The opening acts have already been electric.
But Monday could be historic.
This playoff run — in which the Knicks have won 13 straight, including five at home — has shown the absolute mania that is possible inside Madison Square Garden.
But even that is likely just a warmup for what the Mecca and Knicks fans are capable of at their full potential.
Everything has lined up for Monday’s Game 3 of the Finals to be one of those moments that cements itself in New York City lore.
The Knicks return home leading the series 2-0, having won both road games to begin the Finals.
“I expect our fans to come out and do what they do every game, which is come and support us at the highest level,” Karl-Anthony Towns said after practice Sunday. “I’m really excited to play. It’s always great when you get to play the game of basketball at its highest level. To be able to lace the shoes up, be able to put the jersey on and be able to see our fans, to see Finals basketball after all this time is going to be really, really special.”
Knicks fans react after Mikal Bridges hits a 3-pointer during their May 21 win. Charles WenzelbergThe wait only adds to the anticipation.
For 27 years, The World’s Most Famous Arena has been a pressure cooker just waiting to explode — a sleeping giant just waiting to be woken up.
The last Finals game in the building was June 25, 1999 — when the Knicks lost Game 5 to the Spurs to end the series.
“I think it’s really cool — 27 years since the last Finals here in this building,” Jalen Brunson said. “I know the fan base is really excited, as they should be.”
This century has not seen the Finals version of MSG and New York City.
Karl-Anthony Towns reacts after hitting a 3-pointer during the Knicks’ May 21 win. Charles WenzelbergAnd really, even in ’99, the Knicks trailed 2-0 in the series by the time they came home, dulling some of the energy.
You have to go back even further, to Game 5 of the ’94 Finals, to find a game the Knicks began at the Garden at least tied in the Finals.
“We got to be desperate for these fans,” Towns said. “Fans have earned the right and deserve the right to see Finals basketball be played here at Madison Square Garden. For this to be the first game in a long time that they have seen Finals basketball, it’s up to us to bring it, give ’em something to cheer for, give ’em something to get loud for and also give ’em something to believe in.
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“I talked about the word ‘hope.’ Hope has been brought back to the city. We’ve revitalized that word. But the word ‘success’ hasn’t been seen in this city for a long time. So we have to continue to fight to bring that word back to fruition.”
This young Spurs team, which has already shown it is susceptible to capitulating in high-intensity moments, is about to walk into a cauldron unlike anything it has experienced before.
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“I think there will obviously be a ton of excitement around the game,” Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said. “This arena’s like no other. The added circumstances will be on top of that.”
Victor Wembanyama is confident he’s ready for the atmosphere.
“Isolating myself is something I’ve practiced over the years,” he said. “I think I’m good at it. So it’s not a problem.”
The uniqueness of MSG can be felt before Game 3 even tips off.
Jalen Brunson is pictured at the Garden on June 7. Charles WenzelbergIt felt like there was double the number of media members at practices Sunday than there were in San Antonio.
Fat Joe and Jadakiss crashed coach Mike Brown’s news conference and then held their own impromptu media availability.
A special building has been waiting for this special moment.
“It makes it feel different,” Brown said, “than almost any other building you’ve been in.”
