The New York Police Department arrested 15 people and released another 41 with criminal court summonses Wednesday night, as crowds gathered outside Madison Square Garden during and after the New York Knicks’ comeback win over the San Antonio Spurs in Game 4 of the NBA Finals.Objects that appeared to be eggs were also thrown at Spurs star Victor Wembanyama as he walked from the team bus into the team hotel following the game, according to multiple videos on social media.The NYPD estimated that about 10,000 people gathered near Madison Square Garden during the game and said that the crowds “became increasingly destructive” as the Knicks mounted a 29-point comeback to win.Police said people in the crowds jumped on top of vehicles, including damaging four NYPD cars, tried to flip a taxi, threw glass bottles at police, shut streets down to car traffic and climbed scaffolding, light poles, traffic lights and buildings. Police also said people broke into a tractor trailer, stole items and threw them at police, and that 10 members of the NYPD were injured, including one who was hit in the head with a glass bottle.“Once again, there were large crowds of people who engaged in incredibly reckless and dangerous behavior last night both during and after the game,” the NYPD said in a statement Thursday. “This demonstrates exactly why the NYPD has increased our presence in and around Madison Square Garden.”It was the latest in a series of eventful nights in New York, as the Knicks have taken a 3-1 series lead over the Spurs and look to win their first championship since 1973. On Friday, the NYPD arrested 17 people after the Knicks won Game 2 in San Antonio.The issue of managing crowds and the security around Madison Square Garden has become a political flashpoint in the last few days. In the lead-up to Game 4, Knicks owner James Dolan criticized New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani and NYPD commissioner Jessica Tisch for security measures outside MSG that he felt were too strict, saying in a radio interview that they “didn’t believe in their own police force.” Mamdani said that the Knicks only applied for a permit for a gathering of 500 to 999 people, which the city approved, and that planned security measures were similar to those on July 4 or New Year’s Eve. The Knicks later canceled the watch party, citing crowd restrictions.Security was even higher ahead of Game 3 on Monday, with President Donald Trump in attendance. It included a steel fence, limited access points and restrictions on what attendees could bring to the game. A watch party, which was scheduled for outside the Garden, was also moved to Bryant Park. It attracted approximately 7,000 people and turned chaotic after the Knicks lost. More than 20 people were taken into police custody, five officers were injured and video on social media showed people wearing Spurs apparel being verbally and physically harassed.The city had previously denied a permit for watch parties in May, after police arrested six people during the Eastern Conference finals, but lifted the ban for watch parties outside MSG during Games 1 and 2 of the NBA Finals in San Antonio.Jun 11, 2026Connections: Sports EditionSpot the pattern. Connect the termsFind the hidden link between sports terms