Knicks owner James Dolan has officially cancelled the pre-approved NBA Finals Game 4 watch party outside Madison Square Garden.
There will be no watch parties for fans in Game 4 of the 2026 NBA Finals between the San Antonio Spurs and the New York Knicks.
San Antonio Spurs / Schedule
As announced by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani on X (formerly Twitter), Knicks owner James Dolan has decided to cancel the pre-approved Game 4 watch party outside Madison Square Garden.
"MSG requested a permit for a watch party for 500-999 fans. We approved that permit for 999 fans. Mr. Dolan has now decided to cancel the watch party," Mamdani wrote in his post.
"I know this is breaking hearts across our city. But if there's one thing Knicks fans don't need permission for, it's showing up for our team wherever we may be — no matter the block or the borough."
MSG, Knicks feuding with New York authorities
This decision made by James Dolan came in the wake of the Knicks and Madison Square Garden's conflict with Mayor Zohran Mamdani and the New York Police Department over security measures around the franchise's hosting of the Finals.
MSG Sports blasted the Mayor and the Police Commissioner in an official press release, calling them "New York City's Biggest Party Poopers" and accusing the city administration of creating an unnecessary "police state" to freeze out everyday fans.
Mayor Mamdani announced on X that the Game 4 watch party outside Madison Square Garden had been approved, but Knicks and MSG leadership pushed back against the strict restrictions surrounding the event.
The city capped attendance at just 1,000 ticketed fans, preventing many supporters from joining the gathering, while the NYPD maintained the same seven-block security perimeter used for Game 3, closing Seventh Avenue and limiting access around the arena.
Fans were also required to enter through a single checkpoint, undergo airport-style security screenings, and would not be allowed to re-enter once they exited the secured zone.
The heightened measures came after chaotic scenes during Game 3, which resulted in 21 arrests and injuries to five police officers across downtown New York.
The Spurs previously won in Game 3, clinching a 115-111 victory against the Knicks as the NBA Finals have finally returned to New York for the first time since 1999.
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