A phalanx of over a dozen horse-mounted NYPD officers in full riot gear descended on Times Square after unhinged maniacs caused mayhem for hours on end.

There were 15 officers mounted on horses and dozens more on foot as debris coated the streets of Times Square following a wave of destruction that saw a school bus torn apart and set ablaze. Police also said there was a shooting at 42nd Street and Broadway, that left a 17 year old wounded.

The horse-mounted cops stood in a line and did not engage with the crowd.

One reveler could be seen posing with a defiant look on his face behind the line of horses.

For Westchester resident Zach Marine, 34, watching the Knicks clinch the championship was a milestone years in the making.

“I always felt my whole life like I didn’t deserve anything,” he told The Post in San Antonio. 

“And now it feels like it took me to go through this to see the other side, to finally be a champion,” he continued. 

Just months after undergoing major surgery for stage two bladder cancer, Marine is already ahead of schedule in his recovery, with doctors noting a complete pathological response. 

Marine is a lifelong Knicks fan — having supported the team before he was even born.

“And I'm a lifelong Knicks fan, I'm a lifelong Mets fan, a lifelong Jets fan,” he said.

“I was in my mother's womb at game six of the Eastern Conference Finals in 1992.”

Shots were fired at Times Square early Sunday, police sources said.

The shots rang out at 42nd Street and Broadway -- right in the epicenter of post-Knicks championship chaos.

Panicked revelers were seen fleeing for their lives after the gunshots were heard.

It is unclear if there were any injuries at this time, the NYPD said.

Police sources could not confirm if any arrests had been made.

It's a fitting perch.

Knicks fans climbed atop and partied on the awning of the New Victory Theater to celebrate the team's historic win over the Spurs.

The partiers calmly watched the rowdy crowds below next to signs advertising the Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Broadway show -- shortly after the Knicks broke their own 53-year curse.

Rowdy Knicks fans ripped a school bus to shreds in the aftermath of the team's historic win.

Wild footage shows the maniacs tearing the massive hood off the bus that was parked at Times Square near the 42nd Street subway station.

The hooligans started the carnage by ripping off the grill and mirrors.

One shirtless man smashed the grill onto the street before dozens joined him in jumping on top of it and smashing it to pieces.

The fans had broken inside the bus just moments before and had climbed on its roof. It wasn't clear if there were any arrests.

Fans attempted to bring the same destruction down on another bus parked in the area, but the distraught owner pleaded with the maniacs to leave the truck alone.

"This is f--king up my check. This is coming out of my check!" the driver, according to freedomnews.

The scene outside the Frost Bank Center remained rowdy as fans kept the celebration going. 

Before long, officers on horseback wearing protective gear moved in to manage the revelers, moving into the crowd at a high rate of speed. 

The arrival of the horses quickly forced everyone to start dispersing.

The actor has been there every step of the way for this Knicks run, and he embraced Brunson afterwards as the guard put his arm around him.

"You did that bro," he told Brunson.

You can't keep the Knicks on the ground.

Dozens of euphoric fans climbed on top of an MTA bus that dared to drive through Times Square in the aftermath of the Knicks' historic win, wild video shows.

The fans -- most of whom were men -- stood on the roof of the shuttle, trapping it on 42nd and 7th Avenue.

FDNY Firefighters gave Knicks fans high fives as they drove down the streets of New York.

"FDNY dapping up Knicks fans in the streets from their trucks is one of the most beautiful encapsulations of NYC I've ever seen," X user Max Mannis posted.

The firefighters were driving in their trucks and stuck their arms out the windows to embrace the over-the-moon New Yorkers. It wasn't clear where the interaction too place.

Sixth Avenue near West 10th was flooded with fans who brought traffic to a complete stop and sang the Jay-Z and Alicia Keys hit "Empire State of Mind."

Folks hung out their apartment window and came out onto fire escapes overlooking W4th Street which was filled in several blocks in both directions with shoulder-to-shoulder Knicks fans celebrating the championship.

"Welcome to New York! Concrete jungle where dreams are made of," the crowd chanted, according to video posted by Barstool.

James Dolan is over the moon that his Knicks are the NBA champions.

He just wants Knicks fans to know he feels bad it took this long to get back to the top of the basketball mountain.

The team owner took center stage at Frost Bank Center with the Larry O’Brien Trophy after the Knicks won 94-90 in Game 5 over the Spurs on Saturday to clinch their first NBA Finals win since 1973.

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