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The Knicks are at MSG to start the NBA Playoffs. The fans are in bars all over NYC.
By
Ryan Kost
and
Giulia Heyward
Published Apr 18, 2026
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David Dee Delgado/Getty Images
By
Ryan Kost
and
Giulia Heyward
Published Apr 18, 2026
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Expect to see a lot of blue and orange on the streets of New York City this weekend.
The New York Knicks open their first round in the 2026 NBA Playoffs Saturday night with home-court advantage, facing the Atlanta Hawks at Madison Square Garden.
There’s a buzz in the air, and plenty of cash flowing — as of Friday night, the cheapest seats remaining at MSG cost about $370, and the best seats available were in the neighborhood of $5,000.
You know what costs a lot less than $5,000? A beer. Find the right spot, it comes with free camaraderie.
The city's sports bars are gearing up for the next two months of the playoffs, and not just for Knicks fans. Plenty gladly welcome fans of the Celtics, the 76ers and the Lakers to name a few. Just be sure to read the room if you’re coming decked out in your favorite team’s gear.
Gothamist checked in with fans and management at a few favorite spots.
O’Keefe’s Bar & Grill, 62 Court St, Brooklyn
O’Keefe’s in Brooklyn Heights has earned a dedicated fanbase for its prime location, plethora of TVs, lots of beers on tap and legendary nachos.
The Irish pub has more than a dozen screens that’ll switch between games and '90s sitcoms. It’s a popular spot for those leaving work and looking for a beverage or two, before heading deeper into the borough.
On Friday night, the bar was packed as people took up every chair and table in the house.
Michael Wingate considers himself to be a diehard Knicks fan and thus is not optimistic his team will make it as far as the Eastern Conference Finals.
“I think they underachieved a little this year," he said. "I think they’re doing good but I don’t think they have enough."
But is he rooting for them? “100 percent.” And is he a New Yorker? “1,000 percent.”
Wingate’s cousin, Will, is a bit more sanguine. The Knicks have the chemistry, he said. But both Brooklyn boys agree, regardless of outcome, a sports bar is the way to go, if you want a sense of community. “It’s the realness, the essence of the game,” Will Wingate said.
You feel it in the air, the cousins said. You see the excitement, the dedication, the colors.
“We have the Yankees, the Rangers, the Islanders, the Nets and the Knicks,” Michael Wingate said. “When any of the teams are playing, the city is live, the bars are live and the atmosphere is pumped up.”
Harlem Tavern, 2153 Frederick Douglass Blvd., Manhattan
Harlem Tavern has been a place to catch the playoffs since it first opened its doors 15 years ago, said Sheri Wilson, the bar’s owner.
“The cheering, it's an amazing atmosphere because we hold so many people and everybody's there for the Knicks game,” Wilson said.
The bar has 18 televisions inside and six out on its patio, so bargoers won’t miss a minute of action.
Wilson said she thinks this Saturday will be especially busy. She expects the Knicks will do pretty well in the first round, and the weather’s looking nice and mild. This will be the first time some of the staff has seen the bar like this.
“It's like the perfect storm,” Wilson said. “It'll be a little bit of a shock how many people can get in here.”
The bar does not take reservations, so Wilson recommends claiming seats early. The game starts at 6 p.m., so plan on heading in an hour or hour and a half before then, she said.
They’ll have some food and drink specials, plus a happy hour menu, ready to go.
Pennsylvania 6, 132 W 31st St., Manhattan
For those who don’t have tickets but want to be close to the action, Pennsylvania 6 sits just half a block away from Madison Square Garden.
“These are some of our favorite nights of the year; we get absolutely slammed,” said Caroline Farley, the restaurant and bar’s director of events and sales. “The energy is electric. We're full of people that are season ticket holders that are going to see the best games of the year at the Garden — or people that just wanna stay and watch the game with us. So it's a really great energy.”
Pennsylvania 6 does take reservations, and Farley recommends getting one if you want to make sure you have a table. But there’s plenty of room in the bar for those who just want to wander in, she said: “ You'll be able to get a drink pretty easily.”
Drink and food specials abound throughout the playoff season, including a spicy watermelon margarita. And for this first game, the bar is planning a reverse happy hour for the second half.
As for the view, there’s a 17-foot video wall and 20-foot projector screen in the main dining room, plus another 100-foot TV screen in the bar area. And then another 10 TVs aside from those.
“Basically wherever you're standing or sitting in the restaurant, you can see and hear the game,” Farley said. They've also got a DJ on deck for commercial breaks.
One last thing worth noting: Pennsylvania 6 will be closed for the third game, so look elsewhere that night.
Official watch parties
The Knicks are also hosting two large watch parties for Game 1. They’re setting up a SummerStage event in Central Park’s Rumsey Playfield. Doors open at 5 p.m. – but if you want to attend, you must pre-register.
The second watch party will be held outside the Garden on 3rd Street between 7th and 8th avenues with the entrance entrance will be near 7th Avenue and the Penn Station entryway. Doors open at 4:30 p.m. and admission is on a first-come, first-served basis.
Knicks fans can find the team’s official bar takeover locations here.
From your couch
Beginning this year, the NBA is splitting the playoff games among three carriers, ABC/ESPN, NBC/Peacock and Prime Video. If you’re confused, fear not: The NBA says its app will be a “universal access point” to direct you to each game — including Saturday’s Knicks game on Prime.
Tagged
bars
brooklyn
events
manhattan
new york city
restaurants
sports
Ryan Kost
Ryan Kost is a reporter on the day-of news desk, where he covers breaking news and writes enterprise stories about jails, courts, prosecutors and government accountability. His work focuses on the public institutions that shape life in New York. Before joining the newsroom, he lead a multi-part investigation with Columbia Journalism Investigations and New York Focus into how New York prosecutors handle wrongful conviction claims. He's also been a staff writer at The San Francisco Chronicle, The Associated Press and The Oregonian. Got a tip? Signal: ryankost.20
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Giulia Heyward
Giulia Heyward is a breaking news reporter on the Day-Of desk. She previously worked at NPR, as a breaking news reporter, and the New York Times, as a reporting fellow on the national desk. Her work has also appeared in CNN, The Atlantic and Politico. Got a tip? Email [email protected] or more securely on signal at 917-715-1458.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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