Madison Square Garden is poised for one of its most electric, and expensive, events in years with the Knicks’ playoff matchup Saturday against the Celtics.
The Knicks will host the Celtics in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinals after claiming the first two games in the series in Boston. The victories have pushed the defending league champion Celtics, owners of one of the priciest rosters in NBA history, to the brink of elimination. New York’s wins also involved comebacks from 20-point deficits in both games.
That drama, along with the existing New York–Boston sports rivalry spanning multiple leagues and the Knicks seeking their first trip to the NBA conference finals in 25 years, has created a surge in ticket demand for Saturday.
Across several ticket-resale marketplaces, get-in prices for Game 3 are hovering around $700, before fees, while lower-level tickets in many instances are surpassing $2,000 each—a sum not dissimilar to the final pricing for Super Bowl LIX in February. The get-in figure is also more than double the $300 low-end cost for the initial second-round Knicks playoff home game against the Pacers last year.
Monday’s Game 4 and a May 16 Game 6, if it happens, have a similar dynamic, with get-in prices starting at around $600. All of these figures have risen by about half just since the start of the Knicks-Celtics series three days ago.
On top of the gaudy numbers, the venue known as “the World’s Most Famous Arena” should feature a particularly lively atmosphere and numerous celebrities for Game 3. Even before the Knicks came back home, a large and festive crowd gathered outside MSG to watch Game 2 on a large outdoor screen.
Dolan’s Empire
The Knicks’ ongoing run, meanwhile, will undoubtedly be a financial boon for Madison Square Garden Sports, one of a trio of related companies controlled by James Dolan and also involving the NHL’s Rangers. During the company’s most recent quarter, both revenue and operating income fell due to a series of issues, including NBA revenue-sharing obligations. Despite that, Dolan said “we remain as confident as ever in the value of owning marquee professional sports franchises.”
The additional dates and gate revenue will also help counter big cuts in local media-rights fees for the Knicks and Rangers following a debt restructuring for sister entity MSG Networks.
A similarly festive playoff dynamic emerged last year at MSG, but the Knicks fell in seven games to the Pacers, and the Rangers were eliminated in the NHL Eastern Conference finals.
