New York, NY — They couldn't handle a single loss.
Knicks faithful turned the streets of Midtown into a war zone Monday night, brawling like animals on 42nd Street after the San Antonio Spurs stole Game 3 of the NBA Finals with a 115-111 thriller at Madison Square Garden.
One poor sap ended up on the pavement, getting repeatedly clobbered with a metal bus stop sign as a mob of fellow Knicks fans swarmed and bystanders whipped out their phones to film the savagery instead of stepping in.
Video captured by citizen journalists shows the sickening scene: A man in a blue jersey lies helpless on the sidewalk while another rioter hoists the heavy sign overhead and brings it crashing down, once, twice, more. Shouts, shoves, and chaos erupt all around as the crowd swells. NYPD officers initially hang back, letting the idiots tire themselves out, before wading in to cuff multiple perps and restore some semblance of order.
The melee spilled out near Bryant Park watch parties where rowdy fans had already been climbing signs, shaking poles, and chasing anyone dumb enough to wear Spurs gear. One video even shows a metal sign getting yanked down earlier in the night, before it became a deadly weapon.
The Knicks had been riding high, up 2-0 in the series and boasting a 13-game postseason win streak. Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs had other ideas, with the 7-foot-4 phenom dropping 32 points, 8 boards, and 6 assists to silence the Garden and trim New York's lead to 2-1. Jalen Brunson poured in 32 of his own, but it wasn't enough.
Instead of heading home to regroup for Game 4, these so-called fans decided to take their frustrations out on each other, and innocent street furniture."
This is what NYC has become," one onlooker fumed online. "Third-world behavior after one loss.
"Welcome to the Big Apple, where playoff basketball turns into a real-life Escape from New York. The Knicks better win the series quickly, or these "die-hards" might tear the city apart before the Larry O'Brien trophy even gets here.
