New York Knicks fans have been warned to arrive at Madison Square Garden at least two hours before tip-off for Game 3 of the NBA Finals due to enhanced security for President Donald Trump’s attendance.
The franchise confirmed that strict Transportation Security Administration screening procedures and a no-bag policy will be enforced for the crucial matchup.
This highly anticipated fixture marks the first NBA Finals game to be hosted in New York since 1999.
Enhanced security at Madison Square Garden
A long-standing supporter of the team, the US President confirmed his attendance from the Oval Office on Thursday.
He praised franchise owner Jim Dolan and commended the roster for their remarkable resilience.
I’ve been a Knicks fan for a long time, and I’m also a Jim Dolan fan. He’s a nice guy.
The Commander-in-Chief revealed that he accepted a personal invitation from Dolan to witness the basketball spectacle.
Celebrity presence and Finals context
The 47th President will join a raft of high-profile supporters, including filmmaker Spike Lee and actor Timothée Chalamet.
Both Hollywood stars were courtside alongside comedian Tracy Morgan and actor Ben Stiller for the opening game of the series in San Antonio.
The Eastern Conference champions secured a dramatic 105-95 victory over the Spurs in that opening encounter.
They managed to overcome a 14-point deficit in the third quarter to stun the Texas-based franchise.
I saw the beginning of the game, and it wasn’t looking good. But I watched that end of the game, and they were dominant.
This upcoming appearance adds to a growing list of major sporting events the President has attended during his second term, following visits to the Super Bowl, the Daytona 500, and the Ryder Cup.
The New York Knicks have moved within two victories of their first NBA championship in 53 years by utilising a revitalised bench rotation under head coach Mike Brown.
The Eastern Conference franchise are currently battling the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Finals.
Game three takes place at Madison Square Garden on Monday, with the hosts looking to capitalise on their tactical evolution.
Under former boss Tom Thibodeau, the starting lineup was notoriously overworked during frustrating playoff exits in 2024 and 2025.
A shift in strategy pays dividends
Brown replaced Thibodeau and immediately implemented a system that trusts reserve players in critical moments.
This profound shift was perfectly illustrated during an astonishing comeback against the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference finals.
Trailing by 22 points, talismanic point guard Jalen Brunson ignited the fightback with 15 points in the final eight minutes.
However, the crucial game-tying three-pointer came from Landry Shamet, a late training camp addition on a non-guaranteed contract.
Role players stepping into the spotlight
Shamet is not the only substitute thriving under the new regime in Manhattan.
Miles McBride is enjoying a breakout postseason, registering career-high averages in minutes, scoring and three-point efficiency.
Defensively, mid-season acquisition Jose Alvarado has provided relentless energy and disruption.
Furthermore, the carefully managed Mitchell Robinson is now entrusted with guarding generational talent Victor Wembanyama during clutch situations.
Chasing a historic championship
This collective effort follows dominant series victories over the Atlanta Hawks and a sweep of the Philadelphia 76ers earlier in the postseason.
“Everybody understands what our standard is,” Brown said earlier in the campaign.
“It’s about sacrifice.”
That shared sacrifice has finally brought the legendary team to the precipice of basketball history.
New York Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu will miss Saturday’s WNBA matchup against the Indiana Fever after experiencing a flare-up of back soreness following team practice.
The franchise star had participated in Friday’s training session, which marked the first time this season the New York roster was fully available.
However, Liberty head coach Chris DeMarco confirmed the dynamic playmaker felt significant discomfort shortly after leaving the court.
Frustrating start to the WNBA season
This latest setback prolongs a highly disruptive start to the campaign for the American international.
A preseason ankle injury previously forced her to sit out the first five contests of the current schedule.
She has managed just one appearance so far this year, taking to the court against the Dallas Wings on 24 May where the back issue originated.
“After the game I played in, it was pretty evident that I needed to get the treatment. Take some time to make sure it feels good.”
Ionescu explained to reporters regarding her cautious approach to the ongoing recovery.
“See how I feel, taking every day in stride and see how it responds to what I do. It is what it is, I haven’t really tried to think too much into it.”
Rookie Astier steps up for New York
In her absence, rookie prospect Pauline Astier has been drafted into the starting lineup with consistently impressive results.
