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ESPN is giving Lil Wayne fans a sneak peek at his The Carter VI album mere hours before it arrives. Unreleased track “The Days” featuring Bono has been used in a promo ad for game one of the NBA Finals between the Indiana Pacers and Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday (June 5). “I pledge allegiance […]
Source: Getty Images / Indiana Pacers / New York Knicks
It’s no longer orange and blue skies after the NBA’s “most overrated player,” Tyrese Haliburton, and the Indiana Pacers once again sent New York Knicks, Ben Stiller, Timothee Chalamet, Spike Lee, and the rest of the diehard Knickerbocker fans on summer break.
The New York Knicks and their fans thought their 52-year championship drought was coming to an end, but unfortunately, the Indiana Pacers had other plans.
Last night, in a game that started close, the Pacers eventually cruised to a 125-108 Game 6 win over the Knicks, punching their ticket to the NBA Finals for the first time in 25 years to face the Oklahoma City Thunder, where they hope they can win the franchise’s first NBA title.
Out of the gate, the Knicks didn’t let the Gainbridge Fieldhouse crowd affect them, keeping the contest close, trailing by only four points at halftime. But it was clear they couldn’t keep pace with the Pacers, who turned it on in the second half, ending the third quarter with an 11-point lead that the Knicks couldn’t overcome.
It didn’t help that the Knicks’ offense was stifled by the Pacers’ defense in the second half. The clutch player of the year and Knicks’ top offensive weapon, Jalen Brunson, was held to just 19 points and shot 4/10 at the half because Andrew Nembhard locked him down.
In Games 1-5, Andrew Nembhard defended Jalen Brunson for 49 match-ups, allowing 51.0 player points per 100 match-ups
In Game 6, Nembhard defended Brunson for 55 match-ups, giving up just 9.1 player points per 100 match-ups
He was sensational. pic.twitter.com/VQNoJSo22x
— Caitlin Cooper (@C2_Cooper) June 1, 2025
Turnovers Killed The Knicks’ Chances
The Pacers also forced 18 Knicks turnovers, scoring 25 fastbreak points, a recipe for disaster for any team trying to win an Eastern Conference Finals series.
After being stifled in Game 5, Tyrese Haliburton returned to form, scoring 21 points and dishing out 13 assists. However, it was Pascal Siakam’s 31-point performance that helped put the Knicks away for good, earning him the series MVP award, which also provided a classic meme moment.
Tyrese Haliburton thought that Larry Bird ECF MVP trophy was his🤣#NBA #Pacers pic.twitter.com/59eF189mNI
— Caleb Nixon (@calebnixonmedia) June 1, 2025
Jalen Brunson Still Has Confidence In This Knicks Team
Despite solid offensive efforts from OG Anunoby, who led all Knicks scorers with 24 points, and Karl-Anthony Towns with 22, it just wasn’t enough.
It didn’t help that Josh Hart, who has been reliable all season, didn’t leave his mark on the game, scoring only 4 points.
Following the game, Brunson says he still believes in this Knicks team as it is constructed, telling reporters he has “The most confidence, overconfident, seriously,” Brunson said. “There’s not an ounce of any type of doubt that I’m confident with this group.”
Jalen Brunson was asked if he has confidence that Tom Thibodeau is the right coach for the Knicks moving forward:
“Is that a real question right now? You just asked me if I believe if he’s the right guy. Yes.” pic.twitter.com/FRjCO8genL
— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) June 1, 2025
A Magical Season Comes To A Bitter End
Jalen Brunson and the New York Knicks looked like they were on the verge of a special season after two big playoff series wins, including knocking off the defending champion Boston Celtics.
But it would turn out their biggest test would be the franchise’s longtime rivals, the Indiana Pacers, who have played boogeyman to the Knicks franchise for many years.
Coming into the series, the Knicks had all the momentum, especially after pulling off one of the biggest comebacks in playoff history en route to denying the Celtics the opportunity to defend their 2023-24 NBA championship.
It would turn out that the Knicks would get a taste of their own medicine after they dramatically blew a significant lead in game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals, which led to an insane Tyrese Haliburton buzzer-beater to force overtime, where the Knicks came up short, and eventually would go on to lose the series.
TYRESE HALIBURTON BUZZER BEATER FORCES OT 🤯🤯🤯
AND HE DID THE CHOKE SIGN TO THE KNICKS!!! pic.twitter.com/0jufr6naNl
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 22, 2025
As you can imagine, Knicks fans’ emotions are all over the place. Some are proud of their Knickerbockers, while others feel a change is needed, calling for the firing of head coach Tom Thibodeau, whose rotations and refusal to use his bench were once again the subject of discussion.
Tom Thibodeau is just Doc Rivers but plays his stars 48 minutes a game. pic.twitter.com/d2fVTya9Cj
— chickenfried🍗 (@realzachbrown) May 26, 2025
Welp, there’s always next year.
