Latest news with #basketballfans
Entrepreneur
6 days ago
- Business
- Entrepreneur
Knicks conference finals appearance drives MSG Ticket prices skyward
New York City has erupted in basketball fever as the Knicks reach the National Basketball Association's conference finals for the first time in a quarter-century, causing ticket prices at Madison... This story originally appeared on Due New York City has erupted in basketball fever as the Knicks reach the National Basketball Association's conference finals for the first time in a quarter-century, causing ticket prices at Madison Square Garden to reach unprecedented heights. The team's long-awaited return to this advanced playoff stage has ignited a purchasing frenzy among fans desperate to witness history in person. This marks a significant moment for a franchise that has experienced multiple rebuilding phases and disappointments since its last conference finals appearance in 1999. Historic Return Fuels Market Surge After 25 years of waiting, Knicks fans are opening their wallets to secure seats for the upcoming games. The demand reflects both the team's passionate fan base and the significance of this playoff run in the context of the franchise's recent history. Madison Square Garden, often referred to as 'The World's Most Famous Arena,' is seeing ticket prices that match its prestigious reputation. The venue, which has hosted countless memorable NBA moments throughout its history, is once again the center of basketball attention in New York. Economic Impact of Playoff Success The surge in ticket prices represents more than just basketball enthusiasm—it demonstrates the economic power of successful sports franchises in major markets. Local businesses around Madison Square Garden are also experiencing increased activity as fans gather before and after games. The financial windfall extends beyond just primary ticket sales. The secondary market has exploded with resellers listing tickets at multiples of face value, creating both opportunities and challenges for fans hoping to attend the games. Some notable effects of the Knicks' playoff run include: Increased merchandise sales throughout the city Higher reservation rates at restaurants near Madison Square Garden Greater television viewership for Knicks games Fan Reaction and Cultural Significance The willingness of fans to pay premium prices highlights the cultural significance of the Knicks in New York City. Despite years of mediocre performance, the team has maintained a loyal following that has eagerly awaited this return to prominence. Social media platforms have been flooded with fans sharing their excitement, ticket purchase stories, and even complaints about the high prices. This online activity further fuels interest in the games and contributes to the escalating ticket market. The Garden' has always been a special place for basketball, but these conference finals games represent a new peak in both fan enthusiasm and financial investment required to attend. Basketball analysts note that the Knicks' return to the conference finals represents more than just a sporting achievement—it's a cultural moment for a city that prides itself on basketball tradition. The team's success has united diverse segments of New York's population in a shared experience. As the series approaches, the question remains whether ticket prices will continue to climb or if they'll reach a ceiling based on what even the most dedicated fans are willing to pay. Either way, Madison Square Garden will be the hottest venue in New York City as the Knicks continue their quest for an NBA championship. The post Knicks conference finals appearance drives MSG Ticket prices skyward appeared first on Due.
New York Times
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Knicks vs. Pacers live updates: 2025 NBA playoffs Game 4 start time, picks and predictions
Greetings basketball fans! Welcome to The Athletic 's live coverage of tonight's Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals featuring the New York Knicks and Indiana Pacers. The Knicks overcame a 20-point deficit to win Game 3 in a thrilling contest. Can New York win tonight to even the series at 2-2? Or will Indiana secure victory in front of its home fans to take a commanding 3-1 series lead? Follow our live updates as we build up to tonight's game.
New York Times
24-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Thunder vs. Timberwolves live updates: 2025 NBA playoffs Game 3 start time, picks and predictions
Getty Images Greetings basketball fans! Welcome to The Athletic 's live coverage of Game 3 in the Western Conference finals featuring the Oklahoma City Thunder and Minnesota Timberwolves. The Thunder look like the best team in the NBA in this series, hence why they are up 2-0. Can Oklahoma City take a commanding 3-0 lead or will Minnesota get back in the series? Follow our live updates as we build up to tonight's game.
