MW Knicks ticket prices plunge more than 50% ahead of Game 3 at MSG - but not just because Trump's going
By Weston Blasi
Ticketing-industry pros say there's a bigger driver behind some ticket prices dropping several thousand dollars.
Jalen Brunson of the New York Knicks prior to tip-off of the 2026 NBA Finals on June 3.
Ticket prices for Game 3 of the NBA Finals between the New York Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs at Madison Square Garden were once the most expensive in NBA history. But in the days since that peak, prices have dropped around 65%.
The cheapest get-in price for Monday's Game 3 was $11,510 on June 5, but had dipped below $4,000 on Monday, according to ticket marketplace TickPick. Those prices mark the most expensive NBA Finals game ever to this point, according to TickPick, and that record is expected to immediately be broken with Game 4 of the NBA Finals on Wednesday.
The recent drop in prices could be due to a variety of factors, including a likely overpriced market. A week before the game, prices for Game 3 tickets were routinely into five-figures - a higher-than-usual price - on various secondary ticket markets, but as ticket sales stalled at those high levels, the prices came down to meet the demand.
On another ticket marketplace Gametime, prices for Game 3 also dropped closer to tip-off, something that has occurred in each game of the NBA Conference Finals and NBA Finals in 2026.
Another factor may be the presence of President Donald Trump, who is attending Game 3 in New York City. Additional, restrictive safety measures have been put in place as part of Trump's attendance, including a "strict no-bag policy" for the game and increased security in and around the arena. The New York Police Department and Secret Service also set up a multi-block security perimeter around the arena and canceled a watch party outside.
"Vehicular and pedestrian traffic will be closed from West 30th Street to West 35th Street between 6th Avenue and 8th Avenue," the New York Police Department posted on social media. "Please allow extra time to get to the game and avoid the area around MSG if you don't have a reason to be there."
Fans have been asked to arrive at MSG $(MSGS)$ approximately two hours before the start of the game as a way to guarantee getting in before tip-off at 8:30 p.m. Eastern.
Fans who were looking to pay thousands of dollars to watch the game may not want to deal with the hassle of a long wait before and after the game. Or fans looking for reasons to sell their tickets for huge profits may also be looking for reasons to sell, and the added restrictions for Monday's game could push them over the edge.
"I think the president being here just makes it inconvenient for everybody else ... We're getting screened like it's TSA. It's a little inconvenient for the people that's got to play, but it is what it is," Spurs guard De'Aaron Fox said ahead of Game 3.
But the president attending the game likely had a far smaller impact on ticket prices compared to ticket marketplace conditions, ticketing-industry sources told MarketWatch.
Trump's Game 3 attendance may have played a role on the margins, but the driver of the ticket-price decline is likely tied to market dynamics. Demand slowed as prices soared above $10,000, forcing sellers to drop prices closer to gametime. That's a typical pattern for big sporting events, and one occurring in real-time for the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup.
See: The biggest winners of the Knicks making the NBA Finals: their long-suffering fans - and investors in MSG Sports
Trump has said he's a Knicks fan, and a longtime fan of Knicks owner James Dolan, who donated $125,000 to aid his re-election efforts, according to NJ.com. "I've known him for a long time. I got married at Mar-a-Lago. I'm a member of Mar-a-Lago, and I support him as a friend," Dolan told ESPN in 2018 about Trump.
Last week, Trump was asked about the five-figure cost of attending NBA games this playoffs. His response suggested he didn't have much sympathy for fans who can't afford sky-high ticket prices.
"They can watch it on television," Trump told reporters on Air Force One.
"It's sorta semi-free to watch it on television," the president added. "That's the way life goes."
Knicks fans who bought playoff tickets at cheaper prices earlier this season are faced with a difficult decision: Take profits from their tickets and miss out on a big game, or attend the game and possibly see the Knicks advance toward their first NBA title since 1973. Several news organizations reported on this "agonizing" decision for New Yorkers ahead of the NBA Finals.
For fans looking ahead to Game 4, it might be a good time to wait. Prices for the cheapest Game 4 tickets currently sit above $10,000. If trends for Game 4 follow the previous games in the series, prices will continue to drop as tip-off comes closer.
Some of the basketball players participating in the finals have commented on the record-breaking ticket prices, with Knicks guard Josh Hart calling them "ridiculous."
"A lot of people who have been waiting for this moment for a very long time unfortunately aren't able to get into the building," Hart said.
The most expensive tickets of the night surely went to two individuals who won an auction through MSG's Garden of Dreams Foundation for a total of $1 million. The two winners will sit in New York's Celebrity Row, a section that typically features mainstays like Ben Stiller, Fat Joe and Timothee Chalamet."We're proud that we were able to offer this opportunity to benefit the Garden of Dreams Foundation," said Dolan. "This $1 million donation will be an invaluable resource to continue to help shape the futures of the young people we serve."
The Knicks are up 2-0 against the Spurs in the best-of-seven series. Game 3 begins Monday at 8:30 p.m. Eastern and will be broadcast on ABC.
See: DraftKings and FanDuel are likely to lose money on the NBA Finals - whether the Knicks or Spurs win
-Weston Blasi
This content was created by MarketWatch, which is operated by Dow Jones & Co. MarketWatch is published independently from Dow Jones Newswires and The Wall Street Journal.
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
June 08, 2026 18:33 ET (22:33 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2026 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
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