’s just going to be rocking. But obviously I wish those were a little cheaper.”
Hart said he learned to tune out the noise and distraction when he and Knicks teammates Jalen Brunson and Mikal Bridges were playing for a national championship together at Villanova.
Deuce McBride said Knicks players have a unique ability to concentrate in the middle of chaos, given that they are used to playing in front of celebrity-laden crowds and supportive but hardcore fans.
“I think if you are here for 41 games, it’s crazy before every game,” said McBride, who has been with the Knicks since 2021. “I was here when Steph [Curry] broke the three-point record, so I’ve seen a lot of crazy atmospheres. I don’t know what to expect tomorrow, but I’m just proud to be here and blessed to be here, so I’m going to do everything I can to bring it.”
The Spurs, who are fighting to get back into the series, are a comparatively young team that isn’t used to playing in such a star-laden atmosphere. They did show, however, that they can deal with a hostile environment when they beat the defending champion Thunder in Oklahoma City in Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals.
Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio’s 7-4 center, is looking to bounce back from a tough finish in Game 2. In the final seconds, he hit teammate Stephon Castle in the back with a pass to turn the ball over, fouled Brunson to set up the tiebreaking free throw and missed a potential game-winning jumper.
Wembanyama, 22, was asked Sunday if it will be a difficult task to block out all the distractions of a zoo-like atmosphere at the Garden.
“Not really,” he said. “I think it could be, but isolating myself is something I’ve practiced over the years. I think I’m good at it, so it’s not a problem. This is similar to something media-wise like the Olympics.”
An Olympics in which everyone, including the President of the United States, is cheering for the other team.
Barbara Barker is an award-winning columnist and features writer in the sports department at Newsday. She has covered sports in New York for more than 20 years.