You can see more reactions in the gallery below.
1. A proud Knicks fan
I don’t care I’m damn proud of this team.A season full of memoriesTwo All Star startersBack to back 50 win seasonsGreat series win vs DetroitAn upset for the ages vs BostonFirst ECF in 25 yearsIt was an amazing season pic.twitter.com/JWJipMcEsq— KNICKS BEAST (@KnicksBeast) June 1, 2025
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John Mellencamp is not happy with his home state after some Hoosiers booed a few famous New York Knicks fans — including Timothée Chalamet and Ben Stiller, who were sitting courtside — at Game 4 of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals.
In a strongly worded post on X Thursday (May 29), the singer-songwriter — who attended the match two days prior to support the Indiana Pacers with his girlfriend, producer Kristin Kehrberg — wrote that he was “embarrassed when somebody, under whose direction I don’t know, called out some of the people who had made the trip from New York to support their team.”
“The audience booed these people,” he continued. “I’d say that was not Hoosier Hospitality. One could only say it’s poor, poor sportsmanship. I was not proud to be a Hoosier, and I’ve lived here my entire life.”
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Though Mellencamp didn’t mention Pat McAfee by name, the rocker was likely referring to the moment at Game 4 when the sports commentator rallied the crowd at Gainsbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis by saying over the speakers, “We got some big wigs from the big city in the building: Spike Lee is here. Ben Stiller is here. Timothée Chalamet is here. Let’s send these sons of b—-es back to New York!”
The Night at the Museum actor would later call the moment “weird” on X, adding, “We were happy to be there and cheer our team and other than that Indy fans were awesome.”
McAfee later explained on the platform, “They asked me to do that in the fourth quarter and I wasn’t gonna say no,” after which Stiller extended an olive branch by replying, “Come to game 5 Pat!!”
But Mellencamp isn’t letting what happened slide. “On behalf of most Hoosiers, I would like to apologize for our poor behavior,” he concluded in his note. “I’m sure the Pacers had nothing to do with this smackdown.”
Game 4 would ultimately end with the Pacers defeating the Knicks 130-121, putting the Indiana team at a 3-1 series lead. The next game will take place Thursday night at Madison Square Garden, aka the New York City hoopers’ home turf.
At the turn of the century, it was Allen Iverson who served as the bridge between hip-hop and basketball while also boasting a massive amount of pop culture influence. Part of the influence came after he retired, when the Philadelphia 76ers icon inspired Post Malone’s breakout hit “White Iverson” in 2015. A decade later, Posty […]
The New York Knicks are riding hot as a rocket blast in the 2025 NBA Playoffs, and Nick Jonas has an inkling that his role in Broadway‘s The Last Five Years might have something to do with the team’s success.
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“OK, so real quick: The Knicks are in the playoffs, and they could advance to the next round if they win their game against the Celtics tonight,” the superstar explained in an Instagram video posted Wednesday (May 14). “During rehearsals for The Last Five Years, I said to our director, ‘I really think Jamie,’ my character, ‘should be a New York basketball fan.’ And she was like, ‘Great. What team?’
“And I was like, ‘Well, hmm…good question, what team.’ And eventually we decided to make Jamie a Knicks fan,” the pop singer-turned-Broadway star continued.
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From his dressing room, Jonas then showed off a vintage Knicks crewneck found by The Last Five Years costume designer Dede Ayite, explaining that he wears the shirt during every performance of “Moving Too Fast,” one of Jamie’s first big musical numbers in the show.
“So I’m not saying that the Knicks are in the playoffs and could potentially go to the next round because of The Last Five Years and because of this,” he then concluded, gesturing to his costume. “But coincidence? I think not.”
While the Knicks ultimately lost Wednesday night’s game, they’re still currently leading the Celtics 3-2 in the Eastern Conference semifinals, and will have home court advantage going into Game 6 on Saturday night (May 16) at Madison Square Garden.
Meanwhile, Jonas has six more weeks of his run on Broadway before The Last Five Years closes its limited engagement at the Hudson Theatre on June 22. After that, he’ll segue full force into album mode, with the Jonas Brothers’ seventh LP, Greetings from Your Hometown, set for release Aug. 8 — two days before the kickoff of JONAS20: Living the Dream Tour, the North American trek celebrating their 20th anniversary as a band.
Check out Jonas’ witty theory before it expires on his Instagram Stories here.
Michael Jordan will bring his years of basketball excellence and experience to television screens in the next NBA season after NBC Sports made a big announcement. Michael Jordan will join the network’s team as a special contributor covering NBA action.
The announcement was made on Monday (May 12) and highlights that Michael Jordan will be joining the NBA on NBC roster, with Air Jordan sharing in a statement his feelings on the new partnership.