The first-year professional has capitalised on the opportunity, averaging 11.8 points, 3.7 assists, and 3.3 rebounds per game.
DeMarco remains optimistic about his primary ball-handler’s return timeline as the team prepares to travel.
“She wants to be out there, and she’s trying her best and she’s getting better. Hopefully we’ll have her on a road trip.”
New York currently holds a 6-4 record as they look to conclude a seven-game homestand against an Indiana outfit sitting at 5-4.
A costly late turnover from Victor Wembanyama allowed the New York Knicks to secure a dramatic 105-104 victory over the San Antonio Spurs in Game 2 of the NBA Finals.
The narrow defeat leaves the Texas franchise trailing 2-0 in the best-of-seven championship series.
San Antonio had mounted an impressive 14-point comeback in the fourth quarter to level the score at 104-104 with just 12.7 seconds remaining.
After claiming a crucial defensive rebound, Wembanyama attempted to launch a rapid counter-attack but inadvertently threw the ball against the back of retreating team-mate Stephon Castle.
Wembanyama admits urgency disrupted comeback
The stray pass fell directly to Jalen Brunson, forcing the Frenchman into a desperate foul that resulted in the game-winning free throw.
The 20-year-old centre took full responsibility for the chaotic sequence that squandered their hard-fought resurgence.
“That’s the most frustrating thing: to throw it away after putting in all this work,” Wembanyama said.
“I threw that one away. I messed up. It’s like the body reacts quicker than the mind.”
Despite the severe miscommunication, Castle defended his own positioning on the decisive play.
“I didn’t see him throw it to me,” the point guard explained. “I see Vic has the ball, tie game. I was just trying to give Vic space.”
Historical odds stacked against San Antonio
The Knicks unexpectedly offered one final opportunity for a rescue, but Wembanyama missed a contested 20-foot jump shot over Mitchell Robinson at the buzzer.
That final miss highlights a concerning statistical trend for the towering forward in clutch situations.
He has now converted just one of his nine go-ahead field goal attempts in the final five seconds of the fourth quarter or overtime throughout his career.
The Spurs face a monumental challenge to keep their championship hopes alive in Game 3.
No team in NBA Finals history has ever recovered to win the title after losing the opening two games on their home court.
NBA investigators have interviewed LA Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard and team owner Steve Ballmer as part of an ongoing probe into alleged salary cap circumvention.
The league is examining claims that the Western Conference franchise used a third-party banking company to compensate their star player outside of standard contractual rules.
Leonard’s uncle and business adviser, Dennis Robertson, has also been questioned by officials regarding the allegations.
Executives from Aspiration, a now-defunct green financial firm at the centre of the inquiry, have also provided information to investigators.
Silver expects swift conclusion
Speaking prior to Game 1 of the NBA Finals, commissioner Adam Silver confirmed the investigation is reaching its final stages.
The league is close to the point now where I think we need to wrap this up.
Silver added that the franchise and the other 29 teams require clarity on the situation moving forward.
Denials and frustration
Both the organisation and their billionaire owner have publicly and vehemently denied the allegations.
They remain adamant that no evidence exists to support claims of financial wrongdoing.
However, sources indicate mounting frustration behind the scenes as team officials struggle to prove a negative against high-profile accusations.
There is reportedly uncertainty within the front office regarding potential punishments for the league’s wealthiest owner.
The Aspiration connection
The controversy stems from reports that Ballmer invested $50m into Aspiration through his personal business ventures in September 2021.
Shortly after, the franchise signed a massive $300m partnership with the company to become a founding partner of their new Intuit Dome arena.
Aspiration subsequently agreed a separate $28m endorsement deal with the two-time Finals MVP six months later.
An unnamed former employee alleged this subsequent sponsorship agreement was explicitly designed to bypass strict league financial regulations.
A source close to the six-time All-Star rejected these claims, stating his camp’s negotiations were standard and entirely independent of team affairs.
Four former Alabama State basketball players have been permanently banned by the NCAA for accepting payments from gamblers to fix a game against Southern Miss in December 2024.
The governing body announced on Friday that Amarr Knox, Shawn Fulcher, Corey Hines, and Tony Madlock deliberately manipulated the outcome of their 81-64 collegiate defeat.
