Karl-Anthony Towns delivered a dominant performance in his highly anticipated return to Target Center, leading the New York Knicks to a resounding victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves. The former Wolves star erupted for 32 points, 20 rebounds, and six assists in his first game back after being traded to New York this fall.
KAT is BACK in Minnesota!
He got a heartfelt reception from players and fans
Towns received a heartfelt tribute from the Minnesota crowd, a moment he described as “emotional.” Reflecting on his nine-year tenure with the Timberwolves, Towns said, “It’s always great to get love back from a place that I dedicated my life to. I’ve never been traded before, so this experience was surreal.”
Towns wasted no time making his presence felt, nailing a 3-pointer from the top of the key on his first shot. That bucket sparked a perfect 5-of-5 performance from beyond the arc as he continued his stellar season-long shooting from deep (46.1%). By halftime, Towns had already notched a 22-point double-double, including 19 points in a dominant second quarter that saw the Knicks outscore Minnesota 41-18, building a 22-point lead.
The Knicks extended their lead to as much as 36, allowing Towns to rest most of the fourth quarter. His final stat line of 10-of-12 shooting placed him in elite company, joining Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as one of only two players to record 30+ points and 20+ rebounds in their first game against a former team.
Towns also made history by becoming the first NBA player ever to post a 30/20 game with 5+ three-pointers on 80% shooting. Additionally, he joined Willis Reed as the only Knicks to achieve a 30/20 performance on such efficiency.
“I just let the game come to me,” Towns said. “I didn’t want to let my emotions overcome the game. I wasn’t playing for myself, I was playing for the win.”
The win solidified the Knicks’ position as a contender, with Towns proving his value on a team poised for success. For Towns, it was a night of closure and triumph in a place he once called home.
The Atlanta Hawks overcame a seven-point halftime deficit to defeat the New York Knicks 108-100 at Madison Square Garden, earning a spot in the NBA Cup semifinals against the Milwaukee Bucks. Trae Young led Atlanta’s charge with 22 points and 11 assists, marking his league-leading 18th double-double of the season.
Atlanta’s win was a complete team effort, with four players notching double-doubles: De’Andre Hunter scored a game-high 24 points, Jalen Johnson contributed 21 points and 15 rebounds, Onyeka Okongwu added 12 points and 11 rebounds, and Clint Capela chipped in 11 points and 13 boards.
The Hawks’ comeback was fueled by a dominant third quarter in which they outscored New York 34-18, including a decisive 29-10 run to close the period. Young exploded for 12 points and five assists in the quarter, directly contributing to 23 of Atlanta’s 34 points.
“We knew what the stakes were coming into this game,” Young said postgame. “We needed everybody to step up, and everybody did. That’s why we got this win.”
Atlanta’s defense stifled the Knicks in the second half, holding them to just 46 points — the second-fewest by New York in a half this season. While Karl-Anthony Towns extended his double-double streak to 14 games with 19 points and 19 rebounds, Atlanta’s depth proved decisive. The Hawks’ bench outscored New York’s 43-14, continuing their recent trend of dominance.
The Hawks now boast a 7-1 record in their last eight games as they head to the semifinals.
The New York Knicks made a stylish entrance at Madison Square Garden on Nov. 8, 2024, sporting the latest Kith Winter 2024 collection for the team’s Kith Night against the Milwaukee Bucks. This annual event, held in partnership with Kith, saw Knicks players like Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, Deuce McBride, and Jericho Sims showcase the high-fashion winter wear as they arrived at the game.
The Kith Winter 2024 lineup, known for its modern, sleek designs, brought a fresh look to the court. Other notable players, such as Mikal Bridges, Karl-Anthony Towns, OG Anunoby, and Jacob Toppin, were also in attendance, creating an impressive display of both basketball talent and high-end street style.
As part of Kith Night’s festivities, the Knicks’ fashion-forward collaboration with Kith highlighted the ongoing connection between sports and lifestyle fashion, bringing energy and a unique atmosphere to Madison Square Garden. Fans and fashion enthusiasts alike celebrated the blend of New York’s basketball heritage and urban fashion culture.
Basketball and hip-hop have been joined at the hip as long as both have been at the forefront of American (and eventually global) pop culture. This is largely a result of ’80s rap pioneer Kurtis Blow‘s 1984 breakout hit “Basketball.” You know it. You love it.
