Tyrese Haliburton and Co. knew heading into tonight’s East Finals opener that a win would not come easy. Apart from facing an elite New York team, they were also facing the thousands of passionate Knicks fans in attendance. Of course, the Pacers sent them packing in last year’s playoffs, so the MSG crowd were prepared to make the atmosphere as hostile for the visitors as possible to gain an edge. And could have predicted that even actor Jon Hamm would get in on the action?
It happened in the closing minutes of the second quarter. With the Pacers trailing by four points, Haliburton locked down OG Anunoby on defense and intercepted his pass. But while he was reaching to save the ball from going out of bounds, a fan sitting courtside grabbed the ball before him, forcing the official to blow the whistle and give possession back to the Knicks. Turns out, the person sitting there was actor Jon Hamm. Sure enough, Haliburton was furious and rushed to the official to complain about fan interference. But it was too late.
Even on-air announcer Reggie Miller’s pointed out Hamm’s role in the play on Live TV, “You’re talking about Jon Hamm being a Knicks fan, Haliburton has a chance to get this ball, Jon Hamm’s like ‘Wait a minute, nah nah. Souvenier.’” His colleague added, “That’s a nice play from Jon Hamm. Nice play by Jon Hamm. If you’re gonna be a Knicks fan, help them.”
Even Knicks fans thanked the actor for winning a possession for their team, as one wrote on X, “Thibs so locked in he’s got Jon Hamm playing defense.” However, it was not Hamm who actually grabbed the ball. Turns out, it was the person sitting beside him who did it, taking the ball away from Tyrese.
(Developing Story)
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