Knicks' Watch Party Outside MSG For NBA Finals Game 4 Canceled By James Dolan, NYC Mayor Says

There will be no watch party outside of Madison Square Garden for Wednesday's Game 4 of the 2026 NBA Finals after all.

New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani announced that despite an approved permit for 999 fans to attend such a watch party, New York Knicks governor James Dolan "decided to cancel. … I know this is breaking hearts across our city."

MSG also released a statement regarding the canceled watch party:

While watch parties outside of Madison Square Garden and throughout New York City have been a defining storyline of the Knicks' run to the NBA Finals, there were no such parties right outside the stadium for Game 3 either with additional security measures in place with president Donald Trump in attendance.

Trump will not be in attendance for Game 4 between the Knicks and San Antonio Spurs, but there is still no watch party in the immediate vicinity of the stadium.

This development comes after Mamdani announced Tuesday there were plans for a ticketed party:

The New York Police Department also released a statement explaining there were going to be restrictions in place with a cap of 1,000 people. What's more, MSG Sports issued a statement calling the initial watch party permit "disingenuous at best" and one that came with "multiple conditions."

With no watch party outside of Madison Square Garden for Game 3, thousands of fans gathered at Bryant Park to watch the game. 

Yet police said eight people were arrested and 13 others were given criminal court summons. What's more, police said five officers were injured, per the Associated Press.

"The crowd became increasingly rowdy, violent, and destructive, and there were many incidents of disorderly and dangerous behavior," the NYPD said in a statement.

All of this comes ahead of a critical Game 4 where the Knicks will look to bounce back from their Game 3 loss at home. If they can, they will seize a 3-1 lead and move just one victory away from their first championship since 1973.

If they can't, Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs will steal back home-court advantage with a chance to continue their momentum into Saturday's Game 5.