A violent crew allegedly pummeled and slashed a Knicks fan during a watch party near Madison Square Garden last week, cops and sources said Wednesday.
The victim, 24, was watching the Knicks face the Cavaliers in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals in a Midtown pen set up at 7th Avenue and West 33rd Street around 9:20 p.m. on May 19 when tensions flared with five other spectators, law enforcement sources said.
Four men and a woman allegedly punched and kicked the victim, before one of them slashed him multiple times across the face and neck with “a cutting instrument,” authorities said.
The assailants, who did not know the victim, then took off and remained at large more than a week later, police said.
The victim was taken to Bellevue Hospital, where he was listed in stable condition.
The violence came days before the NYPD called off MSG’s typical outdoor watch party during Monday’s series-clinching win because unruly fans had been clogging the sidewalks amid the Knicks’ historic run.
“Games 1 and 2 have seen progressively more problematic issues at the watch parties outside MSG — six arrests last night alone — so the NYPD will not support more watch parties outside the stadium,” a police spokesperson confirmed Friday.
“But we will continue to review requests to support parties at alternate sites, like Summer Stage,” the spokesperson added, referring to Central Park’s outdoor amphitheater.
The restriction didn’t stop thousands from gathering Monday night outside The Mecca, where celebratory madness erupted as the Knicks secured a spot in the NBA Finals for the first time in 27 years.
Six people were taken into custody and issued summonses for disorderly conduct after they allegedly climbed on light posts and other structures, blocked cars, jumped over police barriers and refused to disperse, cops and law enforcement sources said.
Anyone with information on the suspects in the Game 1 beatdown at the watch party is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or, for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782).
The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crimestoppers website at https://crimestoppers.nypdonline.org/, or on X @NYPDTips.