Proclaiming the New York Knicks are back after qualifying for the playoffs for the first time in eight years, team owner James Dolan said Madison Square Garden MSG will host more than 13,000 fans for each Knicks playoff game.

The No. 4-seeded Knicks (41-31) will host the No. 5 Atlanta Hawks in a best-of-7 series beginning this weekend. Dolan announced that Knicks playoff tickets will go on sale to season-ticket holders Tuesday and for the general public Wednesday.

"We think they're going to go fast," Dolan said Monday at a joint press conference with New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo. "Get them but get your vaccine if you haven't already."

Cuomo said beginning May 22 arenas like the Garden and Barclays Center will have fully vaccinated sections and could allot more than 50 percent of seating to vaccinated people. Dolan announced that vaccinated fans will be "sitting shoulder to shoulder" and encouraged people to get vaccinated.

Beginning Feb. 23, the Knicks allowed 2,000 fans per home game in the roughly 20,000-seat venue. That figure was expected to rise to about 6,000 on May 19, so Dolan is more than doubling the projected attendance figure for the playoffs.

The Knicks havent been in the postseason since 2013 when they lost to the Indiana Pacers in the second round.

Led by former Kentucky forward Julius Randle, a candidate for the Most Improved and Most Valuable Player awards, former Duke wing R.J. Barrett (who was in eighth grade the last time the Knicks made the playoffs) and former Memphis point guard Derrick Rose, the Knicks exceeded expectations under first-year coach Tom Thibodeau, a candidate for Coach of the Year honors. Betting odds had the over/under on Knicks wins this season at 22.5, and they won 41 games.

"I know it's been a long time, Dolan said. Believe me, I know it's been a long time. People tell me every day. But we're back. We're in the playoffs and it couldnt come at a better time for New York. I hope our team does well and I hope we lift the spirits of New York and especially with this announcement, catapults us into a fantastic summer."

Now Dolan wants the Knicks faithful to come back and vociferously support what he hopes is a playoff run.

"Any of you know who know about basketball know about the concept of the 6th man and the home court, he said. We've been missing our 6th man and we've done as well we've done without our 6th man. But we're getting our 6th man back for the playoffs so we're going to be even be better"