“I am so excited to see the NBA back on NBC. The NBA on NBC was a meaningful part of my career, and I’m excited about being a special contributor to the project. I’m looking forward to seeing you all when the NBA on NBC launches this October,” Jordan said.
The NBA launched a series of new deals with various networks, and the revival of the NBA on NBC brand was part of the updated coverage formats. Jordan, a six-time NBA champion and Hall of Famer, will join former NBA stars Jamal Crawford, Reggie Miller, and Carmelo Anthony in analyst roles. Mike Tirico and Noah Eagle will provide play-by-play calls for games.
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Photo: Don Juan Moore / Getty
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Source: Boston Globe / Getty / Jayson Tatum
It’s not looking good for the Boston Celtics right now. After a strong regular season, they were heading into the playoffs with a high chance of repeating as NBA champions. Now, they are on the brink of elimination and will likely have to pull off the impossible without their star player, Jayson Tatum.
The Boston Celtics came into their Conference Semifinals matchup with the New York Knicks as prohibitive favorites. However, they flopped in both home games, surrendering 20-point leads, allowing Jalen Brunson and the Knicks to steal two games in TD Garden.
The Celtics did find their form in Game 3 and didn’t relinquish their massive lead, smoking the Knicks in Madison Square Garden, leaving many to believe they have found their groove.
Then came Game 4, which was a repeat of Games 1 and 2, but this time the Celtics will limp back to Boston down 3-1 and likely without superstar Jayson Tatum, who left the game with what looked like a serious non-contact leg injury, an unfortunate end for what was one of his best games in the series.
After he was taken off the court, a visibly emotional Tatum was wheelchaired back to the Celtics locker room, covering his face to hide his tears.
The Sports World Reacts To Jayson Tatum’s Scary Injury
The reactions to the scary injury, many speculate, could be a torn Achilles, were instant, with names like LeBron James, Patrick Mahomes, and more all throwing up prayers for the NBA champion.
There’s still no word on the severity of Tatum’s injury, with his head coach, Joe Mazulla, saying his star player will undergo an MRI. But if the Celtics can extend it, chances are very high we will not see Big Deuce for Game 4 or the remainder of this series.
The sports world is awaiting the results of that MRI. Until it comes, you can see more reactions in the gallery below.
1. Julian Edelman
2. Grant Williams
3. Isaiah Thomas
4. Jalen Brunson speaks on the injury following the game
5. Karl-Anthony Towns
6. Josh Hart
7. Kendrick Perkins
8. Ben Stiller
9. Skip Bayless
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It’s the NBA Playoffs! With the Knicks stealing Game 1 of the east semifinals with a win, the Celtics are looking to even up the series with one win apiece. However, New York could win Game 2 and go up 2-0 going back to Madison Square Garden in New York City for Game 3.
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Keep reading to learn the other streaming options to watch Game 2: New York Knicks vs. Boston Celtics online without cable.
When Does New York Knicks vs. Boston Celtics 2025 Start?
Game 2: Knicks vs. Celtics series broadcast live on TNT. The NBA Playoff games are available to livestream on Sling TV, Hulu + Live TV and DirecTV.
Game 1: New York, 108 vs. Boston, 105
Game 2: New York at Boston, May 7 at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT
Game 3: Boston at New York, May 10 at 3:30 p.m. ET/12:30 p.m. PT
Game 4: Boston at New York, May 12 at 7:30 p.m./4:30 p.m PT
Game 5*: New York at Boston, TBD
Game 6*: Boston at New York, TBD
Game 7*: New York at Boston, TBD
*If necessary
How to Watch New York Knicks vs. Boston Celtics 2025 With Sling TV
To watch the Knicks vs. Celtics on TNT, Sling TV Orange starts at $23 for the first month, $45.99 per month afterward (the streamer’s current deal), with nearly 35 channels that are streamable on smart TVs, smartphones, tablets and on web browsers.
The service even gets you live access to broadcast and cable networks such as Disney Channel, ESPN, ESPN2, TBS, AMC, BBC America, BET, CNN, FreeForm and more. Please note that channel availability and price depends on your local TV market. Learn more about Sling TV here.
How to Watch New York Knicks vs. Boston Celtics 2025 With Hulu + Live TV
The Knicks vs. Celtics series on TNT are available to watch with Hulu + Live TV too. Prices for the cable alternative start at $82.99 per month, while each plan comes with Hulu, Disney+ and ESPN+ at no additional cost.
Hulu + Live TV might be best for those who want all of these streaming services together in one bundle. It also features many other networks, including ABC, Hallmark Channel, BET, CMT, Disney Channel, NBC, Fox Sports and more.
How to Watch New York Knicks vs. Boston Celtics 2025 With DirecTV
A subscription to DirecTV’s new My Sports package — which comes with TNT for Knicks vs. Celtics — gets you access to live TV, local and cable channels, starting at $69.99 per month. The service even offers a five-day free trial to watch for free if you sign up now.
