
Mariska Hargitay hugs Jalen Brunson to cap off epic night at MSG with Knicks' Game 5 win
What a victory lap!
Moments after the Knicks saved their season with an electric 111-94 win over the Pacers in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals on Thursday night, Mariska Hargitay and star guard Jalen Brunson found each other on the floor for a postgame embrace at Madison Square Garden.
In footage shared on the Knicks' Instagram account, the 'Law & Order: SVU' star smiled from ear to ear as she congratulated Brunson, who paired his 32 points with five rebounds and five assists.
Advertisement
5 Jalen Brunson and Mariska Hargitay embraced after the Knicks' Game 5 win on May 29, 2025.
Knicks/Instagram
Hargitay, 61, was featured on the Jumbotron during the game as she took in the scene with her 'Law & Order: SVU' co-star, Kelli Giddish.
Advertisement
She also reposted a photo of the pair on her Instagram Stories, which included a fan's caption of 'girls night out.'
All of the stars came out to support the Knicks at The Garden on Thursday, including Spike Lee, Miles Teller and wife Keleigh, Timothée Chalamet and girlfriend Kylie Jenner, and Ben Stiller, who previously quipped that Hargitay is the envy of the team's fanbase.
5 Kelli Giddish and Mariska Hargitay were featured on the Jumbotron at Madison Square Garden for Game 5.
NY Post Sports/X
Advertisement
5 Mariska Hargitay was seen exiting Madison Square Garden after Game 5.
Christopher Sadowski for NY Post
'The love that Mariska Hargitay gets from you postgame is the envy of every other Knicks fan, Knicks celebrity fan. She gets a hug after a loss,' Stiller said this month during an appearance on Brunson's and Josh Hart's 'Roommates Show.'
Stiller, 59, has been a staple at Knicks games throughout the playoffs and even ventured to Indiana on Tuesday for Game 4.
Follow The Post's coverage of the Knicks in the 2025 NBA Playoffs
Sports+ subscribers: Sign up for Inside the Knicks to get daily newsletter coverage and join Expert Take for insider texts about the series.
Advertisement
5 Jalen Brunson put up 32 points against the Pacers in Game 5 on May 29, 2025.
Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
He sat beside fellow superfan Chalamet as the Knicks fell into a 3-1 series hole with the 130-121 loss.
With the Knicks returning to Indiana on Saturday for a must-win Game 6, it remains to be seen whether Stiller and the Knicks' A-List supporters will be there.
Pacers fan Pat McAfee made note of their attendance Tuesday night, firing up the Gainbridge Fieldhouse crowd by dubbing the celebs 'sons of bitches' in a scene that made both Stiller and Indiana supporter John Mellencamp, also in attendance, cringe.
'On behalf of most Hoosiers, I would like to apologize for our poor behavior. I'm sure the Pacers had nothing to do with this smackdown,' Mellencamp wrote Thursday on X.
McAfee acknowledged the Knicks' Game 5 win on X and added Thursday night, 'CAN'T WAIT for Game 6.'
5 The series shifts to Indiana for Game 6.
Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
Advertisement
Tipoff is set for 8 p.m. ET on Saturday.
If necessary, Game 7 will be Monday at MSG.
The winner of this series will face the Thunder in the NBA Finals, beginning next Thursday.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
13 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Mexican band Grupo Firme cancels US show, says visas suspended by Trump administration
The popular Mexican regional music band Grupo Firme announced on Friday that it was canceling a performance in a music festival in California over the weekend after the United States government suspended the musicians' visas. It comes after the US State Department has revoked visas of a number of Mexican musicians for playing a genre of music that it says glorifies cartel violence. The group, which has soared to international fame playing Mexican regional music, said in a statement posted on its Instagram account that the visas of them and their team are currently under 'administrative review by the US Embassy' and that it would make it 'impossible' for them to perform in the La Onda Fest to be held in the city of Napa Valley, California on June 1. But the post didn't detail what it would mean in the long term for the musical group. The US Embassy in Mexico and the State Department said that visa cases are confidential according to US law and couldn't provide more information on the case. The suspension is just the latest in a series of moves the administration of US President Donald Trump has taken targeting Mexican artists in the genre, who in some cases have glorified the leaders of cartels as sort of Robin Hood figures. While the genre of 'narco-corridos' has stirred controversy, much of the music also speaks to the harsh realities facing Mexican youth caught in cartel violence. Two months ago, the Mexican musical group Los Alegres del Barranco was sanctioned after it projected images of the leader of the feared Jalisco New Generation Cartel at a concert in the western state of Jalisco. 'I'm a firm believer in freedom of expression, but that doesn't mean that expression should be free of consequences,' US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau said at the time. 'The last thing we need is a welcome mat for people who extol criminals and terrorists.' But Grupo Firme has taken steps in recent months to distance itself from the facet of the musical genre glorifying criminal groups, announcing in April shortly after the controversy that it would not sing such music in concerts.


