Madison Square Garden accused New York City officials of turning the streets around the arena into “a police state.” Mayor Zohran Mamdani said Knicks owner James Dolan was “breaking hearts across our city.”

And as tipoff approached for Wednesday night’s Game 4 of the NBA Finals, a watch party that had been scheduled for outside the Garden was canceled, though who made the decision and why was not immediately clear.

A week that began with an overwhelming air of excitement in New York over the first Knicks home games in the finals this century spiraled into an ongoing feud between the team’s ownership and the mayor’s office over security measures put in place around Madison Square Garden.

During a radio interview on WFAN, Dolan echoed parts of an MSG Sports statement from earlier Wednesday, suggesting that the mayor intends to “freeze out fans from celebrating outside Madison Square Garden.” While urging fans to head to the arena early because of the security in the area, Dolan said, “This is all really designed around stopping people from celebrating around Madison Square Garden.”

“That’s what this is about,” Dolan said.

Mamdani responded with a post on X late Wednesday afternoon, stating that the Garden had applied for a gathering of 500 to 999 people and was approved, but that “Mr. Dolan has now decided to cancel the watch party.”

He added, “But if there’s one thing Knicks fans don’t need permission for, it’s showing up for our team wherever we may be — no matter the block or the borough. Knicks in five.”

MSG did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the mayor’s tweet.

In its statement, MSG criticized Mamdani for limiting the ticketed watch party that was supposed to take place outside the arena for Game 4 against the San Antonio Spurs to 1,000 attendees in an enclosed area, while keeping other people on the street away.

“The Knicks’ victories are for all New Yorkers,” MSG said. “We wish everyone could see the games live. Watch parties and public celebrations are a way for every Knicks fan to enjoy this special time. These fans want to celebrate together. They want to celebrate at the Mecca of basketball.

“This is not about watch parties; it’s about celebrating wins.”

At a news conference earlier in the day Wednesday, Mamdani said the security measures outside the arena are similar to those the New York Police Department uses for gatherings of this size during occasions like July 4 or New Year’s Eve.

“We want to encourage every New Yorker to celebrate in this moment, to do so responsibly, and to be looking out for one another through it all,” Mamdani said. “We want this to be a memorable night for all the right reasons.”

The NYPD said in a statement that “MSG applied for a permit for a watch party tonight for 500-999 people. New York City approved that permit for 1,000 people. The NYPD had set up for that watch party, but you would have to ask MSG if they are going to follow through or not.”

Dolan, in his WFAN interview, said city officials didn’t “have faith in their own police force” and cited what he said was the inexperience of the mayor’s office and NYPD commissioner Jessica Tisch for any problems with the watch parties.

“They have never managed anything like this before, and it’s like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. It’s coming out the sides,” he said. He also said those in the mayor’s office were “not Knicks fans.”

Until this week, the relationship between Mamdani and MSG and Dolan had been tranquil. But that peace has since fractured.

NYPD and Dolan offered differing explanations for significant security measures put in place at the arena ahead of Game 3, which was attended by President Donald Trump. Those measures included a steel fence, limited access points and restrictions on what attendees could bring to the game.

As an additional security measure, a watch party that had been scheduled for outside MSG was moved to Bryant Park. Even so, that event, which attracted an estimated crowd of 7,000, was marred by violence and rowdiness after the Knicks lost to the Spurs.

The public spat between the city and team flared up again Tuesday night, when MSG released a statement calling Tisch and Mamdani the city’s “biggest party poopers” for putting security restrictions around the Garden for Game 4. While the team’s permit for a watch party near MSG was granted, the Knicks wanted fewer restrictions around the building.

“If the Mayor won’t allow that, can he at least give Knicks fans an honest answer of why not?” the statement said. “He can’t blame it on the President. He is not coming to Game 4 and there is no reason to create a police state around The Garden.”

Some of the restrictions around Monday’s Game 3 were not in place Wednesday. The fencing came down. Eighth Avenue was no longer closed off. Fans needed to be screened to go to a restaurant or bar inside the security zone. But it was a different scene than what accompanied watch parties for several Knicks playoff games this spring — gatherings that required the team to apply for the same permit every time, a source with knowledge of the applications said.

Fans have flocked to the streets in Knicks jerseys and filled up bars to watch the games as the team made a run to its first finals appearance since 1999. They have also paid exorbitant prices to get into MSG for the finals, with the Knicks now just two wins away from their first NBA title since 1973.

Mamdani has attended several Knicks games during the playoffs, and last week in an interview with The Athletic, he said he was “appreciative” of Dolan for handing out 500 finals tickets to underprivileged families. Their relationship, Mamdani said, was centered on keeping people safe during the Knicks run.

But the city’s increased security has limited the scope of the watch parties, which has caused a very public falling out between the two sides.

Mike Vorkunov and Jay King contributed to this story.