NBA Finals Knicks Spurs Basketball

New York City police officers join fans and celebrate the Knicks victory after a watch party for Game 5 of the NBA Finals basketball series against the San Antonio Spurs, Saturday, June 13, 2026, in New York.

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Mayhem mars euphoria as New York City celebrates the Knicks' first championship in 53 years

Mayhem mars euphoria as New York City celebrates the Knicks' first championship in 53 years

It was bedlam on Broadway as the New York Knicks won their first NBA championship in 53 years, with exuberant celebrations marred by mayhem and violence, including a shooting in Times Square. Outside the team’s Manhattan arena, Madison Square Garden, fans roared as the Knicks rallied from a 16-point deficit to beat the Spurs in San Antonio in Game 5 of the NBA Finals on Saturday night. Soon after, rowdy fans were clashing with police, smashing windows on a police car, climbing scaffolding, light poles and a statue, standing atop school buses in Times Square and trying to hitch a ride on a moving fire truck. The NYPD said there were multiple arrests but wouldn’t have a total until later on Sunday.