SAN ANTONIO — In the aftermath of the Knicks’ Game 4 win, with a chance to close out the series against the Spurs Saturday night at the Frost Bank Center, Knicks fans began to do what they’ve been doing throughout the postseason — attempting to crowd into the road venue to convert it to an annex of Madison Square Garden.
There already was a large contingent of Knicks fans in the first two games roaming through the corridors chanting for the visitors, and ticket sites have detailed large numbers of tickets on the secondary market being purchased by accounts in New York and New Jersey now with a chance to be there for what could be the first title for the Knicks since 1973.
“I appreciate it more than I think I’ll ever be able to say,” Jalen Brunson said. “Just very grateful and thankful. It’s a really cool experience. Like I said, it’s something that you can’t really talk about; you just have to experience it.”
It’s nothing new for the Knicks and their well-traveled fans. There has always been a large number of New York transplants in the Southeast cities like Miami, Orlando and Atlanta. And two years ago, Knicks fans crowded into Philadelphia, just a train ride away, and shouted down the home crowd.
But it has now spread. When the Knicks clinched the Eastern Conference title in Cleveland, Cavaliers fans headed out at the end of the game. But as the trophy presentation took place on the court, it seemed like nearly half the arena was still in place, cheering for the Knicks.
Now, the NBA Finals tickets are pricier and San Antonio is a long flight — with very few direct flights available from New York — and still it seems bound to sound like a home game for the Knicks.
“Yeah, it was a wild experience to be on a road game and feel like it was a home game,” Karl-Anthony Towns said. “Knicks fans are amazing. Our fans really bring it every single game, regardless of where it’s at. I didn’t know I would still have that same experience in Abu Dhabi in the preseason, and they flew all the way out there, too, and made it known it was going to be a home game wherever we go in the world. So our fans are special, man, and they bring so much energy, love and support for us that it gets us over that hump when we’re not playing well or maybe we’re just not connected as we should be on the court. They really bring us together. So our fans truly is our secret weapon.”
“Yeah, it’s real cool, man, to be around for that,” Mikal Bridges said. “It just shows how much the fan base travels and cares about the team, cares about winning. I feel like I’m forever grateful to have them on our side because … I don’t think that’s anywhere . I don’t think any team in the league does that. There are a lot of great franchises, great fan bases, as well. Very grateful to be in this position, in this organization, with these fans.”
Steve Popper covers the Knicks for Newsday. He has spent nearly three decades covering the Knicks and the NBA, along with just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.