As the Knicks have romped through the N.B.A. playoffs this spring, their embattled fans, desperate for their beloved team’s first title in more than 50 years, wondered what — if anything — could spoil the good vibes.
For many New Yorkers, the arrival of President Trump, who attended Game 3 of the finals at Madison Square Garden against the San Antonio Spurs, seemed like an answer. Heightened security at the arena meant that some fans waited more than an hour to enter. Entire blocks nearby were closed to pedestrians. The popular watch party outside the Garden was canceled because of safety concerns.
The fans in deep-blue New York City responded with rancor. Mr. Trump smiled and saluted in the face of deafening boos when he briefly appeared on the arena’s video board during the playing of the national anthem. The ire quickly turned to cheers as the screen shifted to Jalen Brunson, the Knicks’ all-star point guard.
In the end, amid a carnival-like atmosphere at the Garden, the Knicks lost for the first time in a month and a half. But throughout the city, Mr. Trump’s attendance was a footnote on a night when New Yorkers banded together to support a team that had united them like few things can.
“I don’t care about Trump,” the Rev. Al Sharpton said in an interview before the game. “I’m going anyway. This is one of the few things I’ve seen New Yorkers across gender and race united around. You walk around, everyone has Knicks’ gear. It’s healthy.”
Inside the arena, as well as at bars and outdoor watch parties, fans gathered for a night of anxious, rambunctious support. They were united in their complaints about the referees, their love for Jose Alvarado — the fiery guard and Brooklyn native — and their disgust for the foul-drawing tendencies of Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio’s 7-foot-4 star.
“It’s the Knicks versus the refs,” said Juan Herrera, 20, who was watching at a bar in the belly of Pennsylvania Station. “It’s not even the Knicks versus the Spurs.”
Upstairs at Madison Square Garden, Mr. Trump sat in a suite above the scorer’s table with a group of allies that included Lee Zeldin, the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency; Dan Scavino, the White House deputy chief of staff; Interior Secretary Doug Burgum; and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy.
He was the guest of James Dolan, the unpopular Knicks owner and a longtime friend of the president. Mr. Dolan told ESPN in 2018 that he got married at Mar-a-Lago, Mr. Trump’s private club in Florida.
“They’re really great, a great team,” Mr. Trump said last week to reporters, discussing his support of the Knicks. “I’m happy for Jim.”
Mayor Zohran Mamdani also attended, wearing a striped shirt that included the Knicks’ colors. He watched from a standing-room section farther away from the action than Mr. Trump, with a group of state representatives from New York. He said he paid about $1,000 for his own ticket.
In recent weeks, Mr. Mamdani has made the Knicks a significant part of his political messaging. He watched Game 1 of the finals with Darializa Avila Chevalier, a congressional candidate he had endorsed in a Democratic primary. After that game, Mr. Mamdani appeared on a 30-second television ad with Ms. Chevalier and two other candidates he had endorsed.
Mr. Trump is a fan of the Knicks and often attended games in the 1990s, when the team made two finals appearances and earned a reputation as a tough-minded team. On Monday, the celebrity row featured figures like Ben Stiller, Mariska Hargitay and Chris Rock.
On Sunday, the Secret Service announced heavy restrictions for fans on account of Mr. Trump’s attendance. Entrances had the unpleasant vibes of airport security, with members of the Transportation Security Administration on hand to help with the extensive inspections, even opening and checking the purses and wallets of media members.
On Monday, Neal Kwatra, a political consultant, expressed his dismay as he stood in line for an hour to get into the game at West 33rd Street and Sixth Avenue.
“It’s glacial,” he said. “Really poor job of planning by all involved.”
After canceling the watch party outside the Garden, the city held a free one at Bryant Park in Midtown Manhattan. The Knicks also had free watch parties at Wollman Rink in Central Park and Brooklyn Bowl in Williamsburg.
Mavelyne Mipo, 31, and her mother and sister, who were visiting from France, got to Bryant Park at 1:30 p.m. to grab some of the first spots on the lawn.
“It’s the Knicks,” Ms. Mipo said, as she waited for the gates to open. “I had to be here early and support.”
After the game, as the police maintained limited access to Madison Square Garden, some fans gathered by an adjacent $1.50 pizza shop. Giovanni Macek, 23, hung his head low out the window while finishing a buffalo chicken slice.
“I feel pretty sad because I wanted New York to experience a three-game win streak,” Mr. Macek said. But he was still grateful, saying, “I have the chance to see this amazing game.”
As disappointed Knicks fans streamed to the exits of the watch party at Wollman Rink in Central Park, yells of anger and profane chants criticizing the referees filled the air.
But vendors offered a word of cheer as fans headed to the subway. “Knicks in five,” one shouted. “Don’t get discouraged!”
Gabe Castro-Root, Miles G. Cohen, Nicholas Fandos, Emma G. Fitzsimmons, Wesley Parnell, Kaja Andric and Jonathan Swan contributed reporting.
Santul Nerkar is a Times reporter covering federal courts in Brooklyn.
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