At 3 p.m. on Wednesday, just hours before Game 4 of the Knicks vs. Spurs NBA Finals, several New Yorkers were spotted outside Madison Square Garden cleansing the air with copal and sage to manifest better luck for their hometown team.

“We’re saging the Madison!” said Deisy, a woman dressed in a bohemian orange-and-blue ensemble (a nod to the Knicks’ signature colors) and accessorized with layers of necklaces and ceremonial ornaments. “We had really bad energy in this space on Monday. MAGA Mussolini was here — and we gotta get rid of that energy!”“MAGA Mussolini” is, of course, a reference to President Donald Trump, who became the first sitting U.S. president to attend the NBA Finals on Monday night. His appearance drew immediate backlash, with thousands of fans booing as he appeared on the Jumbotron during the National Anthem. Later in the night, videos circulated on social media appearing to show Trump dozing off while seated next to New York Knicks owner James Dolan and his granddaughter, Kai Trump. (White House spokesperson Davis Ingle dismissed the claims: “Anyone ridiculously claiming the President was asleep is either lying or has severe brain damage.”)Variety spoke to dozens of fervent Knicks fans and spectators in the perimeter of Madison Square Garden on Wednesday afternoon ahead of Game 4. After the team started the series with a 2-0 lead, and then losing Game 3, the Knicks hive is pointing fingers at Trump for bringing “bad voodoo,” “weird energy“ and “out-of-the-blue fights that weren’t happening before.“

“He’s a curse to every team that he picks,” said Avery, a Knicks fan decked out in an oversized gold chain and holding a sign that read: “F*ck Trump. Let’s go Knicks.” “He picked the Chiefs to win. They lost. He went to a Mets game. They lost. He went to the Knicks game, picked them to win. We lost.”

Partisan politics aside, the heightened security on Monday night prevented Knicks fans from attending the massive watch parties that took place outside the Garden during Games 1 and 2. A sprawling 12-block barrier, enforced by hundreds of NYPD officers and security personnel, blocked entry to anyone without a game ticket or “business specific to that area.”

Sadat, one of dozens of vendors selling Knicks merch outside the perimeter, said the barricades “absolutely” hurt business for both independent sellers and brick-and-mortar shops hoping to capitalize on the crowds. “When you have to walk three blocks this way, four blocks that way, it makes a difference,” he said.For Game 4, even with no Secret Service agents in sight, the barrier remained in place. Madison Square Garden requested a permit for a watch party for 500 to 999 fans, and Mayor Zohran Mamdani said the city approved one for 999. But Dolan ultimately decided to cancel the event.

“Mr. Dolan has now decided to cancel the watch party,” the mayor wrote on X. “I know this is breaking hearts across our city, but if there’s one thing Knicks fans don’t need permission for, it’s showing up for our team wherever we may be — no matter the block or the borough. Knicks in five.”One hip-hop artist operating a DJ stand inside the perimeter said young fans were looking to be part of something bigger. “That’s cool — they’ve got energy. What’s missing is accountability from the old heads to tell them, ‘Young boy, chill out!’”

Not everyone objected to the heightened security. Knicks fan Row Jones said he was fine with the barriers because “safety is number one.” He said officers were working overtime “to keep people safe” and “doing the best with what they have.”

It took time to find an officer willing to talk. Hundreds assembled for duty in Herald Square around 2 p.m. before taking positions outside the barricades in front of the Garden. Most declined to speak, with some saying they’d been instructed to stay quieter than usual during the unusually hectic shift. Then there was Officer Niwa, who willingly fielded questions across from Moynihan Hall. His partner, mopping sweat from his forehead in the muggy 86-degree heat, cracked: “He’ll talk to you. He don’t care.”

“It’s crazy, I’ve never seen New York like this before. This is insane,” Niwa said, revealing that most officers were working 16-hour shifts. “We had some small incidents [during Game 3] but nothing crazy. And that’s fine, we’re going to take that.”

From the official watch party in Bryant Park to fans listening on the radio outside maxed-out bars in the Financial District, Knicks fans gathered wherever they could to experience the game together. At Pig Beach BBQ in Astoria, some waited more than two hours to get inside, where ESPN cameras were set up near the outdoor screen to capture the crowd’s energetic reactions. But while fans found ways to make do, some remained fixated on the restrictions around MSG that dampened the spirit of the moment.

“Honestly, it’s the antithesis of what New York should be about. Just let us be free to celebrate and support our team. We’re not caged animals!” Knicks fan Pierre said, wearing a gold chain with a platano charm (a good-luck symbol honoring Dominican player Karl-Anthony Towns). “I understand there are some bad apples, but that doesn’t represent the entire Knicks fan base.”