NEW YORK (AP) — Christopher Morales came all the way from the Philippines, hoping to watch the New York Knicks in the playoffs.
The cost of a ticket into Madison Square Garden changed that plan. Luckily, there's a rocking way to catch the action that isn't near the celebrities sitting courtside, but it's also nowhere near courtside prices.
The free block party zone outside the arena swells with fans hours before the games, and serves as a launching point from where supporters can gather afterward when the Knicks win and start a celebration that spans several city blocks.
And what a party it was when the Knicks finished off the Boston Celtics with a 119-81 victory on Friday night in Game 6, sending them to the Eastern Conference finals for the first time since 2000.
“It was really crazy," said Brian Siaw, a New York native who now lives in nearby Newark, New Jersey. "I have been out here for all the watch parties this series. Honestly, the first time in my life I experienced this. I left home to come here to watch, just for the environment, the experience. To be honest, it’s amazing. If you are a New Yorker and you are home, I think you should experience one of the watch parties.”
The success the Knicks are enjoying after so many bad years has energized longtime fans and brought many new ones like Morales, who arrived in New York on the day of their victory in Game 4 of the series on Monday.
“I always watch on the television,” he said, “so that’s why I (came), just to watch the game.”
He was watching on one of the giant viewing screens located between 33rd and 34th St. The plaza opened two hours before the game to serve as a sort of pep rally, with prize giveaways and appearances by former players. The game telecast began a half hour before.
Many fans wore blue-and-orange Knicks jerseys, some bearing the names of John Starks and Latrell Sprewell, players from the beloved 1990s era when the Knicks were annual threats to contend for Eastern Conference championships. The No. 11 of Jalen Brunson, the Knicks' current superstar, appeared to be the most popular choice.
There were even some Celtics ones sprinkled in. One fan wearing Jayson Tatum's No. 0 was playfully stopped by a Knicks fan who asked the people around him if the man could stay.
“Is he good?” the fan asked.
The nearby fans indicated that he was OK — then booed him as he walked by.
Ticket prices have soared past $600 apiece on some sites just to get into MSG. Brunson, as the team captain, might have the clout to help, but don't bother trying.
“My good friends know not to ask,” he said earlier in the series.
Morales quickly got over any disappointment he had of not getting into the arena. The “Let's Go Knicks! Let's Go Knicks!” chants that were already ringing out long before tipoff indicated it was going to be plenty fun right where he was.
“This is my first time experiencing a block party here in New York,” he said.
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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA
Brian Mahoney, The Associated Press
