'City's gonna be crazy:' Knicks run electrifies NYC, as Trump's attendance locks down arena

The hottest ticket in town is drawing New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, the US president, a parade of celebrities, and fans teeming with excitement despite escalating security and a cancelled watch party.

The New York Knicks will host the San Antonio Spurs for game three of the NBA Finals - the first on their home turf of Madison Square Garden (MSG) - on Monday night.

A strict no-bag policy, a security zone spanning 10 square city blocks and airport-style screening will greet fans for President Donald Trump's arrival at the pivotal game in New York City.

The Knicks, appearing in their first Finals since 1999, hold a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series, fuelling city-wide championship fever.

This season has represented a stunning reversal of fortune for the Knicks after decades as one of the worst teams in the league. Now with a 2-0 lead in the Finals, they need to win just two more games, the best of seven, to win the national championship for the first time since 1973.

That means the mood across New York City is "electric", New Yorkers say.

Resident Sol, 31, waiting for Monday night's game in Greenwich Village, told the BBC he couldn't be more excited.

"I can't say I've ever seen anything like this before because in 1999 I was 4 years old. I'm just trying to soak it all in."

He said people in the streets have been screaming "go New York, go New York go", a chant that's become a battle cry over the past few weeks.

Since tickets to the Finals are exorbitant, Sol said he's watching games at bars and hosting watch parties with his friends.

"If the nosebleeds are $6,000 a ticket, I don't know who's paying $250,000 to sit in the front row," he said.

Pharmacy technician Bryan Placios, 28, said the city will be "on fire" if the Knicks take the championship. "We're drinking, we're partying, it's just nonstop," he said.

He has celebrated in the streets alongside hundreds of New Yorkers, describing the energy as "immaculate".

Placios, who grew up in Ecuador and moved to the city three years ago, said he's been a Knicks fan since he was born: "This is more than we could have hoped for."

If New Yorkers sound hyperbolic when they say their lives revolve around the Knicks, superfan Nick Thomas is a living example of team pride.

His parents met at a Knicks game, he told the BBC, and though he isn't entirely sure, he has "always claimed" he is named for the team.

Thomas married a woman named Nicky - really? the BBC asked. Yes, he confirmed - who is a native New Yorker and will attend Monday's game with her father.

"It's a magical moment," Thomas said.

Their twin boys, almost 2, usually dress in identical jerseys honouring Patrick Ewing, who spent about 15 years with the Knicks.

However, they won't adhere to the mayor's executive order repealing children's bedtimes for the Finals. "We put their butts to bed, and in the morning, tell them the good news," he said.

From the Empire State Building to One World Trade Center, skyscrapers are lit up orange and blue - the Knicks' team colours. A subway station near Madison Square Garden got a Knicks-themed makeover, and businesses across the city are offering meal deals, and orange-and-blue ice-cream and bagels.

The stately marble lions outside the New York Public Library's famed Fifth Avenue branch now hold large inflatable basketballs in their mighty paws.

"I've been a Knicks fan all my life, I've been waiting for this all my life," said Mike Dallas, a content creator who runs Knicks fan accounts.

"It's gonna be so emotional, it's going to be so enthusiastic. It's going to be phenomenal."

On the last two game nights, throngs of supporters in Knicks gear took over streets near the arena - even though their team was playing at their opponents' arena in Texas - leading to dozens of arrests as fans climbed lampposts, jumped onto food carts, and blocked traffic.

Many fans can't afford tickets to the first series home game, with the cheapest online resale tickets going for more than $10,000 (£7,468) and going up to more than $100,000.

Regular Knicks games already rank among the most expensive in the NBA.

"That's the way life goes," Trump said on Friday when asked about the extreme prices. "It's sort of semi-free to watch it on television."

The president recently said Knicks owner James Dolan invited him on Monday - indicating that he might also attend the fourth game on Wednesday.

His expected appearance would mark the first time a sitting president has attended the NBA Finals, and the first presidential attendance at any NBA game since Barack Obama watched his hometown Chicago Bulls in 2015.

Security at the arena will be significantly tightened. The Knicks posted on X: "A strict no-bag policy will be in effect, and fans should make effort to limit personal items to an absolute minimum." Fans were advised to arrive at least two hours before tip-off.

Thousands of New York Police Department (NYPD) officers and hundreds of Secret Service officers were deployed. On Sunday, the NYPD said that a watch party scheduled for outside MSG was cancelled, a decision made with the Secret Service.

For lifelong Knicks fan Placios, Trump's planned presence is a downside, calling POTUS' appearance "narcissistic" and "irresponsible".

"I would rather him not be here at all," he said. "I don't care if he's from New York…if they show his face he's gonna get booed."

Eight hours before tip-off, a mix of local fans, content creators, and tourists started to gather at the Garden.

"If they win tonight, city's gonna be crazy," Claire Richter, a 74-year-old fan who lives near the arena, said.

Raucous fans cannot get too close to the Garden. A tall, black security fence around the arena now blocks the street. Yellow construction equipment installed concrete barricades with jarring bangs.

"I would have preferred the president skipped this and just let it be for the people because it's changed the whole experience now," Richter said.

"Because everything is being blocked off. It's a shame for the kids, for younger people."

Not all Knicks fans were fretting about the extra security, though.

"I think it's fine," said Anamaria Penaflorida, wearing bright blue in honour of the home team. "All the videos I've seen, everyone is so excited."

"Being close [to the Garden] is not that important. We're gonna party."

Trump's anticipated appearance at Monday's game sparked speculation about how the crowd may react in the predominantly Democratic stronghold.

Mayor Mamdani, who describes himself as a democratic socialist, said he will be there, but "in a very different section of the stadium" to Trump. "We look forward to welcoming any New Yorker who is excited for the Knicks to have that chance to win that championship," the mayor added.

A Knicks game also is a celebrity spectacle. Some A-listers spotted at Knicks games this season include actors Timothée Chalamet and Ben Stiller, filmmaker Spike Lee, and reality TV star Kylie Jenner.

Since New Yorkers cannot engage in their usual revelry outside MSG, the city quickly organised a watch party in Midtown's Bryant Park. Within moments, thousands of available tickets were claimed.

At 1500 local time, a Bryant Park staffer walked among cafe tables and benches with a megaphone, declaring the park closed.

"Good luck, tonight, man. Stay strong," one man told a police officer as he headed off.

Soon the park would fill up again - this time with Knicks fans.