From trampling JR Smith to mobbing a 76ers reporter, New York Knicks fans celebrate on another rowdy level. Happy or sad, they are ruthless anyway. And on Tuesday, after a dramatic 22-point comeback overtime win in Game 1 of the Conference Finals, both fanbases had energy at peak levels. And unsurprisingly, a brawl ensued outside the arena. A bunch of overzealous fans caused a ruckus, and onlookers simply filmed the ugly scenes, providing no help.

This isn’t the first time such a scene has unfolded with New York fans. They went as far as to throw huge garbage bags at an Indiana Pacers fan wearing a Tyrese Haliburton jersey after their Game 6 win over the Boston Celtics in the Conference Semifinals in 2025. Now, this rival fan was allegedly trying to wind up Knicks fans, but there is no justification whatsoever for hurling those bags at him. It was a troubling scene. But do New Yorkers care? After what happened yesterday, you’ll have a clear answer as you watch the video.

A viral video shows multiple Knicks and Cavaliers supporters throwing punches at each other. No reason was mentioned, nor were any reports confirmed explaining why a scuffle happened in the first place. And the shaky handheld footage capturing the nighttime brawl in NYC territory was captioned, “POV: NYC might burn down if Knicks go to chip,” suggesting that the rowdy New York crowd will go crazier if they lifted the championship after 53 years.

This was probably not the only instance of fans brawling last night. There were also other moments when Knicks fans bantered and were obnoxiously loud. The Madison Square Garden faithful were facing the Cavs, but they still sent an NSFW message to their ‘villain.’ No, not to the Atlanta Hawks’ CJ McCollum but to former Hawk and current Wizards star Trae Young!

A familiar three-word chant, “F**k Trae Young,” erupted outside the iconic venue. The 27-year-old guard, though, was not the only player whom the Knicks fans aimed their shots at. After Game 1, fans also chanted, “We want Wemby,” already dreaming of the NBA Finals…

It has been somewhat impossible to stop NYC fans this postseason. In the previous playoff round, the 76ers imposed geographical restrictions on users trying to book tickets for home games from outside Philly. However, what happened next wasn’t too surprising. The Knicks fans found a way to buy tickets, and they cheered so loud across four quarters that it seemed like a game at the MSG.

In The Athletic’s final edition of the ‘2026 Anonymous NBA Player Poll’ on which franchise has the most obnoxious fans at home, 16.4% votes among the 159 individuals who voted ultimately placed the Knicks fanbase third on that list.

And it’s hard to stop them, especially after what transpired in the final quarter. Despite being 22 points down, the Knicks started their rally around the 7:40 mark. Jalen Brunson and Co. shot 75% from the floor and 75% from beyond the arc. They outscored the Cleveland 44-11 at the end of regulation and OT. Last year, the Knicks were the ones to lose the Conference Finals to the Pacers. But with a new coach and a year of matchups under their belt, they seem like a new, refreshed team.

Knicks head coach reveals an open secret, while Kenny Atkinson blamed his luck

For Mike Brown, the comeback was possible because he targeted the Cleveland Cavaliers’ weak link. During the playoffs, it has been James Harden, and in the final frame, the New York Knicks head coach’s strategy paid off. “So just like we have to try to figure out different ways to guard Harden and Mitchell, they got to figure out different ways to guard Jalen, but we were, there is no secret, we were attacking Harden,” said Brown to the media.

Jalen Brunson scored 38 points, with 15 of those coming in the fourth quarter. Meanwhile, James Harden struggled with 15 points and shot just 1 of 8 from three-point range. Matters turned worse for the Cavs when the Beard finished with more turnovers (6) than made field goals (5) for the 32nd time in his playoff career and the sixth time this postseason. But Kenny Atkinson had a different view regarding the 44-11 run.

“We got a little unlucky… We played great basketball tonight for three quarters. Unfortunate fourth quarter. They dominated us in the fourth quarter,” Atkinson added. But it was not just luck; the coach did not use any timeouts even when the Knicks went on an 18-1 run. It would have helped the team slow down the momentum, and they could have even swapped Harden. But the Knicks fans won’t mind that. They are now eight games unbeaten and three wins away from the NBA Finals.