The song’s been remade a couple of times over the years — most notably by Bow Wow in 2002 — but Blow himself teamed up with DoorDash and contemporary hitmaker Lola Brooke for “Basketball 2.0,” a remake capitalizing on the WNBA’s breakout 2024 season. Adding new verses to the traditionally heard “I like the pick-and-roll / I like the give-and-go,” the two rappers name check a variety of contemporary players, from LeBron James and Kevin Durant to WNBA stars like A’ja Wilson, Jonquel Jones, Sue Bird, and of course, rookie sensation Angel Reese.
The video for the song, which includes a demonstration of DoorDash’s DashPass benefts, takes place at New York’s legendary Rucker Park, where the Knicks’ Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart take on all comers with some help from Bird, ending with a cheeky visual reference to NBA Jam — that’s right, “HE’S ON FIRE!” Fortunately, Kurtis has a fire extinguisher handy to put out the burning backboard.
You can check out Kurtis Blow and Lola Brooke’s “Basketball 2.0” video above.
With the Boston Celtics raising banner 18 in the TD Garden on Tuesday night as they host the Knicks, the 82-game marathon that is the NBA regular season will officially get underway. That means a return to the floor from the best men’s basketball players on earth, and their presence on the hardwood always brings out stars from the world of entertainment, music, and other sports to watch them do what they do best. There are some teams like the Lakers and Knicks that have dozens of celebrities seated courtside on most game nights, while smaller markets tend to have fewer stars with their feet on the floor, but there’s a star out there that represents for each of the 30 teams in the league.
Here we wanted to take a look at the biggest celebrity fan of every team, with a few ground rules in place. For one, we tried our best not to include a celebrity that’s part of the current ownership group. We also aren’t including former players as celebrities — for instance, Shaq does not count — and aren’t going with active athletes who have just adopted a team in the city they currently play for. Finally, for the teams with a lot of celebrity fans, we lean on the frequency you see them at games and how long they’ve been a regular at the arena break ties.
Atlanta Hawks: 2 Chainz
There are a ton hip-hop artists that you could argue in this spot, but the tiebreaker in this space goes to the celebrity you will most often see courtside repping their team. In Atlanta, that means Mr. Tity Two Necklace, who has been a staple courtside with his kids at State Farm Arena for years. He is involved as an owner with the G League affiliate, the College Park Skyhawks, but not with the big club, so he earns this spot.
Boston Celtics: Ben Affleck
Take your pick of Affleck, Matt Damon, or Mark Wahlberg. The tiebreaker here is tough because none of them are in Boston at games all that often, but Affleck is almost always courtside for a Lakers-Celtics game in L.A. so we’ll give him the nod here. Also his deep affection for Kendrick Perkins is something that only a true, diehard Celtics fan could have.
Brooklyn Nets: Jay-Z
Jay-Z is no longer the owner of the Nets so he qualifies here, and while he’s not a nightly presence at Barclays Center, he still pops up and is, without question, the most famous person associated with the franchise. I will say, the funniest answer I found in my research was that if you do a Getty Images search for “celebrities attend Brooklyn Nets” you will get pictures of Ben Simmons seated on the Nets bench in street clothes listed as a celebrity.
Charlotte Hornets: J Cole
I don’t think there’s any real competition here, but the North Carolina native proudly reps his Hornets. The best part of being a Hornets fan is not the joy they give you on the basketball court, but the joy wearing a retro Hornets Starter jacket provides and J Cole takes advantage of that.
Chicago Bulls: Barack Obama
The more common courtside fan is, well, Common, but he just cannot touch the level of fame of the former President of the United States. Obama loves his hoops and specifically his Bulls, and I’d love to get his honest thoughts on Jerry Reinsdorf one day.
Cleveland Cavaliers: Drew Carey
With respect to Machine Gun Kelly, it’s gotta be Drew Carey. I don’t think any famous person has ever ridden harder for the city of Cleveland than Drew, and the Price is Right host loves him some Cavs basketball.
Dallas Mavericks: Patrick Mahomes
It helps him that Kansas City doesn’t have an NBA team so he can stay true to his Mavs roots, but Mahomes is one of a few active athletes who has stayed a true diehard of a team from outside the city he plays in and regularly pops up at games. He’s a pretty frequent courtside patron of Mavs games, taking advantage of the fact that the NFL season ends right when the NBA’s stretch run gets going. He’s not the first quarterback to be a regular presence at Mavs games. Remember when Tony Romo suited up for the Mavs one time and got a full intro with the team and everything? That was wild, and now that Mark Cuban’s not running the show, I doubt Mahomes will ever get that kind of opportunity.
