Away team San Antonio reduced the New York Knicks' lead to 2–1 in the best-of-seven series with a 115–111 victory, but much of the spotlight in Madison Square Garden was directed at US President Donald Trump.
As the American national anthem played, New York native Trump was greeted with boos as he was shown on the big screen in the iconic Manhattan arena. He sat in a box with, among others, New York Knicks owner James Dolan and his grandson Kai Trump.
It was the first time since 1999 that the Knicks had been in the NBA Finals, and the club had not won the league since 1973, but when the finals series came to New York after two straight games in San Antonio, most of the attention was on Trump's visit.
Security arrangements were extensive. Fans were not allowed to watch the game on big screens outside the stadium and attendees were asked to arrive at Madison Square Garden (MSG) two hours before tip-off.
"The message is simple: cheer for the Knicks, but avoid the MSG area if you don't have tickets to the game," said Jessica Tisch, NYPD commissioner, at a press conference before the game.
The next Finals game will be played in New York on Thursday night.
