The Knicks are still expected to hold a “Fan First” presale for NBA Finals tickets at Madison Square Garden after canceling a planned presale last week, leaving fans who registered for access waiting for a revised chance to buy in. A Madison Square Garden box office representative said Friday the presale should still happen, with the details expected over the weekend.
The timing matters because the team hosts Games 3 and 4 of the NBA Finals on Monday and Wednesday, and there will be no general sale for tickets at the Garden. That has pushed demand into the resale market, where some nosebleed seats for Game 3 have already climbed to more than $10,000, making the presale the only realistic path for many fans trying to get in the building.
For Jaylen Brunson and the Knicks, the basketball side of the Finals is feeding the ticket rush. Brunson scored 30 points to lead New York to the Game 1 win in San Antonio, and the team is trying to become the first since Houston in 1995 to open the Finals with two road victories. That gives Monday night’s Game 3 added weight, with President Donald Trump also expected to attend at Madison Square Garden.
What remains unsettled is whether the codes sent last week will actually work when the new presale opens. The box office said that piece is still unclear, and fans who thought they had their ticket window lined up are still waiting for a firm answer. The Knicks are also hosting a watch party outside Madison Square Garden for Game 2 on Friday night, with gates opening at 7 p.m. and game time set for 8:30 p.m., while additional watch parties are planned inside the arena and at SummerStage in Central Park.
The weekend release of the presale details should determine who gets the first shot at the remaining Finals seats and whether last week’s registration will carry over. For fans hoping to see Game 4 on Wednesday, that answer cannot come soon enough.