Hamilton Spectator
26 minutes ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Red Sox place Liam Hendriks on the injured list, recall Nick Burdi from Triple-A Worcester
BOSTON (AP) — Boston Red Sox relief pitcher Liam Hendriks has been placed on the 15-day injured list with inflammation in his right hip. The Red Sox announced Friday the move is retroactive to Wednesday and that right-handed pitcher Nick Burdi had been recalled from Triple-A Worcester. Hendriks has made 14 appearances this season, posting a 6.59 ERA with 12 strikeouts over 13 2/3 innings. He has 116 saves in 490 career games with six teams since 2007. Burdi, 32, has thrown 2 1/3 scoreless innings over two relief appearances for Boston. He was 4-0 with four saves and an 0.48 ERA in 15 appearances for Worcester. Hendriks took to social media May 22 to express his displeasure about death threats he says he received following a loss to the New York Mets. The 36-year-old right-hander previously battled non-Hodgkin lymphoma and, in a post on Instagram , said comments were directed at him and his family and that people said they wished he would have died from cancer. ___ AP MLB:


Newsweek
43 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Knicks-Pacers Game 5 Draws Largest Audience in Almost 10 Years
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The Indiana Pacers and the New York Knicks have a historic rivalry. It's one that got renewed this year by having these two teams face off in the Eastern Conference Finals. New York hasn't been to the NBA Finals since 1999, when they beat the Pacers to get there. Indiana hasn't been to the Finals since 2000, when they beat the Knicks to advance. After Game 5, the Pacers still lead the series 3-2. The Knicks were able to stave off elimination and elongate the series. Obi Toppin #1 of the Indiana Pacers dunks the ball against the New York Knicks during overtime in Game One of the Eastern Conference Finals. The Pacers currently lead the series 3-2 over the Knicks. Obi Toppin #1 of the Indiana Pacers dunks the ball against the New York Knicks during overtime in Game One of the Eastern Conference Finals. The Pacers currently lead the series 3-2 over the Knicks. Photo byNew York won that must-win Game 5 in front of a fired-up home crowd at Madison Square Garden. The fans in the arena weren't the only fans who were fired up to watch the game, though. NBA fans all over were excited to watch the Knicks take down the Pacers. In fact, the ratings were through the roof for an Eastern Conference game. It was the most-watched Eastern Conference Finals Game 5 since 2018, which is quite a feat. Thursday night's Pacers/Knicks game averaged 6.7 million viewers, the most watched ECF, Game 5 since 2018. Viewership peaked with 7.9 million viewers at 9:45 Per @TNTSportsUS — Adam Zagoria (@AdamZagoria) May 30, 2025 The fact that the Knicks are in the game certainly helps the national appeal. They are one of the biggest markets in the NBA, so casual fans are going to watch them play. Indiana is one of the most fun teams to watch in the league, as well. This is also a historic rivalry, so that's why so many people are tuning in. Read more: Bucks Hit With Troubling Brook Lopez Update Surprisingly, the series hasn't gotten as chippy as some NBA pundits thought it might get. Both teams have been able to keep their cool thus far. Tyrese Haliburton has had some incredible moments in this series for the Pacers. He is the engine that drives their offense, and he helped cap an insane comeback in Game 1. Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns have been instrumental in the success the Knicks have had. Both players continue to play well, no matter what Indiana throws at them. If Indiana makes the NBA Finals, it will be just the second time in franchise history that they will have accomplished that feat. The Knicks last won an NBA title in 1973, so if they make it, they will be looking to do something they haven't done in over 50 years. Meanwhile, the Pacers have never won an NBA championship. A lot is at stake for both franchises as the series winds down to a close. More NBA on Newsweek: Suns' Kevin Durant Receives Eye-Opening Future Prediction Mavericks Trade Proposal Lands 2-Time All-Star For Daniel Gafford