NBA Finals predictions: Are the Thunder and Knicks locks for the NBA Finals?
The For The Hoops crew make their picks for the NBA Finals. The Thunder vs. Knicks seem to be a popular pick, but are we counting the Timberwolves and Pacers out too early?
A star-studded crowd flocked to Madison Square Garden on Friday night in hopes of watching the New York Knicks bounce back in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals after suffering a 138-135 overtime loss to the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday.
Unfortunately, the highly-coveted “celebrity row,” which included the likes of Russell Wilson, Ciara and Timothée Chalamet, saw New York lose its second straight game at home to drop to 0-2 in the conference finals.
Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals brought out a variety of celebrities, ranging from Knicks legends (Carmelo Anthony, Patrick Ewing and Walt “Clyde” Frazier) to comedians (Tracy Morgan, Dave Chappelle and Larry David), award-winning actors (Jon Hamm, Chalamet and Ben Stiller), Grammy-winning musicians (Mary J. Blige, Jennifer Hudson and Common) and world-class athletes (Suni Lee and CC Sabathia).
Who showed up to Madison Square Garden for Game 2 on Friday? We got you covered. USA TODAY Sports tracked all the stars in attendance:
PACERS VS KNICKS, GAME 2: TV channel, odds, predictions, time and how to watch
A who’s who of Hollywood has turned out to Madison Square Garden on Friday. Actor Michael J. Fox, comedian/actor Jim Gaffigan, “Curb Your Enthusiasm” actress Susie Essman, “Miami Vice” actor Don Johnson, “Stranger Things” actor Caleb McLaughlin, “Entourage” actor Jerry Ferrarra, “The Sopranos” star Edie Falco and “Gladiator 2” star Fred Hechinger are some of the stars in the building.
New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll and his newest quarterback, Russell Wilson, are enjoying the offseason. Daboll and Wilson pulled up to Madison Square Garden to watch their basketball counterparts in action. Musician Ciara, the Grammy-nominated wife of Wilson, was also on hand. The power couple matched in denim.
“Wonka” star Timothée Chalamet has the golden ticket — a front row seat for Game 2. Chalamet, a familiar face at Madison Square Garden, often joins the jubilant crowd and Friday was no different. He was seated next to fellow superfan Ben Stiller. Chalamet’s fervent support for the Knicks, as reported by the New York Times, began during his high school days at LaGuardia High School in Manhattan, when he was a budding actor striving to carve his niche. Chalamet’s girlfriend, Kylie Jenner, was not in attendance. The pair had a date night at Game 4 of the Knicks-Celtics Eastern Conference semifinals earlier this month. — Elizabeth Flores
“Mad Men” actor Jon Hamm is in the building and he’s on his best behavior. If you remember, Hamm made a mad man out of Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton during Game 1 after the actor snagged a loose ball on the sidelines that Haliburton believed he could’ve kept inbounds. Haliburton complained about interference by Hamm, but nothing came of it.
A pair of broadcasting legends are in the crowd. Hall of Fame broadcaster Marv Albert, who was known as the “voice of the New York Knicks” from 1967 to 2004, was on hand to watch the team up close and personal. Longtime NBC Sports broadcaster Bob Costas is also in the building.
Busta Rhymes is back for Game 2. The rapper was front and center next to British rapper Skepta. And although the Knicks dropped Game 1 in devastating fashion, Rhymes isn’t feeling down. He dropped a new song, “New York Knicks Anthem,” in the midst of Game 2 to rally the fanbase. He performed the song during halftime in a custom Knicks leather jacket. He rapped: “I’m for my New York Knicks. Gotta rep the city for my New York Knicks.”
If you’d told me going into the Knicks Celtics series that I’d be watching Busta Rhymes with my 73 year-old dad in late May I’d have had so many questions pic.twitter.com/VT3I09HP4z
— Knicks Memes (@KnicksMemes) May 24, 2025
The champ is here. Walt “Clyde” Frazier led the Knicks to two titles in 1970 and 1973, which remain the franchise’s only NBA championships to date. He’s not the only Knick alum to return home for Game 2. Hubert Davis, the current head coach of the North Carolina men’s basketball team, played for the Knicks from 1992-1996 after being drafted by New York with the 20th overall pick in 1992.
Bernard King (1982–1987), Larry Johnson (1996–2001), Latrell Sprewell (1999–2003), John Starks (1990–1998), Stephon Marbury (2004–2009), Tim Thomas (2004–2005, 2008–2009), Wilson Chandler (2007–2011) and J. R. Smith (2012–2015) are also in the house.
Maggie Rogers is a long way from “Alaska.” The Grammy-nominated musician was in attendance for Game 2. The Maryland native has ties to the city. She attended New York University, where returned to serve as a commencement speaker earlier this month. Musicians Questlove and Jelly Roll are also on hand.
