Trump
AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin
The New York Knicks had not lost a game for 46 days, and on Monday, the 45th and 47th president showed up to watch Game 3 of the NBA Finals from the owner’s box in Madison Square Garden.
The Knicks defeated the San Antonio Spurs in the first two games of the best-of-seven series in San Antonio, pushing their incredible postseason winning streak to 13 games. On Monday, they looked to take a virtually insurmountable 3-0 lead.
During the singing of the national anthem before Game 3 of the NBA Finals, President Donald Trump was booed as few presidents had been jeered before as he stood saluting the flag from Knicks owner James Dolan’s box. A White House press pool report described the booing as “thunderous.”
It was the first NBA Finals game at the Garden since 1999. After falling behind early, the Knicks stormed back and took a 64-57 lead going into halftime. But San Antonio outscored New York by 11 in the second half and downed the home team 115-111.
Trump’s presence created chaos outside the arena in the lead-up to the game. The Knicks told fans to arrive at the Garden at least two hours before tipoff because of “TSA-style” screening screening procedures. The team also said it would enforce a “strict no-bag policy.” Additionally, a security fence has been erected outside the venue, and a scheduled watch party outside MSG has been canceled. Also, the NYPD closed the streets between West 30th and West 35th from Sixth to Eighth Avenue. People in the area will not be allowed to travel east or west, Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said, adding that the security measures would remain in place even if the president left the game early.
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