By Mark Morales, Julianna Bragg

(CNN) — Madison Square Garden officials blasted the New York Police Department and Mayor Zohran Mamdani after the city unveiled its security plan, including a vast perimeter and other restrictions, for Game 4 of the NBA Finals. President Donald Trump doesn’t plan to attend the next game.

“The last several victories the Knicks have had have been celebrated by thousands and thousands outside MSG,” an arena spokesperson told CNN. “The joy and happiness were palpable everywhere. Apparently Mayor Mamdani and Police Commissioner (Jessica) Tisch, despite what they say, don’t want to see these celebrations happen.”

This week marks the first time the NBA Finals have returned to New York City in nearly three decades, as the Knicks host the San Antonio Spurs. The Knicks hold a 2-1 lead going into Game 4, scheduled to tip off at 8:30 p.m. ET. All games in the series so far have been won by the visiting team.

The dispute over security follows two violent incidents tied to recent games, plus a stabbing Sunday at Penn Station — directly under the Garden — that left six people hurt. On Monday night, 21 people were taken into custody at a watch party of roughly 7,000 people in Bryant Park that turned violent and destructive, according to a law enforcement official. Two of those arrested were charged with assaulting a police officer, and five officers were injured, the official said.

Some in the crowd refused to leave, blocked traffic and engaged in large, physically violent fights that caused injuries, the official added. Others threw glass objects at people and ripped bus signs and trees out of the ground.

Separately, a 39-year-old man wearing a Spurs jersey was stomped and punched after Game 3 while walking down West 47th Street, about 15 blocks from the arena. The man was jeered and then attacked by people trying to rip off the jersey, video shows. After trying to defend himself and push people away, the man was taken to the ground from behind and kicked before his cellphone was stolen, according to the NYPD. The victim was hospitalized in stable condition.

The NYPD previously said it would not support watch parties outside the arena after dealing with crowd issues, but relented last week after pushback, according to an arena official. The department appeared to take a more aggressive posture toward the parties on Monday.

Watch parties outside the Garden had stopped during the last round of the playoffs against the Cleveland Cavaliers, the official told CNN, making their return ahead of the NBA Finals significant. Watch parties were held for every other game in the Knicks’ playoff run except one, which was canceled due to rain, the official said.

Citing those incidents, city officials described the return of the watch party – even under tighter security – as a win for fans.

“We’re back outside the Garden,” Mamdani wrote on X. “This is a historic, joyful moment for our city. We will not allow it to be disrupted by violence.”

“The security in place this evening is in line with the measures that the NYPD uses for gatherings of this size, whether it be July 4th or New Year’s Eve,” Mamdani told reporters at an unrelated event Wednesday morning.

The watch party outside the arena had been canceled for Game 3 due to presidential security but will resume Wednesday night, with some limitations, city officials said. Only ticketed attendees will be allowed in. City officials did not announce how to get tickets, and the Knicks watch party webpage said to “Check back soon for upcoming information” as of Wednesday morning.

“Madison Square Garden applied for a permit for an event the size of 500 to 1,000 people for the watch party. We approved the maximum end for 999 attendees,” Mamdani said Wednesday.

Garden officials argue the new restrictions go too far. The plan includes crowd-control measures in and around the arena, including a security zone similar to the one implemented during Game 3 on Monday, when Trump attended and sat with James Dolan, whose company owns both the Garden and the Knicks. Those restrictions “were supposedly to thwart any threats related to the President’s attendance,” the arena spokesperson said.

“We now know these restrictions were never about the President – it was just a convenient excuse to restrict how and when Knicks fans celebrate,” the spokesperson said Tuesday night in a statement that blasted city officials and the NYPD and called Mamdani and Tisch “New York City’s biggest party poopers.”

Under Wednesday’s security plan, no one will be allowed inside the secure area starting at 4 p.m. unless they have a ticket to the game or watch party, a train ticket for Penn Station, are going to a business, live in the area, have credentials or have some other authorized reason to be there. The restrictions are essentially the same as those in place Monday for Trump’s visit. Everyone entering the secure area will be screened.

For comparison, the last time a Knicks watch party was held outside the Garden – during Friday’s Game 2 played in San Antonio – about 6,500 people attended, an NYPD spokesperson told CNN. There were 26 arrests, including a person who police said punched one officer before biting another.

Businesses inside the security zone will still be allowed to operate under strict capacity limits.

Broader closures will hurt more than just fans, the Garden spokesperson said.

“The complete closing of areas around MSG is going to affect not only the celebration but also all the small businesses that rely on Garden fans for their livelihood,” the spokesperson said.

This story was updated with additional information.

Correction: An earlier headline on this story incorrectly spelled the last names of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch.

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