NYPD and Secret Service officials outlined planned closures ahead of Game 3 of the NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden on Monday as President Trump is expected to attend the Knicks’ matchup with the San Antonio Spurs.
Stretches of streets will be completely off limits, and strict rules will be in place to enter the “secure” area that federal and local authorities are setting up.
Here’s what you need to know:
– Vehicular and pedestrian traffic will be shut down from West 30th Street to West 35th Street between 6th Avenue and Eighth Avenue starting at 4 p.m., the NYPD said.
– The only people allowed inside that perimeter will be fans with tickets, commuters going to Penn Station, and those working inside that part of Midtown Manhattan.
– Fans won’t be allowed to bring backpacks, bags, purses, or other containers inside the venue and are strongly advised to show up at least two hours before tip-off. There will be no storage area for spectators that bring a bag, officials warned at a briefing Monday morning.
– Workers with business in or around MSG and travelers will be allowed to carry bags on them.
“All attendees will pass through TSA-style magnetometer screening before entering the arena,” said Matt McCool, who is the Special Agent in Charge of the Secret Service’s New York field office.
Fans and others authorized to enter the closed-off streets around MSG can get in at five locations, NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said.
– West side of 6th Ave at West 32nd St.
– West side of 6th Ave at West 33rd St.
– Northeast corner of West 29th St and 7th Ave
– Northeast corner of West 30th St and 8th Ave.
– Southeast corner of West 34th St and 8th Ave.
In order to reach public transportation like Amtrak, the Long Island Rail Road, NJ Transit, and the subway system, commuters should use the entrances of Moynihan Station on the west side of Eighth Avenue on 31st and 33rd streets, officials said.
Fans leaving the arena after the game by foot or car need to walk north or south on Seventh Avenue or Eighth Avenue to 29th Street or 36th Street, police said.
“The Secret Service, the NYPD, and our public safety partners have worked closely together to develop a multi-layered security plan,” McCool said.
Fencing was already being set up around the Garden on Monday morning as New Yorkers kicked off their week, according to social media footage.
The raucous – and at times destructive – watch parties that have taken place outside MSG during the Knicks’ heart-pounding playoff run were canceled for Game 3, but Tisch said Monday she expects the gathering to take place again for Game 4.
There will be watch parties at Bryant Park, Central Park, and Brooklyn Bowl for Knicks fanatics hoping to see if the home team takes a 3-0 series lead.
