New York City will allow a watch party outside Madison Square Garden for Game 1 of the N.B.A. finals on Wednesday, a sudden reversal after it had declined to permit such gatherings, a spokesman for MSG Sports, the group that owns the Knicks, confirmed on Wednesday.
The parties had been canceled after multiple arrests and general chaos outside the arena last week when the Knicks won Game 4 of their previous series, sending them to their first finals in 27 years.
A police spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Knicks are playing away on Wednesday night in Game 1 of the finals. Fans have been eager to watch the team as close as possible to the Garden, one of basketball’s best-known venues, often called the mecca. But tickets for a watch party inside the stadium sold out within an hour on Monday.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
Jonah E. Bromwich contributed reporting.
