Knicks fans cheered wildly after the team won the NBA championship, ending a 53-year drought. Photograph: Julius Constantine Motal/The Guardian
A New York Night: World Cup in Town, but Knicks Rule Manhattan
At John Doe's bar on 28th and 5th in Manhattan, the crowd was already energetic by early evening, as TVs showed Vinícius Júnior's equalizer for Brazil against Morocco's opener. World Cup decorations were everywhere, but the main event was clear: the New York Knicks were bidding to end their 53-year wait for an NBA title, facing the San Antonio Spurs in Texas.
The city was awash with Knicks memorabilia, from Thai students in Jalen Brunson singlets to elderly New Yorkers in royal blue and orange. All were obliged to sport Knicks gear.
Though John Doe's seemed busy for football, it was nothing compared to the crowd that surged in for the NBA Finals. “Knicks in five!” roared patrons as Brunson appeared on screen. The Knicks were up 3-1 after a historic comeback from 29 points down in the previous game.
But excitement quickly faded as the Spurs took a commanding lead. The Knicks trailed by 10 after the first quarter, looking nervous. Late in the third quarter, they were still down by 15, but then star man Brunson hit his stride. Fifteen of his 45 points came in the final quarter, each greeted with growing exhilaration. With just over three minutes left, Brunson put the Knicks ahead. The final seconds were tense, but when OG Anunoby put the Knicks up by four with 7.7 seconds to play, pandemonium erupted.
Streets filled with fans. The Empire State Building lit up in Knicks colors. Buses were commandeered at Times Square; a communal viewing at Central Park erupted into scenes resembling Wembley's Boxpark. On Broadway, fans climbed lampposts and ripped a Spurs jersey. One teenager was shot in the foot, and riot police were needed as some vandalized buses. Sixty-three people were arrested, with four stabbings and one bus set on fire.
Yet the euphoria was infectious. The night mirrored football's best moments, reminding that New York's sporting culture runs deep, even with the World Cup in town.
