After the New York Knicks lost Game 5 127-102 against the Boston Celtics, all eyes turned towards Friday's Game 6 at Madison Square Garden. Jalen Brunson and Co. have an opportunity to win on their home floor to punch their ticket to the Eastern Conference Finals. If they pull off the win, it will be their first Conference Finals berth since 2000.
The Knicks have plenty of celebrity super fans, and ESPN's Stephen A. Smith is one of them. He brought fellow New York supporter Ben Stiller onto “NBA Countdown”, where the actor shared two players he wants to step up behind Brunson. He picked All-Star center Karl-Anthony Towns and power forward OG Anunoby as two Knicks who need great performances in Game 6.
"This is the time. Now is the moment and it's gonna happen tonight."
Knicks superfan @BenStiller is HYPED for Game 6 🔥🙌
Celtics-Knicks Game 6 | 🍿 NOW on ESPN pic.twitter.com/g2dpzawqtz
— ESPN (@espn) May 17, 2025
Boston's Jayson Tatum went down in Game 4 with a torn ACL that ended his season in tragic fashion. The Celtics responded with a great showing in Game 5 to stave off their elimination. The defending champions have to win two more games with their backs against the wall in order to advance.




Game 6 Friday night is one of the biggest Knicks games the franchise has had in decades. Fans packed out Madison Square Garden despite high ticket prices in the hopes of seeing history be made. Most New York fans weren't alive the last time their team won a NBA title.
The Knicks face pressure from their fanbase to make the most of this year's playoff run. They will be the highest remaining seed in their conference if they eliminate Boston. Hosting the Eastern Conference Finals would be a big advantage for a team hungry for a title.
When New York traded for Mikal Bridges, Anunoby, and Towns, they did so with the Celtics in mind. The team made all three moves just so they could matchup up well enough against Boston's starting five.
Tom Thibodeau's team has a chance to prove their supporters write and see their season's worth of work pay off. Taking down the defending champs is one thing. But doing it at the mecca of the NBA world is another thing entirely.