The area around Madison Square Garden “will be locked down” starting 4pm Monday to “thwart any threats” as President Trump watches the Knicks play the NBA Finals Game 3 against the Spurs -- creating the “possibility of massive gridlock and disruptions for New Yorkers.” Authorities said that a “frozen zone will be enforced from W. 30 to W. 35th Sts. between Sixth and Eighth Aves. in Midtown Manhattan starting just as rush hour begins.” There will be “no vehicular traffic on Seventh and Eighth Aves. and only those who have a ticket to the game, a commuter train ticket or credentials for local businesses will be allowed through the security perimeter.” Only those “entering Penn Station will be allowed into the frozen zone with bags.” A transit source said that subways “would operate as usual, including making stops at Penn Station.” NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said that the lockdown “will be in place for the entire game, even if Trump leaves early, and that it mirrors how the NYPD secures Times Square on New Year’s Eve” (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 6/8).
Fans are “urged to arrive at least two hours before” the 8:40PM tipoff. There will be no official watch party Monday night outside of MSG, due to “enhanced security with the U.S. Secret Service for Trump’s visit.” The Knicks “plan to resume the watch parties for Game 4” (NEWSDAY, 6/8).
