Knicks fans would save money flying to San Antonio for NBA Finals games instead of buying MSG tickets
New York Knicks fans would save money by flying to San Antonio to attend an NBA Finals game instead of buying tickets to the game at Madison Square Garden.
As of publication, the cheapest tickets for the Knicks’ home game at MSG are selling for approximately $4,000. CNN highlighted this disparity on Wednesday, just hours before Game 1 of the NBA Finals.
“It would definitely be cheaper [to fly to San Antonio for a game],” analyst Matt Egan in question. “You can get a hotel in San Antonio for a few nights for $600. You can fly round-trip for $700, and then you can go to not only Game 1 but Game 2 of the NBA Finals in San Antonio. You’ll still come out ahead by spending about $3,100, less than the almost $4,000 to see them in New York.”
As a bonus, you’ll be able to spend a few days in Texas instead of New York.
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Knicks fans celebrate their Eastern Conference championship win against the Cleveland Cavaliers on May 25, 2026 in New York City. The Knicks last reached the NBA Finals in 1999 and are seeking their first championship since 1973. (David Dee Delgado/Getty Images)
According to Egan, some Knicks fans have already made that calculation. Ticket data shows 30% of Game 2 purchases in San Antonio came from buyers in a New York zip code.
For comparison, the cheapest seats for Games 1 and 2 in San Antonio are listed at around $750 and $1,100, respectively.
Meanwhile, CNN reports that Celebrity Row courtside seats at MSG are listed for as much as $220,000 each.
“Even wealthy fans are being priced out,” Sal Galatioto, president of investment bank Galatioto Sports Partners, told the outlet. “I’m a huge Knicks fan. Would I spend $100,000 to watch a game? No way. Even if you pointed a gun at me.”
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Knicks fans celebrate their team’s Eastern Conference championship win against the Cleveland Cavaliers on May 25, 2026 in New York City. (David Dee Delgado/Getty Images)
The staggering prices reflect the excitement surrounding the Knicks heading to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999. Prices may climb even higher if the series reaches Game 6, which will be played at Madison Square Garden.
Despite all the (justified) criticism the NBA has generated in recent years, there is real enthusiasm for this Finals matchup. Alongside the Knicks’ long-awaited return, Spurs’ superstar Victor Wembanyama has emerged as one of the league’s most intriguing young stars, despite being only 22 years old.
San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama dribbles during Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals at Paycom Center on May 30, 2026 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. (Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
“The NBA Finals at the Garden is having a Super Bowl moment price-wise,” Matt Ferrel, TickPick’s chief marketing officer, told CNN.
“I’ve never seen anything like it.”
Like the Super Bowl earlier this year, President Donald Trump said he plans to attend the NBA Finals game at MSG, potentially for Game 3.
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“I think I’ll go to one of the games,” Trump said. “I was invited by many people and [James Dolan]And I think I’ll go.”
The Knicks are the +155 underdogs in the series.