Comedian Jerry O’Connell says Game 2 is a “MUST WIN” for the Knicks. He posted a courtside selfie featuring fellow actor Justin Long. The New York native used city lingo to caption the photo: “BING BONG.”
If you want to see your favorite basketball team play up close and personal, it’s going to cost you. There are a number of factors that affect ticket prices, including the level of play, teams competing and location.
Let’s start with level of play – sitting courtside at a playoff game is going to be more expensive than a regular season game and attending the conference finals is more expensive than a first-round playoff game. The matchup also matters. Games in arenas in big cities, like Los Angeles’ Crypto.com Arena and New York’s Madison Square Garden, attract more attendees and tend to inflate the price. Full story here.
Yes and no.
There are a variety of ways A-listers can snag courtside seats and some methods don’t include opening their wallets. TicketSmarter CEO Jeff Goodman told USA TODAY Sports that celebrities can leverage their connections to get tickets through team owners. Sometimes they are invited by ownership groups or league sponsors, but most times, stars pay their way.
“Just because they are celebrities doesn’t mean they are getting free tickets,” Goodman said. “In many cases, they are paying just like everybody else if they don’t know someone with the team or with the ownership group.” Full story on how stars get courtside seats and how much NBA courtside seats cost here.
Knicks fans are hoping Friday is not Groundhog Day following the team’s Game 1 overtime loss Wednesday. Speaking of “Groundhog Day,” actor Bill Murray is in attendance at Madison Square Garden. The actor is a major Chicago Cubs fan, but we’re guessing Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals was too sweet to pass up. He attended the contest with son Luke Murray, who is an assistant coach for the UConn men’s basketball team.
It’s no “Night at the Museum” for actor Ben Stiller. Instead, the diehard Knicks fan is enjoying a night at Madison Square Garden, where he’s become a mainstay on “Celebrity Row.” Stiller appeared to be pumped for the game. Earlier Friday, he sent three separate tweets that read, “LETTTTTTSSSSSS GOOOOOOOOOOOO KNIIIICCCCCKKKKSSSSSSS.” Another staple, Tracy Morgan, was also front and center for Game 2.
Stream Knicks vs. Pacers Game 2 on Sling
And if you’re wondering, basketball players get starstruck too. Ahead of Game 1, TNT commentator Kenny Smith noted that players feel the pressure of competing in front of celebrities, especially in New York and Los Angeles.
“You cannot glance to the left. You cannot glance to the right. You have to stay focused in, because there’s Spike Lee, Ben Stiller, all the famous rappers that you’ve ever wanted to talk to. They are here,” Smith said on the “Inside the NBA” pre-game show Wednesday. “When you’re in the Eastern Conference finals, you have to knock that out and not pay attention to any of that.”
Seven-time major winning tennis star John McEnroe stopped by TNT’s “Inside the NBA” pregame show to promote the upcoming French Open, which will broadcast on TNT for the first time, starting Sunday. McEnroe never won the French Open, but finished as a runner-up to Ivan Lendl in 1984. He predicted Ben Shelton and Francis Tiafoe are the Americans with the best shot at winning at Roland Garros.
Like Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal and Kenny Smith, McEnroe turned to broadcasting after his career.
“I didn’t know that I was going to be great (on television). In fact, it was the last thing I wanted to do. At the end of my career, I was like, ‘Oh my God, I’m going to be a commentator. That’s really pathetic.’ I got an opportunity and got some good advice: ‘be yourself.’”
Draymond Green asked McEnroe for advice on how to control his emotions. McEnroe jokingly replied, “The last person you want to talk to is me. It’s hopeless for either one of us.”
Madison Square Garden’s coveted Celebrity Row would normally leave anyone starstruck, offering up plenty of A-list sightings from Spike Lee to Ben Stiller and Timothee Chalamet. But New York Knicks superstar Jalen Brunson has only been left awestruck by one celebrity. That person is (don-don) Mariska Hargitay, longtime star of the hit TV show “Law & Order: SVU.”
“I’ve never been like super, super starstruck. I saw her and I was like, ‘Oh, (wow),’” Brunson said during a May 4 episode of his “The Roommates Show” podcast, which he hosts alongside teammate Josh Hart. “Then, the first time we met, it was awesome, we talked and everything.”
A friendship between Brunson and Hargitay has been brewing since he donned royal blue and orange. Why is Hargitay Brunson’s favorite? Click here to see what’s behind the Brunson-Hargitay connection.
What time is Knicks vs. Pacers Game 2?
Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals between the New York Knicks and Indiana Pacers tips off Friday at 8 p.m. ET.
Knicks vs. Pacers Game 2: How to watch, TV, streamTime: 8 p.m. ETLocation: Madison Square Garden; New YorkTV: TNTStream: Max, Sling
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