By Maria Tsvetkova and Ed Ou
NEW YORK, June 14 (Reuters) – A World Cup bus was set alight and a teenager suffered a gunshot wound during chaotic scenes in Midtown Manhattan as thousands of basketball fans poured into the streets late on Saturday to celebrate the New York Knicks’ historic win in the NBA Finals.
Some fans set off fireworks and fired smoke grenades after spilling out of packed bars and outdoor venues, chanting “Knicks in five!” to mark their team’s victory in the fifth game of a possible seven.
The New York Knicks have not won a title since 1973, and this was just their third appearance in the finals after losses in 1994 and 1999 – to the Houston Rockets and the San Antonio Spurs, whom they defeated on Saturday night.
WORLD CUP SHUTTLE BUSES SWARMED
At about 2 a.m., a 17-year-old was shot in the foot during celebrations in Times Square, a New York police officer told Reuters. Three persons of interest were in custody, he added.
As the celebrations ran into the night, hundreds of mostly young people swarmed a convoy of about 15 shuttle buses in Times Square after they transported soccer fans from the first World Cup game in the New York City area between Brazil and Morocco, which ended in a draw.
Some of them climbed onto the roofs of the buses, got inside and sat in the driving seats. One of the yellow school buses the city government hired to help transport soccer fans was set on fire, according to a Reuters video journalist who witnessed it in flames. It was not immediately clear if anyone was injured in the incident. At least three more shuttle buses were badly damaged by crowds.
A bicycle was hauled onto the roof of another bus and supporters of the Brazilian soccer team joined Knicks fans on the roof of a bus, waving their national flag. A man with a bleeding face walked through the crowds, but Reuters could not determine what caused his injury.
“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 got off one of the World Cup game buses before it was surrounded by crowds.
“That’s what happens everywhere around the world when a team wins,” Sabbr said.
POLICE MOVE IN, CHASE FANS
Police fenced off some streets and after holding back for about two hours, officers in riot gear moved in, chasing fans down the streets.
Some officers on horseback pushed crowds back, clearing streets around Madison Square Garden, the Knicks’ home court.
Carol Marino, a real estate agent from New York in her 50s was taking a breather on a sidewalk after watching the game in a bar.
“Oh my God. It’s like New Year’s Eve times twenty,” she said about the celebrations.
Elsewhere, jubilant fans played drums, hugged each other, and climbed scaffolding and traffic lights.
New York couple Dean and Christina Smiros said they have been Knicks fans all their lives and were happy to see their team win the first time in their lifetime.
“They have not won since before we were born,” Christina said.
(Reporting by Maria Tsvetkova and Ed Ou;Editing by Helen Popper)
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