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Greg Cote: Trump at NBA Finals Game 3 intrudes on New York fans' epic night

Sports / Basketball /

President Donald Trump’s national approval ratings are historically low for any number of reasons we won’t detail here. I try very hard to “stick to sports” in this space, though Trump himself makes it difficult by constantly foisting himself into the realm of athletes and games — as he is doing right now.

What we are reminded of ...Read more

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Midtown around Madison Square Garden goes on lockdown for Trump visit to Knicks' NBA Finals game

Sports / Basketball /

NEW YORK — The area around Madison Square Garden was locked down starting at 4 p.m. Monday to thwart any threats as President Donald Trump watches the Knicks play the NBA Finals Game 3 — laying the groundwork for massive gridlock and disruptions for New Yorkers.

A frozen zone is being enforced from West 30th to West 35th streets between ...Read more

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NYC Mayor Mamdani paid $1,000 for standing-room-only ticket to Knicks Game 3

Sports / Basketball /

NEW YORK — Mayor Zohran Mamdani revealed that he paid $1,000 for a standing-room-only ticket to see the New York Knicks play their first Finals home game on Monday night.

Madison Square Garden sells off a limited number of the seatless tickets at a slightly lower price — though for this game, ticket prices have skyrocketed, with the ...Read more

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Midtown around Madison Square Garden goes on lockdown 4 pm Monday for Trump visit to Knicks' NBA Finals game

Sports / Basketball /

NEW YORK — The area around Madison Square Garden will be locked down starting 4 p.m. Monday to thwart any threats as President Donald Trump watches the Knicks play the NBA Finals Game 3 — creating the possibility of massive gridlock and disruptions for New Yorkers.

A frozen zone will be enforced from West 30th to West 35th streets between ...Read more

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Matt Calkins: Melinda French Gates strengthens One Roof Sports' bid to revive Sonics

Sports / Basketball /

SEATTLE — As Penny Lane from "Almost Famous" would say — it's all happening.

One of the country's great financial whales now swims at Seattle Center.

Earlier in the week, it was announced that billionaire philanthropist Melinda French Gates was joining One Roof Sports and Entertainment, the umbrella company overseeing the Kraken, Climate ...Read more

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Kristian Winfield: Victor Wembanyama bailed the Knicks out once, but he won't do it again

Sports / Basketball /

NEW YORK — The play stuck with Stephon Castle through the night into the morning after Game 2 in San Antonio: Victor Wembanyama threw the basketball — and a chance to tie the NBA Finals at one game apiece — off of the second-year guard’s back, off the Frost Bank Center hardwood floors, right into Jalen Brunson’s hands.

“I don’t ...Read more

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Trump visit cancels Knicks MSG watch party for NBA Finals Game 3

Sports / Basketball /

NEW YORK — President Donald Trump’s plans to attend Game 3 of the NBA Finals means fans won’t be able to gather outside Madison Square Garden to cheer the Knicks on, NYPD officials decided Sunday.

On Friday, an estimated 7,000 spectators flooded W. 33rd St. outside the Garden but revelers will have to take advantage of the multitude of ...Read more

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Sixers promote Jameer Nelson to executive vice president of basketball operations

Sports / Basketball /

PHILADELPHIA — Jameer Nelson has been promoted to the Philadelphia 76ers’ executive vice president of basketball operations, The Philadelphia Inquirer confirmed Sunday afternoon.

Nelson, the former St. Joseph’s star and 14-year NBA player, had been the organization’s assistant general manager. He will hold the front office’s No. 2 ...Read more

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Cop assaulted, 26 arrested, as Knicks fans celebrate NBA Finals Game 2 thriller outside Madison Square Garden

Sports / Basketball /

NEW YORK — An NYPD police officer was beaten and 26 people were arrested outside Madison Square Garden in Midtown Manhattan Friday night as thousands of fans celebrated the Knicks’ Game 2 victory over the San Antonio Spurs, officials said.

The brazen attack has raised questions about celebrations next week outside The Garden as the NBA ...Read more

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Knicks' Karl-Anthony Towns dominates start of NBA Finals Game 2 -- then disappears as Spurs nearly steal win

Sports / Basketball /

The Spurs knew an adjustment had to be made on Jalen Brunson, who torched San Antonio in the second half of a loss in Game 1 of the NBA Finals.

