Sky-high ticket costs can't cool the cauldron of Madison Square Garden

Soaring ticket prices and extra security for US President Donald Trump do not alter the electric energy of fabled Madison Square Garden as it hosts games three and four of the NBA Finals.

The New York Knicks, chasing their first basketball championship since 1973, take a 2-0 lead over the San Antonio Spurs into Monday's game three of the best-of-seven series, with game four to follow on Wednesday.

Ticket prices have skyrocketed out of the reach of most New Yorkers, but the self-proclaimed "World's Most Famous Arena" will still be packed to the rafters, with celebrities at courtside and Trump attending at least for game three.

The shiny trappings are just part of the allure of the 58-year-old venue.

But on Sunday evening, five people were wounded in a stabbing at Penn Station, located directly underneath the arena -- a reminder of the security concerns that also lurk ahead of major events in New York .

The Garden is one of America's most storied venues -- where the yellow-tinged lighting and vintage photos of Muhammad Ali and the Rolling Stones displayed on the concourses nod to its place in sports and entertainment lore.

"There's nothing like seeing a basketball game at Madison Square Garden," said John Guercio, a 60-something accountant and self-proclaimed lifelong fan of the Knicks.

NBA Hall of Famer Bill Bradley, who won titles with the Knicks in 1970 and 1973, says New York fans are the key to MSG's enduring spirit.