You can watch local networks such as NBC, ABC and Fox, while you can also watch many cable networks, including FS1, MLB Network, NBA TV, NFL Network and others.
Which Celebrities Are Making Appearances During New York Knicks vs. Boston Celtics?
It’s likely there will be a number of celebrities and famous recording artists in attendance during the Knicks vs. Celtics, such as Knicks fans LL Cool J, 50 Cent and Fat Joe:; Celtics fans Jack Harlow, Gucci Mane and Nelly; and others. Tune in to the games to find out who’s sitting courtsideon celebrity row.
How to Buy New York Knicks vs. Boston Celtics 2025 Tickets Online
Want to attend the Knicks vs. Celtics series in person? There are still last-minute tickets available via Vivid Seats (get $20 off purchases of $200 and over with code BB30), SeatGeek (your first purchases can get $10 off ticket order $250 and with code BILLBOARD10), StubHub and GameTime (score $20 off ticket orders of $150 and over with code SAVE20). Prices vary depending on the city and seats available.
Moreover, you can save $150 off when you spend $500 with promo code BILLBOARD150, or $300 off when you spend $1,000 with promo code BILLBOARD300 at TicketNetwork.com.
For Game 2, Knicks vs. Celtics takes place on Wednesday (May 7) starting at at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT broadcasts on TNT. The NBA Playoff game is also available to livestream on Sling TV.
Want more? For more product recommendations, check out our roundups of the best Xbox deals, studio headphones and Nintendo Switch accessories.
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New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson proved why he was named this year’s Kia Clutch Player of the Year after delivering a huge three-point make against the Detroit Pistons in their first-round series. Despite a spirited performance from the upstart Pistons, Jalen Brunson, who seemingly lives for these moments, dropped the dagger from beyond the arc and sank the hopes of Detroit.
The Knicks visited the Pistons with a 3-2 advantage in their best-of-seven series, which got testy in game 4 with the Pistons showing plenty of fight in the contest and coming away with the win. It appeared that the Pistons were on their way to capturing the win on their home court, but the tight defense of the Knicks and their hot shooting tied things up towards the end of regulation.
Brunson faced yet another round of boos and insults from fans and a relentless onslaught of speed, offense, and defense from Detroit’s young core of Cade Cunningham, Ausar Thompson, and Jalen Duren. However, with the game tied 113-all and just 20 seconds on the clock, Brunson tied the cape around his neck and went to work.
With the much taller Thompson guarding him, Brunson shrugged off the coverage, hit a crossover dribble, and drained one of the biggest three-pointers of the 2025 NBA Playoffs. After hitting the shot, Brunson blew kisses to the crowd, and the Pistons made an effort to score, but the Knicks’ defensive scheme headed off their plans.
Brunson and the New York Knicks will now face the defending champion Boston Celtics in what’s expected to be a must-see series.
On X, Jalen Brunson’s clutch heroics were the top-trending topic. We’ve got reactions below.
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Photo: Gregory Shamus / Getty
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Getty Images / Luka Doncic / Kobe Bryant
Luka Doncic hasn’t delivered an NBA Championship to the city of Los Angeles yet, but he is quickly earning the respect of Lakers fans.
Some unknown individual defaced a Downtown Los Angeles mural of the late Kobe Bryant and his daughter, Gianna “Gigi” Bryant, with graffiti, turning it into a canvas for a dispute between street artists.
The touching tribute piece, which features Bryant donning his Lakers jersey while kissing a young Gigi on the cheek, was covered in white paint and graffiti tags.
TMZ Sports reports that someone wrote “keep running your mouth p***y” in the top corner where the mural’s creator, “Sloe Motions,” name is located.
That message or threat is crossed out with a reply stating, “Leave a name, p***y! Don’t B scared.”
Well, it looks like Luka Doncic, who is currently in his first year of donning the purple and gold after the Dallas Mavericks shockingly traded him to the Lakers, is stepping up to fix the mural and is opening up his wallet.
Per TMZ Sports:
There’s a happy ending to this story … as TMZ Sports has learned Lakers superstar Luka Doncic has donated $5,000 to help restore the mural.
It’s an incredible gesture … as that is the total amount the fundraiser was hoping to rake in for the effort.
That’s dope of the NBA superstar.
Kobe Bryant & His Daughter’s Global Impact
Following the tragic passing of the iconic NBA superstar and his daughter as a result of a helicopter crash, murals sprang up all over Los Angeles and around the globe honoring the Lakers legend and his daughter, who aspired to follow in her father’s footsteps on the basketball court.
Weirdly, a LA native would do such a thing to a piece of art honoring someone who is the embodiment of the city and brought so much joy to Lakers fans.
Salute to Luka Doncic.