Southern Miss entered the contest as six-point favourites before the corrupt agreement took place.
According to investigators, two known bettors offered the group a combined total of $2,000 to intentionally lose the match.
First Four hero implicated in scandal
Knox, Hines, and Madlock were the top three scorers for the Hornets during the 2024-25 season, while Fulcher operated as a rotational reserve.
The former leading scorer had previously cemented his place in the university’s history by hitting a last-second layup to secure their maiden NCAA tournament victory over Saint Francis.
None of the disgraced athletes were active on any collegiate roster during the most recent sporting calendar.
FBI investigation uncovers corruption
The illicit scheme was uncovered after Hines transferred to Temple University, prompting the school to immediately alert enforcement staff.
Temple officials confirmed that the former guard had been interviewed by the FBI and confronted with incriminating text messages regarding his time at his previous programme.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania indicted the two bettors in January on wire fraud and bribery charges connected to the sporting integrity violations.
The San Antonio Spurs are targeting a swift NBA Finals comeback against the New York Knicks following a disappointing Game 1 defeat.
Victor Wembanyama struggled during the 105-95 loss, recording playoff career highs in both turnovers and missed shots.
The 22-year-old subsequently received a blunt text message from Hall of Fame head coach Gregg Popovich.
“It was that I’ve been bad, and I’m better than this.”
Victor Wembanyama
However, the French phenom revealed he is not worried about his team’s ability to recover from the setback.
Overcoming early adversity
The Texas franchise has experienced a dramatic rise to reach their first championship series since 2014.
This current roster endured a gruelling 102-game journey, forging a resilience that players believe will prove crucial.
“We know we’re not here by chance.”
Victor Wembanyama
The former number one draft pick added that overcoming bizarre situations throughout the year has cemented the squad’s mental toughness.
A turbulent path to the championship
Reaching the 2026 Finals appeared highly unlikely after a 34-win campaign the previous year.
The towering center had missed the final 36 games of that season after being diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis in his right shoulder.
Pre-season preparations were then further hampered by ill-timed injuries to key personnel.
Rookie guard Dylan Harper required thumb surgery just weeks before training camp, while trade acquisition De’Aaron Fox battled a severe hamstring strain.
Despite these early hurdles, general manager Brian Wright maintained his absolute faith in the remodelled roster.
Minnesota Lynx guard Olivia Miles broke Caitlin Clark’s WNBA rookie record by hitting eight three-pointers during an 87-84 victory over the Golden State Valkyries on Thursday.
The number two overall draft pick connected on eight of her 11 attempts from beyond the arc to finish with a season-high 28 points.
She also contributed seven assists and four rebounds as the league-leading Lynx improved their early-season record to 8-2.
The remarkable shooting display eclipsed the previous rookie benchmark of seven triples, which was shared by Indiana Fever star Clark and former New York Liberty guard Crystal Robinson.
Unexpected shooting clinic
Prior to Thursday’s historic performance, the 2025 draftee had struggled from distance, converting just two of her previous 18 attempts this season.
Minnesota head coach Cheryl Reeve admitted the sudden barrage of long-range scoring was entirely unexpected.
“It was not on our bingo card, but we’ll take it,” Reeve joked after the game.
The veteran manager noted that the coaching staff had been actively encouraging their young playmaker to shoot with more confidence in recent outings.
A history of long-range success
While surprising to some professional observers, the prolific scoring output mirrors the young guard’s impressive collegiate career.
The highly-rated prospect previously drained 10 three-pointers in a single game for TCU against Baylor, having also hit eight in a match during her time at Notre Dame.
Her seamless transition to the professional ranks is evident in her overall offensive production, averaging 17 points and over six assists per game.
The dynamic playmaker has already scored or assisted on 317 points through her first 10 professional appearances.
This remarkable tally places her second in WNBA history for offensive production across a player’s first 10 matches, trailing only Dallas Wings star Paige Bueckers.
“It’s a lot of inner work to go and believe in yourself and constantly remind yourself that you deserve to be where you’re at,” the rookie explained regarding her early success.
Her franchise-record-tying performance matched the mark set by team-mate Kayla McBride, further cementing her vital role in Minnesota’s championship aspirations.