The Garden celebrities were back for Game 7 between the Knicks and the Pacers.
Before the ESPN broadcast began, the network showed a handful of famous stars — including Spike Lee, actor Ben Stiller, Knicks legend Clyde Frazier, former tennis star John McEnroe, comedian Tracy Morgan, rapper Fat Joe and comedian and television host Jon Stewart — with many having filled those seats throughout the Knicks’ recent playoff run.
Actors Steve Schirripa and Christopher Meloni and rappers Travis Scott and Jadakiss were also in attendance.
They were part of the collection of fans at the Garden that erupted during warmups when Josh Hart and OG Anunoby — who both entered as questionable due to an abdominal strain and hamstring injury, respectively — were announced after going through warmups, which was the key factor in determining their availability.
Knicks legend John Starks, who has been a fixture at Knicks games throughout the postseason, too, was also shown clapping on the broadcast wearing a Knicks hat in the second quarter.
“It’s very, very exhausting,” Starks said earlier in the series about attending the games. “I feel what fans go through . . . because it’s a do-or-die situation. You’re just hanging on every bucket, every loose ball, every steal, every foul. I have to get in a lot of cardio just to keep up with what’s going on.”
Rangers stars Artemi Panarin, Kaapo Kakko, Ryan Lindgren, Alexis Lafreniere, Will Cuylle and Jack Roslovic were also in attendance as they prepare for a matchup with the Panthers in the NHL’s Eastern Conference Final.
Billie Elish, Common and Jennifer Hudson were among the group in attendance for Game 5.
Bryan Cranston and Chris Rock — as well as plenty of others — trekked to the Garden for Game 2.
All three home games this series ended with a victory entering Sunday, and the Knicks only lost one game at home during their first-round series against the 76ers, too.
But Sunday, after one quarter, the Knicks still had a double-digit deficit to erase if they wanted to advance to an Eastern Conference finals showdown against the Celtics.
The Pacers led, 37-29, after shooting 76 percent from the field, with Tyrese Haliburton leading them with 14 points and helping Indiana torch the Knicks’ defense.
Donte DiVincenzo led the Knicks with 12 points, while Jalen Brunson added six and Anunoby contributed five across five minutes.
In the second quarter, Alec Burks went on a scoring burst to collect 10 points in his first seven minutes on the court, too. But the Knicks trailed 70-55 at the break.
And that stretch gave the Garden — quieted by the Pacers’ first-quarter tear — a jolt of energy.
