NEW YORK, June 11 – Excitement for the New York Knicks has swept across all five boroughs this week, as the basketball team stands just one victory away from breaking a 53-year championship dry spell. Even with the World Cup soccer tournament beginning across the river in New Jersey on Saturday, many local residents are focused on their beloved basketball squad.
Soccer fans worldwide will watch as Brazil takes on Morocco in East Rutherford, New Jersey, starting at 6:00 pm ET on Saturday. However, lifelong New Yorkers will have their attention fixed on the Knicks as they face the San Antonio Spurs in Texas for Game 5 of the championship series, beginning two and a half hours after the soccer match.
“This is an incredible time to be a sports fan and, frankly, an even greater time to be a New Yorker,” the city’s sports-enthusiastic mayor said on Thursday. He wore a Knicks jersey beneath his blazer while speaking to both residents and visitors before Saturday’s World Cup game.
Manhattan’s sweltering streets were packed with supporters wearing blue and orange well into Wednesday evening, following the Knicks’ remarkable comeback from a massive 29-point deficit to secure a 3-1 advantage in the best-of-seven series against San Antonio at Madison Square Garden.
London-born player OG Anunoby sealed the memorable game with a game-winning putback shot that coach Mike Brown described as “the most iconic shot in the history of New York basketball.” Some observers drew parallels between the tip-in and Diego Maradona’s famous “Hand of God” goal, with ESPN calling it the “Hand of OG.”
“The energy in our city right now is incredible,” the mayor stated. “Time and again, people have doubted the Knicks. And time and again, the Knicks have proven the doubters wrong. OG Anunoby with the greatest outstretched hand since Diego Maradona.”
Supporters from New York and New Jersey purchased approximately 44% of the tickets available for Saturday’s Game 5 at San Antonio’s Frost Bank Center through the resale platform TickPick, the company announced Thursday. The Knicks hope to close out the series away from home or return for a potential Game 6 at their home venue on Tuesday.
The team’s towering center Karl-Anthony Towns praised the dedication and toughness of the fanbase, commending them for remaining until the final buzzer even when Game 4 seemed hopeless.
“Shoutout to our fans, man,” he told reporters. “As anyone who lives in New York knows, if you want to make it in this city, you have to be okay getting it out of the mud, and we did that.”
The New York City Police Department’s communications division indicated it would decide Friday whether supporters could gather outside Madison Square Garden to view the game on large screens. This fan tradition was disrupted due to safety concerns during this week’s two home contests, creating tension between team owner James Dolan, the police department, and city officials.
Madison Square Garden is located above Penn Station, an important transportation center for those attending Saturday’s World Cup match.
