(NEW YORK) — While most New York Knicks fans remained peaceful following the home team’s first loss to the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Finals, police said some were arrested in clashes with law enforcement officers and for other rowdy behavior.
At least 21 people were arrested following Monday night’s Game 3 of the championship series played at Madison Square Garden, according to the New York Police Department (NYPD).
After the game, in which the Spurs broke the Knicks’ 13-game playoff winning streak, fans spilled out of a watch party in Manhattan’s Bryant Park and onto 42nd Street, where some allegedly turned violent.
The NYPD said that in the immediate aftermath of the game, several people allegedly threw beer bottles at or punched police officers, climbed on light poles and scaffolding, got into fistfights, and jumped on top of cars and taxi cabs.
Eight people were arrested on charges of assaulting police officers, criminal possession of a weapon, menacing, resisting arrest, and obstructing governmental administration, according to the NYPD. Thirteen others were issued criminal court summonses for disorderly conduct, the NYPD said.
Videos shared on social media showed some fans clashing with police officers, and other videos captured apparent Knicks fans attacking San Antonio fans on the streets, ripping off their Spurs jerseys.
One video showed NYPD officers wearing riot helmets escorting several people wearing Spurs jerseys to a taxi cab to protect them from a crowd yelling at them.
With President Donald Trump attending Monday night’s game, the NYPD and the Secret Service put Madison Square Garden on lockdown, creating a security perimeter around the Garden and only allowing fans with game tickets or a legitimate excuse to get close to the arena.
Earlier on Monday, NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch announced that a fan watch party scheduled to occur outside of Madison Square Garden on Monday night was canceled, but other watch parties were scheduled around the city, including the one in Bryant Park.
Tisch said the watch party outside the Garden will resume for Game 4 on Wednesday night.
The Knicks lead the best-of-seven series two games to one in the team’s quest to win its first NBA championship since 1973.
“We will have no tolerance for violence, particularly violence against police officers, destruction of property, climbing on light poles or structures, blocking emergency vehicles or other chaotic behavior,” Tisch said at a Monday morning press conference.
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