Knicks' run to the NBA Finals is the talk of New York City: "It's about damn time"

The Knicks right now are the beating heart of New York City.

There's an undeniable buzz throughout the five boroughs, a fever that hasn't been present since 1999, the last time they made it to the NBA Finals.

"It sounds like we love our city, we love where were from. It's about damn time," resident Jev Vaughn said.

"It's the best thing the city's done since 1999," Miguel Guzman said.

And while the franchise's first championship in 53 years is hardly a foregone conclusion, there's no doubt these Knicks not only have the respect of their opponents, the San Antonio Spurs, but also the support of the vast majority of the Big Apple's 8.5 million residents heading into Game 1 on the road on Wednesday night.

Look no further than the MTA stations outside of Madison Square Garden. The iconic green lights have been replaced with basketballs, and the railings have been painted Knicks orange and blue.

"I think it's awesome. It's a really cute touch. I think it puts us in the basketball spirit," Riddhi Bhattacharya said.

Pizza and Knicks basketball rule Carroll Gardens

Then there's Prince Street Pizza in Carroll Gardens, Queens, which has been electrifying the block with outdoor watch parties during the playoffs. A popular eatery by day then transforms as the sidewalk becomes the center of the show on game nights.

"It was a beautiful thing because it just kind of happened organically," former owner Dominic Morano said. "We're gonna be out here every night. We're gonna be parked right here. I'm gonna have the TV out. We're gonna have chairs. We're gonna close it off. We're gonna have pizza. We're gonna have a good time."

And Wing Bar right next door will be carrying the alcohol portion of the party for the playoff participants.

"We have a backyard of like 200 people, to people all the way out standing in the street. We can't do anything about it, but they're all out there," one employee said.

Bedtime officially canceled

Over at City Hall, Mayor Zohran Mamdani got into the spirit Monday by signing an executive order canceling bedtime for New York City's youngest Knicks fans.

"All right, my friends, executive order is signed, bedtime is repealed. All of you can watch the Finals," the mayor said to screams of joy.

Kids surveyed in the Woodlawn section of the Bronx couldn't have been happier.

"I'm so excited. Wemby got nothing on us. Let's go Knicks!" one said, referring to Spurs big man Victor Wembanyama.

"I think it's epic. I am going to stay up all night!" another said.

Jalen Brunson mural lights up East Williamsburg

And from the mayor's house, we went to Morgan District Walls in East Williamsburg, Brooklyn, where a fresh mural of Knicks superstar point guard Jalen Brunson is now watching over the neighborhood.

"Man, it was amazing. We had maybe like eight or nine 7-8-year-olds. We had really small like 6-year-olds and we all gave them paintbrushes and stuff," artist Nahabi Roman said.

All of it finalized just in time for the Finals.