NEW YORK CITY — A watch party outside Madison Square Garden returns for Game 4 of the NBA Finals Wednesday night — this time with heightened security from the NYPD.
There will be a security perimeter around Madison Square Garden similar to Monday when President Trump was in attendance on Monday.
The area will begin to close down starting at 4 p.m. with security checkpoints at various points for people going to the watch party or bars and restaurants in the area.
According to the NYPD, everyone entering the area will be screened.
Wednesday's watch party is ticketed, and ticket holders must enter via the access point on the west side of Sixth Avenue at West 33rd Street.
The increased security measures has been criticized by MSG Sports.
"“We now know these restrictions were never about the president. It was just a convenient excuse to restrict how and when Knicks fans celebrate," they said in a statement.
“These celebrations are part of the heart and soul of New Yorkers. The actions of the mayor and police commissioner, supposedly in support of the Knicks and their fans, are difficult to understand. We urge them to lift these restrictions and embrace the love of the team.”
The changes to the watch party comes after 21 people were arrested, and five police officers were injured following a watch party at Bryant Park on Monday.
The security perimeter will run from West 29th Street to West 35th Street, between Sixth Avenue and Eighth Avenue.
Car and pedestrian traffic will be restricted from Seventh Avenue between West 29th and West 35th streets.
“As we prepare to watch together, let me be clear: this is a historic, joyful moment for our city. We will not allow it to be disrupted by violence," Mayor Zohran Mamdani said in a statement.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. [Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.](/new-york/new-york-city/subscribe)