The New York Police Department is seeking information on a man suspected of beating a 17-year-old into a coma Wednesday after Game 4 of the NBA Finals.
An NYPD statement said a group approached the teen outside Madison Square Garden near 237 W 35th St., and an argument ensued. Police posted a picture of a suspect who allegedly punched and kicked the victim, who suffered a seizure before lapsing into a coma. Police did not release an update on the teen’s condition.
The attack is another in a series of violent incidents in New York that took place on the nights of finals matchups between the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs, though police did not say whether the fight was tied to the game.
WANTED FOR GANG ASSAULT: On Wednesday night after the Knicks game, a group approached a 17-year-old near 237 W 35th St and got into an argument. This individual punched and kicked the teen. He had a seizure and was in a coma. Any info? DM @NYPDTips or call 800-577-TIPS. pic.twitter.com/DNg0AzIesN
— NYPD NEWS (@NYPDnews) June 12, 2026
Police arrested 15 people and released another 41 with criminal court summonses on Wednesday night after Game 4. Videos on social media also appeared to show fans hurling eggs at Spurs star Victor Wembanyama as he walked into the team’s hotel.
The Knicks launched a 29-point, second-half comeback to win Game 4, and police said the surge coincided with “increasingly destructive” behavior among the 10,000 people gathered outside the venue.
“Once again, there were large crowds of people who engaged in incredibly reckless and dangerous behavior last night both during and after the game,” the NYPD said in a statement Thursday. “This demonstrates exactly why the NYPD has increased our presence in and around Madison Square Garden.”
The unruly behavior included damaging four NYPD cars, trying to flip a taxi, throwing glass bottles at police and shutting down streets to car traffic. Police also said people broke into a tractor-trailer to steal items, then threw them at police, injuring 10 members of the NYPD.
New York police arrested 17 people after the Knicks’ win in Game 2, which occurred more than 1,800 miles away in San Antonio. More than 20 people were taken into police custody after the Knicks’ Game 3 loss at MSG, and five officers were injured. Videos of that night’s watch party at Bryant Park showed verbal and physical harassment against multiple fans in Spurs apparel.
Thousands of fans have gathered around MSG to watch each game of the finals, fueling a back-and-forth between Knicks owner James Dolan and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani ahead of Game 4. Dolan and MSG criticized the city’s tightened security plans for the game, which rolled over from preparations for President Donald Trump’s attendance at Game 3, and canceled a planned watch party next to the arena.
A statement from the venue called officials “party poopers” and said fans outside MSG should be free to celebrate the Knicks’ first finals series since 1999. “This is all really designed around stopping people from celebrating around Madison Square Garden,” Dolan said in a radio interview on WFAN. “That’s what this is about.”
Mamdani and the police have said they support the team and its fans, but pushed back on the number of people allowed to gather under MSG’s approved watch party permit. The official watch party was supposed to be capped at 1,000 people and require fans to have tickets, but it was called off over the attendance cap dispute. People gathered near the arena anyway.
The Knicks have a 3-1 series lead over the Spurs, with Game 5 scheduled to tip off in San Antonio at 8:30 p.m. ET.