NYPD arrests 56 people for chaos after Knicks win

Celebrations after game four of the NBA finals, the main basketball league in the United States, gave way to chaos near Madison Square Garden, in New York, on Wednesday night (10).

Police detained 56 people and 10 officers were injured, the NYPD (New York Police Department) reported this Thursday (11).

About 10,000 fans took to the streets north of Madison Square Garden, between Fifth and Eighth Avenues, setting off fireworks, blocking traffic, climbing scaffolding, among other dangerous acts, according to police. They also tried to overturn a taxi.

Ten NYPD officers were injured during crowd control attempts. One of them was hit in the head with a glass bottle, police said.

Fan Fest canceled before game
The riots occurred hours after Madison Square Garden canceled its official Game Four viewing party amid a public dispute with the city over security restrictions.

The decision was made one day after gym officials harshly criticized the NYPD and Mayor Zohran Mamdani for the city's security plan, which included a large security perimeter and other restrictions for the match, even without the presence of President Donald Trump, as had happened on Monday (8).

"This is an exciting time for the Knicks and for fans across New York City. The New York Police Department wants New Yorkers to be able to enjoy these celebrations, but our primary responsibility is to ensure everyone can do so safely," the department said in a statement Thursday.

"Once again, there were large gatherings of people who engaged in incredibly reckless and dangerous behavior last night, both during and after the game. This demonstrates exactly why the NYPD has increased its presence in and around Madison Square Garden," he added.

Exchange of criticism after fan fest cancellation
James Dolan, owner of the arena and the New York Knicks, blamed Mamdani and the police commissioner during an interview with WFAN Sports radio on Wednesday.

The restrictions were "designed to stop people from celebrating around Madison Square Garden," Dolan said, adding that the arena would not install video screens as a result.

Mamdani responded to Dolan on X before the game, saying: "MSG requested a permit for a game viewing party with 500 to 999 fans. We approved the permit for 999 fans."

Knicks overcome 29-point deficit and beat Spurs in Game 4 - Gregory Shamus/Getty Images
An NYPD spokesperson corroborated Mamdani's statement, telling CNN that police officers were deployed to the party, adding: "You would have to ask MSG why they are not following through."

"Madison Square Garden and the New York Knicks declined to use the permit granted by Mayor Mamdani's office due to the fact that only 1,000 people would be allowed in the area and would need to be registered, leaving out the tens of thousands of people who want to come to the Garden to celebrate with the Knicks," MSG Sports said in a statement.

"We didn't think it was fair to allow just a small group to celebrate outside the Garden while everyone else was being denied entry," he added.

According to the NBA website, two other game viewing parties on Wednesday, at Wollman Rink and the Brooklyn Bowl in Central Park, were packed before the game. These parties did not require tickets.

Despite the cancellation of the game viewing party, a crowd of fans still gathered outside Madison Square Garden behind metal barricades to cheer and show their support for the Knicks.

NBA: Knicks try to break 53-year drought in finals against Spurs

Source: CNN