A viewing party outside Madison Square Garden, where several thousand Knicks fans had gathered to watch Game 2 of the N.B.A. finals, erupted into chaos on Friday night after the Knicks won. Revelers scaled light poles and food carts, blocked traffic and, in one case, punched a police officer in the face, according to the authorities.<\/p>\n
The New York Police Department said it took a total of 26 people into custody as the party escalated, arresting 17 people and releasing another nine with court summonses for disorderly conduct. Several people resisted arrest or otherwise refused to comply with police orders, the department said.<\/p>\n
And one person, who has not been publicly identified, punched a 23-year-old female police officer in the face after jumping a barrier into a blocked-off area. The same person later bit a different officer, a police union leader<\/a> said in a statement.<\/p>\n The watch party, for the Knicks\u2019 second game in its best-of-seven championship series against the San Antonio Spurs, drew about 6,500 people to the plaza outside the Garden and thousands more to the arena itself, where the Knicks were hosting a ticketed event inside<\/a>.<\/p>\n It was the second time this week that a party outside the Garden had grown unruly. The city had previously banned the viewing events, then reversed the ban<\/a> despite concerns from the police department and its commissioner, Jessica Tisch.<\/p>\n New York City has been overcome by a contagious, electric<\/a> sense of hometown pride since the Knicks made the finals this season for the first time in 27 years, and some fans\u2019 passion has escalated into disorder.<\/p>\n The watch parties outside the Garden, which have been a steady source of joy and chaos, were canceled last month<\/a> after a series of crowds swarmed the area outside the arena, resulting in multiple arrests. Since the parties\u2019 reinstatement, the police have taken additional security measures, erecting designated viewing pens along the plaza on 33rd Street and blocking off pedestrian traffic on parts of Seventh Avenue.<\/p>\n But on Friday, after the Knicks secured their 13th consecutive win in a historic playoff season, the scene grew unruly once again, reviving questions about the safety and sustainability of the outdoor watch parties.<\/p>\n Now, as the Knicks head home with two victories and a chance to take the championship title in just two more games, the fervor outside the Garden could well intensify. And adding to the chaos, both President Trump and Mayor Zohran Mamdani<\/a> have said they plan to attend Game 3 of the finals on Monday.<\/p>\n It remained unclear on Saturday if the city would allow a watch party for that game or any future games. Sam Raskin, a spokesman for Mr. Mamdani, said future permitting plans for watch parties would be decided on a case-by-case basis in coordination with the Police Department.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is not a matter of if they will happen, but where,\u201d he said in a statement.<\/p>\n