Game four of the NBA Finals was supposed to be a return to normalcy for New York Knicks fans. Once again, they would be allowed to gather for a public watch party outside Madison Square Garden, a ritual that was scuttled on Monday in light of President Donald Trump’s attendance at game three.

But the gathering is now reportedly off amid a sudden public feud between Knicks owner James Dolan and city officials around the size of the event and the continued use of a much-maligned security perimeter put into place before Trump’s visit. Dolan broke the news of the party’s apparent cancellation during an appearance on WFAN on Wednesday afternoon, just hours before tip-off. “We’re not even putting up the screens,” he said.

The new round of drama began on Tuesday when Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced the MSG watch party’s return, writing on social media, “NEW YORK: We’re back outside the Garden. We have approved a ticketed MSG watch party for Game 4. More details soon.”

But Mamdani’s announcement received strong pushback in a statement from MSG Sports, the company founded by Dolan. It alleged that the mayor and NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch were looking to ruin fans’ experiences by keeping the security perimeter from........

© Daily Intelligencer