During a tense Conference Finals game on May 24, 2025, at Madison Square Garden, an unusual scene unfolded as Knicks fans began leaving the arena with about five minutes remaining despite the Knicks holding a double-digit lead. Draymond Green, a 9-time NBA champion, witnessed this unexpected walkout and expressed his disbelief on The Draymond Green Show, highlighting the shock of seeing fans abandon the building at such a critical moment in the playoffs. This incident raised questions about the mood in New York City’s basketball stronghold and the confidence of the fanbase during this pivotal postseason run.

Green reflected,

“I had a bird’s eye view… I was really shocked. You like to think that Knicks fans would want to take all of it in… and so I was shocked to see about four or five minutes to go, a few fans leaving.”

His reaction captures how rare and unsettling it is for the iconic Garden to fall silent during a crucial playoff encounter.

Draymond Green’s Strategic Insights Inspired by Championship Experience

Moving beyond surprise, Draymond Green offered advice directly aimed at Knicks star Jalen Brunson and the team’s playoff approach. Drawing from his vast experience alongside Steve Kerr—a fellow NBA champion and celebrated coach—Green emphasized an aggressive mindset to counter the Nashville crowd‘s uneasy energy. In a locker room setting with Kerr, Green recalled the coaching philosophy that guided them: to embrace risk and put pressure on the opposing fans by playing boldly.

Green explained,

“Let’s go in here, play our game, let it fly… we letting it rip. You open? Let it rip. We ain’t got nothing to lose… and then he says, ‘Let’s make that crowd nervous. Let’s put some doubt in that crowd.’”

This strategy transcends silencing the fans; it aims to turn their enthusiasm into anxiety.

“You want to hear the angst from the crowd,”

Green continued.

“Because if they miss them first few shots, it’s going to be like—oh—it’s going to be so much angst. That’s what I’m here to see.”

His words suggest a psychological battle within the Garden, one where rattling the crowd could shift momentum in favor of the Knicks.

Fan Reactions and Inside Perspectives from the Game

The walkout puzzled not only Green but former NBA star Baron Davis, who was also present and admitted that he initially thought of leaving early to avoid the postgame traffic. He recounted,

“We up 14… I’m thinking like damn bro, it’s going to take us about an hour and a half if we don’t be the first to walk outta here.”

Davis almost left but changed his mind after meeting JR Smith and Carmelo Anthony near the exit, opting to stay and witness the unfolding tension inside MSG.

The atmosphere inside turned from celebratory to nervous, especially as the Pacers began to close the gap against the Knicks. Davis described this shift:

“Next thing you know, Indiana down eight… then down five… now we over there panicking, All we gotta do is protect the ball, make some free throws… then when Haliburton hit the shot, I was like, ‘There’s no way this s— going to go in.’”

Although the shot missed, the moment captured the fragile mood among fans and commentators alike.

Green also noticed fans near him leaving in the game’s final moments.

“It was some big Knicks fans leaving on my side, too,”

he said. When he checked on one fan, the response reflected hesitancy:

“I was like, ‘How you feeling?’ And he was like, ‘Man, it’s going to depend on how the outcome of this game [goes].’ And he left. Like a minute [left]. I don’t even know if that dude made it home—he probably crashed something.”

This exchange underscored the conflicted emotions permeating the arena.

The Complex Energy of New York City’s Basketball Scene

Draymond Green captured the intense emotional atmosphere surrounding the Knicks’ playoff run, especially given the franchise’s long absence from the Conference Finals. MSG silence during those closing minutes shook him profoundly.

“The energy in this city is crazy,”

Green reflected,

“But once the game ended… silence. Me and Chuck were standing up five minutes before the end like, ‘New York City’s about to be great tonight,’ and then it just fell apart.”

After almost 25 years without hosting a Conference Finals, the club’s fans face a blend of hope and impatience, a precarious balance that can quickly shift to disappointment in high-stakes moments. Green’s focus now turns to Game 2, anticipating whether the Knicks can approach it with steadiness and resilience or succumb again to the anxiety that seemed to silence MSG during Game 1.

He voiced a sentiment that captures the heart of the challenge:

“New York City was about to be great tonight… and it just fell apart.”

For the Knicks, the objective is clear—not only must they secure victories, but they also need to sustain belief among their passionate and sometimes restless supporters.