Hollywood superstars Timothee Chalamet and Ben Stiller led the celebrations deep in the corridors of the Frost Bank Center on Friday night as the New York Knicks moved within inches of basketball immortality.
The Knicks are heading towards their first NBA title since 1973 after defeating the San Antonio Spurs 105-104 in a thrilling Game 2 on Friday to lead the series 2-0.
And the A-list fans could not hide their elation after watching New York secure a gritty victory on the road, with footage showing the duo celebrating backstage on Friday.
‘Marty Supreme’ star Chalamet was seen hugging staff and high-fiving fans as he made his way out of the arena before running into Stiller and sharing an embrace.
Shortly after Game 2 finished, Chalamet rushed to social media to rejoice in the win – sharing footage inside a limousine with New York rapper Fat Joe as they celebrated.
There was no sign of Chalamet’s girlfriend, Kylie Jenner – who was recently seen partying in Turks and Caicos – but she did share a post celebrating the victory on her Instagram story, proving that that she was keeping up with the action from abroad.
Timothee Chalamet and Ben Stiller led the celebrations in the corridors of the Frost Bank Center on Friday night after the Knicks won Game 2 of the NBA Finals against the Spurs
The Knicks will take a 2-0 series lead with them back to New York ahead of next week’s games
There was no sign of Kylie Jenner on the night, who recently traveled to Turks and Caicos
Chalamet and Stiller, regular fixtures courtside at Madison Square Garden, traveled down to Texas to back their beloved franchise through the opening leg of the series.
Meanwhile, back in New York, fellow filmmaker Spike Lee was seen leading the celebrations as he drove through huge crowds of jubilant Knicks fans.
On the night, Karl-Anthony Towns led the way with 21 points and 13 rebounds, as New York showed the quality that has carried them throughout the playoffs.
Mikal Bridges was superb in support, finishing with 20 points on 8-of-13 shooting, adding six assists and six rebounds in another impressive all-round display.
Knicks star Jalen Brunson was not at his sharpest, shooting 7-of-25 from the field, but still found ways to contribute with 20 points, six assists and five steals.
Victor Wembanyama gave San Antonio everything he had – with 29 points and nine rebounds – but the Spurs were unable to secure the win they so desperately needed.
De’Aaron Fox added 20 points and five assists for the Spurs, who led by as many as 12 in the first quarter before New York outscored them in the final three periods.
Devin Vassell contributed 14 points and nine rebounds off the bench for the Spurs, but it was not enough as New York’s collective resolve proved the difference.
It follows a dramatic Game 1 in which the Knicks trailed early after Brunson hurt his knee in the first quarter, only to storm back and win 105-95.
The Knicks previously swept Cleveland 4-0 in the Eastern Conference Finals and have now won 13-straight playoff games.
Kylie Jenner did share a post celebrating the victory on her Instagram story on Friday night
Spike Lee was seen celebrating with fans in New York after the Knicks beat the Spurs
Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns helped lead the Knicks to a win in Game 2 on Friday
Victor Wembanyama gave San Antonio everything he had but they still came up short
New York entered this postseason as a third seed, dismissed by many as contenders.
However, they have beaten Atlanta, Philadelphia and Cleveland without breaking sweat, and now lead the Spurs 2-0 as they head back to New York for Game 3.
The franchise last won the championship in 1973 – the year of Frazier, Reed and DeBusschere. A city that has endured 53 years of near-misses now dares to dream in a way it has not done in a generation.
The series now moves to Madison Square Garden, where President Donald Trump will attend Game 3 on Monday.
Trump was personally invited by Knicks owner James Dolan. NBA commissioner Adam Silver welcomed the visit, calling Trump a lifelong Knicks fan who attended multiple NBA drafts at the Garden in earlier years.
Fans are advised to arrive two hours early due to the Secret Service security operation. NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani will also attend, though in a separate section from the president.
Tickets for Game 3 are among the hottest in recent sporting memory, with minimum get-in prices reported at over $8,000.