And they did make that adjustment. But, they didn’t have an answer early for Karl-Anthony Towns, the Knicks’ best player on the floor for beginning of Friday’s 105-104 Game 2 win in Frost Bank ...Read more

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Victor Wembanyama falls short again in Game 2 loss to Knicks

Sports / Basketball /

All eyes were on Victor Wembanyama.

After the San Antonio Spurs’ all-world superstar disappointed in his NBA Finals debut, questions about how Wembanyama would respond dominated the discussion going into Friday night’s Game 2 at the Frost Bank Center.

Wembanyama, for one, wasn’t worried.

“It’s almost like I have to play normal, not ...Read more

Kristian Winfield: The Spurs are just another victim of the soon-to-be champion New York Knicks

Sports / Basketball /

SAN ANTONIO — The Spurs were supposed to be different. A 62-win Western Conference juggernaut built upon the shoulders of a 7-4 basketball-playing alien named Victor Wembanyama was projected to give the untested Knicks a reality check on the NBA’s biggest stage. There’s no way the Knicks, who ran through the Eastern Conference playoff ...Read more

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Knicks hold off Spurs, take 2-0 lead in NBA Finals

Sports / Basketball /

Karl-Anthony Towns turned the corner, drove baseline and met the longest player in basketball at the rim.

Then he went through him.

Towns dunked on Victor Wembanyama in the second quarter Friday night, screamed in his direction and gave the Knicks the jolt they needed after the San Antonio Spurs spent the early minutes of Game 2 trying to ...Read more

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Rep. Hakeem Jeffries tells Trump to stay away from Knicks in NBA Finals

Sports / Basketball /

NEW YORK — Rep. Hakeem Jeffries on Friday told President Donald Trump to stay away from Knicks games as New York City’s beloved hoops team battles for its first NBA Finals title in 53 years.

With the city united behind the streaking Knicks, Jeffries called on Trump not to show up at Madison Square Garden, when the series with the San ...Read more

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Rep. Hakeem Jeffries tells Trump to stay away from Knicks in NBA Finals

Sports / Basketball /

NEW YORK — Rep. Hakeem Jeffries on Friday told President Donald Trump to stay away from Knicks games as New York City’s beloved hoops team battles for its first NBA Finals title in 53 years.

With the city united behind the streaking Knicks, Jeffries called on Trump not to show up at Madison Square Garden, when the series with the San ...Read more

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Mark Story: Milan Momcilovic will help Kentucky fix last season's biggest problem

Sports / Basketball /

LEXINGTON, Ky. — Over and over last season, I looked onto the court during Kentucky men’s basketball games and the same thought filled my mind:

Man, I don’t like this combination.

Though injuries suffered by key players played a role, issues with roster construction — the pieces not meshing to form a complementary whole — were a ...Read more

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Knicks' Jalen Brunson shows no sign of injury after knee scare in Game 1 of NBA Finals

Sports / Basketball /

SAN ANTONIO — Jalen Brunson turned both his knee and ankle in the Knicks’ victory over the Spurs in Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Wednesday. The Knicks captain didn’t show any lingering signs of ailment ahead of team practice at Frost Bank Center on Thursday.

Spurs forward Harrison Barnes fell into Brunson’s right knee midway through the ...Read more

Kristian Winfield: Why no lead is ever safe against these Knicks: 'It's something in the city'

Sports / Basketball /

SAN ANTONIO — Karl-Anthony Towns didn’t hesitate, his stare pierced through shades covering his eyes after the Knicks completed yet another miraculous comeback, their second consecutive Game 1 rally of the playoffs. Only weeks earlier, the Knicks found themselves in far-too familiar territory, down 22 points in the Eastern Conference finals ...Read more

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Josh Hart was Knicks' unsung hero in Game 1 of NBA Finals

Sports / Basketball /

NEW YORK — Josh Hart scored only three points and shot just 20% in his NBA Finals debut.

Yet the Knicks outscored the San Antonio Spurs by 22 points with Hart on the floor in Game 1, and he played all but four minutes in the second half.

Why?

Because Hart lived up to his last name in Wednesday night’s 105-95 victory at the Frost Bank ...Read more

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How Rick Brunson helped the Knicks steal Game 1 of the NBA Finals: 'Leave the refs alone'

Sports / Basketball /

SAN ANTONIO — Jalen Brunson delivered in the clutch, but Rick Brunson saved the day.

The Knicks watched the Spurs march to the free-throw line time and time again in the first half of Game 1 of the NBA Finals at Frost Bank Center on Wednesday, and they began to lose their cool, beginning with head coach Mike Brown, who admitted as much during...Read more