New York Times
22-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Knicks fans inside, outside Madison Square Garden stunned by Game 1 collapse
NEW YORK — The silence inside Madison Square Garden was inescapable. It will endure as long as this night haunts the New York Knicks and their battered fan base. Thousands of people all in one place, under one roof, barely able to utter a word. It was a wake in real time for a loss that felt so unexpected and so painful it could only be met by that ineffable feeling of a broken heart, tongues tied by fatigue and incredulity. Advertisement The stairways and escalators of MSG, often a vibrant afterparty following wins, were quiet, too. They are as good a barometer of the franchise as any record, or any check-in on the standings. When the Knicks win, there is pure joy, some untoward words, and a waft of weed. Wednesday night, there was nothing more than a few loose words tumbling out of pursed lips. What is it like to see some 20,000 fans nearly catatonic, all in some state of shock? It looked a lot like this. It looked a lot like the world's most dour arena, beset by the kind of depression only high-stakes playoff basketball can invoke. Even decades of pain couldn't prepare them for this. A psyche callused over time by dreadful seasons and extinguished hope can still hurt. The Knicks lost Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals 138-135 to the Indiana Pacers in overtime Wednesday night. That is a somber reading of the facts. It will go down as one of the most agonizing losses in New York sports history, a soul-snatching defeat that will evoke nothing but cursing and drinking around these parts from here on out. It was a night in which Aaron Nesmith etched his name among those who will forever be unforgettably despised in franchise lore, and Tyrese Haliburton made his case to be added as Knicks villain forevermore. Everyone outside MSG trying to watch on phones — Chris Vannini (@ChrisVannini) May 22, 2025 Win probability charts cannot do this loss justice. The Knicks were up 15 with 4:55 left. They were up 11 with 2:15 to go. They had a nine-point buffer with 58 seconds on the clock. Still up five with 29.9 seconds and time draining. They were still up by two after the final game-tying prayer was heaved, time expired, the horn blared and the ball hit the back rim and did not go in. Advertisement Knicks fans had prepared for this. They gathered outside MSG, on Seventh Avenue and 33rd Street, the ones who could not pay the hundreds or thousands of dollars to get in to see a miracle 25 years in the making. This was their mass, and Jalen Brunson led it from his hardwood pulpit. They chanted 'Knicks in four' as a win seemed assured and started dreaming of an easy sweep. They yelled 'F— Trae Young,' a hymnal for a new generation of supporters. They ignored the police who told them to disperse; this was hardly the time to listen to anyone but the TNT broadcast piping from their phones. But Aaron Nesmith kept nailing 3s. One after another, and six in all. Twenty points in 275 seconds. Then came the fall. It came from several feet above the rim, after Haliburton launched his shot right before the buzzer, over a closing 7-foot Mitchell Robinson, off the back rim, up so high it ran even with the top of the shot clock, and down through the basket in a perfect swish. 'I knew it was going in,' Haliburton said. By then, thousands of others had to as well. 'I felt like it got stuck up there. Honestly, when it went in, I felt like my eyes might have been deceiving me in the moment. But it felt good when it left my hand. I thought it was going to go in. The ball felt like it was up there for eternity.' When it landed, Haliburton stormed around on the court and paid homage to Reggie Miller, broadcasting the game on TNT, by placing his hands around his neck. He thought he had hit a 3-pointer. Review confirmed his toe was on the line. It was a 2, and a disbelieving Garden crowd saw their Knicks head to overtime. But the Knicks had choked, all right. Overtime confirmed it. By the time the buzzer sounded again, this time with a loss in hand, the mind boggled with how the Knicks had gotten here. This was not just a defeat, it was a checkpoint on the way to misery. A double-digit fourth quarter lead, gone. A Game 1 win, lost. Home-court advantage, erased. The vibes, no longer all that immaculate. Advertisement One fan carried his Brunson jersey out onto the street; 'Yo, anybody got a lighter?' he asked. The Knicks had waited more than two decades to get back to this point, after a generation of despair. Through years of Isiah Thomas and Larry Brown and Phil Jackson; the Starbury era, the Eddy Curry sign-and-trade, and the Kristaps Porziņģis deal. The franchise has been rejuvenated, but sometimes the numbness can reappear in an instant. The Knicks must figure out how to move on. How to recover. Losses like these are hard to come by and harder to come back from. The Knicks, after a series of wins from the grave this spring against the Detroit Pistons and Boston Celtics, finally met their match. No Pacers game is done until five minutes after it's over. For the third time these playoffs, they won despite being down by multiple possessions in the final minute. Those were on the way to series wins over the Milwaukee Bucks and Cleveland Cavaliers. The Knicks now sit in their place. For 47 minutes, they thought they had the game in hand. A whole city thought it, too. Instead, it all disappeared so quickly. The deafening roars of the Garden were replaced by nothing in their place. It could be heard out on the concourse and the staircase and on the street, a kind of silence that could not be moved. — David Ubben and Chris Vannini contributed to this report. (Photo of Carmelo Anthony: Sarah Stier / Getty Images)
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Fans Absolutely Roasting WNBA For Major Caitlin Clark, Napheesa Collier Error
With the 2025 WNBA season under way, the attention of basketball fans has turned toward the women's game. The popularity of the league continues to grow, as Caitlin Clark has become the unofficial face of the WNBA. There are a wide range of young, talented players around the league who possess superstar power. The list is long and they are all capable of being the league's best player while leading their team to a WNBA title. Advertisement During the opening week of the season, one of Saturday's WNBA broadcasts looked to showcase a handful of these stars, highlighting their impressive accomplishments on the young season. The on-screen graphic, displayed during the broadcast of the Seattle Storm vs. Phoenix Mercury game, contained two major errors. Clark and Napheesa Collier's names were misspelled. Caitlin was incorrectly written as "Caitlyn" while Napheesa was wrongly written as "Naphessa". @nosyone4 grabbed a screenshot of the major errors, posting it to their X account. As per FanDuel Sportsbook, Clark and Collier are the WNBA's two leading MVP candidates. Clark is the favorite at plus-160 with Collier is not far behind at plus-250. Advertisement Fans rushed to social media to absolutely roast the WNBA for these major errors. "2 MVP candidates getting their names misspelled is absolutely insane," @RADeMita said on X. "Wow! That's just so very bad. Inexcusable really," @VBLova posted on X. "Again… a whole offseason and they still couldn't learn to spell players names and get it double checked before going public," @shotfighterpow said on X. "The WNBA is a very unserious league! It's opening day and you misspell 2 of your stars names?" @LundyLeague posted on X. Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) gets the crowd excited during the 2025 season opener against the Chicago Sky at Gainbridge Smith/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images Clark posted a triple-double in the Indiana Fever's first game on Saturday, a blowout victory over the Chicago Sky. Advertisement Collier dropped 34 points on Friday, leading her Minnesota Lynx to a win in their first game over the Dallas Wings. Related: Caitlin Clark Receives Legendary Praise From Historic Stat Line During Fever-Sky Related: LeBron James Sends Caitlin Clark 9-Word Message During Fever-Sky
