Excitement was in the air at San Antonio on Friday night, and it wasn’t just the Knicks feeling the thrill.
Their two most famous celebrity supporters were equally ecstatic, basking in a triumphant moment.
Celebrities Timothée Chalamet and Ben Stiller were on cloud nine after the Knicks’ nail-biting 105-104 victory over the Spurs in Game 2 of the NBA Finals, sharing a jubilant hug in the Frost Bank Center tunnel.
Chalamet, known for his role in “Dune,” first embraced someone backstage before eagerly heading toward Stiller, the star of “Meet the Parents,” for a heartfelt hug, as captured in a Yahoo Sports video.
Stiller’s wide grin reflected his joy over the Knicks’ dominant 2-0 series lead, even though New York had a close call in the fourth quarter when the Spurs launched a fierce comeback attempt.
In a video published by ESPN, Chalamet was heard saying “Two more to go!” with a big grin on his face.
But Spurs star Victor Wembanyama turned the ball over in the waning seconds with an errant pass and then fouled Jalen Brunson, who converted 1 of his 2 free throws to give the Knicks the lead. Wembanyama, with a chance to give the Spurs the win at the other end, missed a buzzer-beater to seal San Antonio’s fate.
Chalamet and Stiller have been a fixture at Knicks games — at both Madison Square Garden and on the road — throughout the years, but they’ve had a noticeable presence during this run to the NBA Finals.
To that end, on Thursday, Chalamet posted a picture to his Instagram story where he had plastic bags of ice covering both of his knees. In a follow-up story he wrote: “Ppl underestimate the wear and tear on the body of a fan throughout the playoffs,” Chalamet said in a corresponding Instagram story post. “Self care is important.”
The best self care for Chalamet and Stiller might be two more wins for their beloved basketball team.