Hours before Game 4 of the Knicks vs. Spurs NBA Finals, Knicks fans outside Madison Square Garden cleanse the air with copal and sage, blaming Donald Trump for “bad voodoo” and “weird energy.” The same night, heightened security blocked fans from watching toge
At 3 p.m. on Wednesday—just hours before Game 4 of the Knicks vs. Spurs NBA Finals—several New Yorkers were spotted outside Madison Square Garden cleansing the air with copal and sage, trying to manifest better luck for their hometown team.
Deisy stood in a bohemian orange-and-blue outfit, matching the Knicks’ signature colors, layered with necklaces and ceremonial ornaments. “We’re saging the Madison!” she said. “We had really bad energy in this space on Monday. MAGA Mussolini was here — and we gotta get rid of that energy!”
“ M A G A Mussolini” is a reference to President Donald Trump, who became the first sitting U.S. president to attend the NBA Finals on Monday night. His appearance triggered backlash almost immediately. with thousands of fans booing as he appeared on the Jumbotron during the National Anthem. Later in the night. videos circulated on social media appearing to show Trump dozing off while seated next to New York Knicks owner James Dolan and his granddaughter. Kai Trump. A White House spokesperson. Davis Ingle. dismissed the claims. saying: “Anyone ridiculously claiming the President was asleep is either lying or has severe brain damage.”.
For Game 4, the mood outside MSG was already charged. After the Knicks started the series with a 2-0 lead and then losing Game 3, many fans in the perimeter pointed to Trump for what they described as “bad voodoo,” “weird energy,” and “out-of-the-blue fights that weren’t happening before.”
Avery, a Knicks fan wearing an oversized gold chain and holding a sign that read, “F*ck Trump. Let’s go Knicks,” put it bluntly. “He’s a curse to every team that he picks,” Avery said. “He picked the Chiefs to win. They lost. He went to a Mets game. They lost. He went to the Knicks game, picked them to win. We lost.”.
But the conversation outside the arena wasn’t only about politics or superstition. It was also about who was allowed to celebrate.
Partisan politics aside. heightened security on Monday night prevented Knicks fans from attending the massive watch parties outside the Garden during Games 1 and 2. A sprawling 12-block barrier. enforced by hundreds of NYPD officers and security personnel. blocked entry to anyone without a game ticket or “business specific to that area.”.
Sadat. one of dozens of vendors selling Knicks merch outside the perimeter. said the barricades “absolutely” hurt business for both independent sellers and brick-and-mortar shops trying to capitalize on the crowds. “When you have to walk three blocks this way, four blocks that way, it makes a difference,” he said.
For Game 4, even with no Secret Service agents in sight, the barrier remained in place. Madison Square Garden requested a permit for a watch party for 500 to 999 fans, and Mayor Zohran Mamdani said the city approved one for 999. Dolan ultimately canceled the event.
The mayor wrote on X: “Mr. Dolan has now decided to cancel the watch party. I know this is breaking hearts across our city, but if there’s one thing Knicks fans don’t need permission for, it’s showing up for our team wherever we may be — no matter the block or the borough. Knicks in five.”
Inside the perimeter, one hip-hop artist working a DJ stand said the restrictions weren’t the only force shaping the crowd. “That’s cool — they’ve got energy. What’s missing is accountability from the old heads to tell them, ‘Young boy, chill out!’”
Not everyone wanted the lines to move. Knicks fan Row Jones said he was fine with the barriers because “safety is number one.” He said officers were working overtime “to keep people safe” and “doing the best with what they have.”
Finding an officer willing to speak took time. Hundreds assembled for duty in Herald Square around 2 p.m. before taking positions outside the barricades in front of the Garden. Most declined to speak. with some saying they’d been instructed to stay quieter than usual during the unusually hectic shift. Officer Niwa was different.
Niwa spoke from outside the barricades near Moynihan Hall, while his partner mopped sweat from his forehead in the muggy 86-degree heat. “He’ll talk to you. He don’t care,” the partner said.
“It’s crazy, I’ve never seen New York like this before. This is insane,” Niwa said. He told those gathered that most officers were working 16-hour shifts. “We had some small incidents [during Game 3], but nothing crazy. And that’s fine, we’re going to take that.”
Even without full access around MSG, Knicks fans still found ways to gather. From the official watch party in Bryant Park to fans listening on the radio outside maxed-out bars in the Financial District. they gathered wherever they could to experience the game together. At Pig Beach BBQ in Astoria. some waited more than two hours to get inside. where ESPN cameras were set up near the outdoor screen to capture the crowd’s energetic reactions.
Still, some couldn’t shake the frustration over the restrictions around the venue—especially after the political flashpoint of Monday night.
Knicks fan Pierre said he was wearing a gold chain with a platano charm. a good-luck symbol honoring Dominican player Karl-Anthony Towns. “Honestly, it’s the antithesis of what New York should be about. Just let us be free to celebrate and support our team. We’re not caged animals!” he said. “I understand there are some bad apples, but that doesn’t represent the entire Knicks fan base.”.
Outside MSG on Wednesday, the sage burned anyway. Deisy’s message wasn’t just about clearing “bad energy”—it was also about reclaiming the space fans believe belongs to them. especially in a moment that now feels split between playoff hope. political anger. and the barricades that turned celebration into a detour.
Knicks fans Madison Square Garden Game 4 Knicks vs Spurs Donald Trump copal and sage MAGA Mussolini James Dolan Zohran Mamdani NYPD barrier watch party cancelled