Scenes from inside the MSG watch party
Alexis Yanez, 43, of Franklin Square, and his 8-year-old son Alex attend the Knicks' Game 1 watch party at Madison Square Garden, Credit: Newsday/John Asbury
Though the players weren't on the floor and there were no outside seats, a sold-out crowd at Madison Square Garden roared with every Jalen Brunson three-pointer and chanted "De-fense!" when the Spurs would take the ball back the other way.
Markell Carter of Dallas, who was born and raised in the Bronx, attends the Knicks' Game 1 watch party at Madison Square Garden. Credit: Newsday/John Asbury
Fans watched on the Jumbotron GardenVision, as the game from San Antonio was broadcast with play-by-play by Knicks and ABC announcer Mike Breen.
The Knicks City Dancers performed at halfcourt during breaks in the game and did a T-shirt toss while Knicks legends Larry "LJ" Johnson and Bernard King watched the game.
Alexis Yanez, 43, of Franklin Square, brought his children, including his 8-year-old son Alex, to the Garden to watch the Knicks first Finals appearance in 27 years.
He said he would try to find a way to make it to Games 3 or 4 at MSG, where resale prices top $5,000.
"My son is a huge fan. It feels great, my kids are loving it here and we have to find a way to win the game," Yanez said.
Markell Carter, 31, of Dallas, who was born and raised in the Bronx, said he came back to New York to go to Wednesday's watch party.
"I've been a die-hard Knicks fan my whole life and when they made the Finals, I had to came back home," Carter said. "The city is alive. We're playing June basketball and I never thought I'd see this day. This is a dream come true and we're going all the way. There will be a parade."
John Asbury is a breaking news and general assignment reporter. He has been with Newsday since 2014 and previously worked at The Press-Enterprise in Riverside, California.
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