New York, NY — What was supposed to be a wild night of Knicks playoff passion turned into an ugly street brawl as a mob of blue-and-orange faithful swarmed a lone Spurs fan, shoving, shouting and tearing at his gear while cops were MIA.
Video exploding across X shows the disturbing scene unfolding in the dense nighttime crowd near Madison Square Garden and Bryant Park watch parties Tuesday night. A man in Spurs gear gets swallowed by a pushing, yelling pack of Knicks fans after San Antonio stunned the Knicks 115-111 in Game 3, Victor Wembanyama dropping 32 points to snap New York's 13-game playoff win streak and cut the series lead to 2-1.
The Knicks were up 2-0 heading into the Garden. Then Wemby and the Spurs stole one on the road, sending home fans into a frenzy of frustration. Street celebrations quickly soured into confrontations, with multiple videos showing Spurs supporters harassed, beers thrown and shirts ripped.
One clip captured a shirtless Knicks fan trying to shield his buddy amid the swarm. Another showed a balcony view of the madness below.
Online, the backlash was immediate and brutal."Worst fanbase in the NBA and it’s not even close," one critic fired off. Others contrasted it with San Antonio's hospitality during the earlier games, where Knicks supporters flooded Texas without similar blowups.
NYPD officers were spotted trying to control massive crowds at Bryant Park, where fans climbed trees and cars, but critics slammed the response as too little, too late for the targeted Spurs supporter.
"This is why their fan base hasn’t seen a trophy in decades," one Spurs backer tweeted. "Embarrassing how they treat Spurs fans after San Antonio was so welcoming."
The NBA Finals shift to Game 4 on Wednesday. With emotions running this hot, league officials and city leaders better have a plan to keep the rivalry on the court, not in the gutter.
