Knicks ring night: banner at 6:30 p.m., $2,200 tickets and the free places to watch Tuesday’s opener

The New York Knicks will collect their championship rings and hang their first title banner in 53 years on Tuesday, October 20, at Madison Square Garden, with the ceremony set for about 6:30 p.m. ET and the opener against the Philadelphia 76ers tipping at 7 p.m. on NBC. For fans who cannot get inside the Garden, the city has filled the evening with free and low-cost places to watch.

The night closes a long wait. New York beat the San Antonio Spurs in five games in June for its first championship since 1973, and the league placed ring night on the season’s opening card, against a Sixers team that now carries LeBron James and Jaylen Brown.

Ring night at a glance

Plan to be in a seat, or in front of a screen, before 6:30. The ceremony comes before the game, so anyone arriving at tip time will miss the banner going up.

Tickets: the most expensive opener of the season

Seats were never going to be cheap. When the schedule came out in August, tickets for the game were already going for about $2,200 on SeatGeek, Front Office Sports reported. For most fans, Tuesday will be a watch-party night.

Where to watch for free or close to it

• Queens Center (Queens): a free screening from 7 to 9 p.m. on the mall’s three-story domed screen in the Rotunda by the Queens Boulevard entrance, visible from every level. Knicks gear is encouraged.
• SOB’s, 204 Varick Street: free entry for guests 21 and older who RSVP, doors at 5:30 p.m., a 16-by-18-foot LED wall plus four more screens. Seats are first come, first served and carry a two-drink minimum or a $30 food-and-drink spend per person.
• Slate, 54 West 21st Street: a 21-and-over party run by Knicks Fan TV, doors at 5:30 p.m., game audio on the speakers, a DJ during breaks and a raffle every quarter, with a championship pendant among the prizes. General admission includes one raffle ticket; tables can be booked.
• Time Out Market Union Square: a “Ring Day” event from 3 p.m. with DJs, a photo gallery, fan contests and raffles. Seating is first come, first served.
• Near the Garden: Mustang Harry’s at 352 Seventh Avenue and Clinton Hall at 16 West 36th Street both plan to show the game on their regular screens.

Sixers fans have their own option at home: the team’s Season Tip-Off Fan Fest at Stateside Live! in Philadelphia is free with an RSVP and includes live radio from 97.5 The Fanatic, guests and giveaways during the game.

Who will be missing

Mitchell Robinson, part of the title run, signed with the Boston Celtics this summer and will not be in the building for the ceremony. On the visiting side, Joel Embiid has already said he will stay in the locker room while the rings are handed out. For the Knicks’ roster going into the night, see our camp notes.

What comes next

The Knicks open the road schedule on Friday, October 23, at Boston (Game Center). Philadelphia goes home for its own opener on Thursday, October 22, against the Cleveland Cavaliers (Game Center). Follow Tuesday’s ceremony and game live on the Knicks-76ers Game Center.