Correction: This article notes that Dean and Christina Smiros are siblings, not a couple.
Late on Saturday night into the early hours of Sunday, scenes of exuberance following the New York Knicks’ decisive win in the fifth game of the NBA Finals spilled into Midtown Manhattan and at times turned chaotic.
Fans erupted from crowded bars and outdoor viewing locations chanting "Knicks in five!" to celebrate the franchise’s first championship since 1973. The victory represented only the Knicks’ third finals appearance after prior losses in 1994 and 1999 - to the Houston Rockets and the San Antonio Spurs, whom they defeated on Saturday night.
As the celebrations unfolded, incidents of disorder emerged in and around Times Square. At about 2 a.m., a 17-year-old was struck by gunfire in the foot during the postgame gatherings, a New York police officer said. Authorities said three persons of interest were in custody in connection with that shooting.
Simultaneously, several hundred mostly younger revelers converged on a convoy of shuttle buses in Times Square. The fleet - about 15 buses in total - had been ferrying soccer fans following the first World Cup match in the New York City area, a draw between Brazil and Morocco. Videos from the scene showed people climbing onto the roofs of buses, entering driver compartments and occupying seats.
One yellow school bus that the city had hired to transport soccer attendees was set on fire, according to a video journalist who witnessed the blaze. It was not immediately known whether that fire caused any injuries. At least three additional shuttle buses sustained substantial damage amid the crowds. In one instance, a bicycle was lifted onto the roof of a bus, and supporters of the Brazilian national team joined Knicks fans on top of another vehicle, waving their national flag.
A man with a bleeding face later moved through the assembled crowd; the cause of his injury could not be determined by reporters at the scene.
Observers at the scene offered differing takes on the behavior. "They are expressing their happiness, a little bit violently, but it is what it is," said Youssef Sabbr, a 49-year-old Canadian of Moroccan descent, who had disembarked from one of the World Cup buses before it was surrounded by people. "That’s what happens everywhere around the world when a team wins," he added.
Police established barricades on several streets and initially contained crowds for roughly two hours. Later, officers in riot gear advanced, pursuing groups of people down side streets. Mounted police were deployed to push back throngs and to help clear the area surrounding Madison Square Garden, the Knicks’ home arena.
Some onlookers compared the scale of celebration to other major public events. Carol Marino, a New York real estate agent in her 50s who watched the game in a bar, described the atmosphere: "Oh my God. It’s like New Year’s Eve times twenty," she said.
Elsewhere in Manhattan, jubilant fans beat drums, embraced one another and climbed on scaffolding and traffic lights. The confluence of a major sporting victory and a World Cup match created a dense public presence in central Manhattan, with fans of different sports and nations occupying the same public spaces.
New York siblings Dean and Christina Smiros said they had supported the Knicks their whole lives and were elated to witness a championship during their lifetimes. "They have not won since before we were born," Christina said.
City officials and law enforcement personnel were still assessing the extent of property damage to the shuttle buses and determining whether any additional arrests or citations would be issued. The series of incidents left parts of Midtown temporarily disrupted as cleanup and investigations proceeded into the night.
Reporting from Midtown Manhattan. Details on investigations and any additional developments were not available at the time of publication.