Denver Nuggets: Peyton Manning
Denver doesn’t have a ton of celebs, but the former Broncos QB has adopted Denver as his home and pops up courtside to watch Nikola Jokic and company fairly regularly.
Detroit Pistons: Eminem
Like Atlanta, there are a handful of Detroit artists that you’ll find at Pistons games, but while Eminem isn’t a frequent patron of Little Caesars Arena, he is by far the most famous of the celebs that support the Pistons.
Golden State Warriors: Guy Fieri and E-40
I’m making it a tie between Guy and 40 because this feels like a #TwoAmericas situation. At this point I think on the whole Fieri is more famous, but E-40 is an absolute legend and a constant presence at Warriors games so we’ll pick them both.
Houston Rockets: Travis Scott
Travis Scott rides with his hometown team and has been a regular at the Toyota Center even through some lean post-James Harden years. That’s not always the case with celebrity fans, but Cactus Jack is not a fair weather supporter.
Indiana Pacers: David Letterman
It’s either Letterman or Jesse Eisenberg in this spot, and I feel like the former Late Night host is more popular and loves to represent for Indianapolis. Also, he also once asked Kevin Durant why people call him KD in a press conference while he was on the Nets, which has little to do with the Pacers but I would feel remiss if I didn’t mention it here.
Los Angeles Clippers: Billy Crystal
Billy Crystal is in the Basketball Hall of Fame now for his Clippers fandom, which makes it pretty easy to choose him for this spot, but honestly that is an honor that should be bestowed upon anyone that had Clippers season tickets in the 90s and early 2000s.
Los Angeles Lakers: Jack Nicholson
There are few places on earth where you can find more famous people in one room than at a Lakers game on any given night. And yet, out of all of celebrities you’ll find courtside at a Lakers game, the only answer here is Jack, who also joined Crystal and Spike Lee going into the Hall of Fame this year as superfans.
Memphis Grizzlies: GloRilla
Justin Timberlake isn’t eligible given he’s part of the ownership group, and there are a lot of Memphis artists that could stake claim to this spot. For this season, we’ll go with the biggest rising star from the Memphis rap scene, GloRilla, provided her allegiance hasn’t flipped to Damian Lillard’s Bucks.
Miami Heat: DJ Khaled
The Heat have a number of famous folks roll through their games, but no one is a more regular fixture courtside at the Kaseya Center than DJ Khaled (and sometimes his shoe pillow).
Milwaukee Bucks: Sheryl Crow
There are not a lot of options for Milwaukee — which, hey, if you’re a celebrity looking to become the most famous fan of a team, that’s a pretty good bandwagon to jump on — but we’ll go with Sheryl Crow who was a regular during the Bucks title run in 2021. Gucci Mane was also on the bandwagon for the Bucks then, which was perhaps just something he did to spite Drake.
Minnesota Timberwolves: Jimmy Jam
The Rock & Roll Hall of Famer might not be a household name to a younger generation, but the legendary songwriter and former collaborator with Prince and Morris Day has been a regular at Bucks game since the franchise arrived in Minneapolis.
New Orleans Pelicans: Anthony Mackie
There are some New Orleans artists like Juvenile and Curren$y that certainly could stake a claim here, but Anthony Mackie has a bit of a broader audience by way of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The New Orleans native has been riding with the Pelicans for years, and the new lead of the Captain America franchise rocks very heavy with New Orleans sports.
New York Knicks: Spike Lee
Spike is the best known celebrity fan in the NBA, period, and there is no other answer in New York. Even with some other very famous diehards (shouts to Ben Stiller, who only tweets about charity work, his movies, and the Knicks), it’s Spike by a mile. No one else becomes a central figure, for better or worse, more often than Spike when courtside.
Orlando Magic: Tiger Woods
Tiger doesn’t frequent the Kia Center much anymore, but he used to be a staple at Orlando games and he is, without question, the most famous person to ever regularly support the Magic. Maybe with their resurgence behind Paolo Banchero, the Big Cat will return courtside more often.
Philadelphia 76ers: Kevin Hart
The Sixers are sneakily a really tough choice. We go with Hart because no one is more vocal (shocker) about their Sixers fandom than the comedian, but he’s got stiff competition from Meek Mill and M. Night Shyamalan, the latter of whom goes to more Sixers games than just about anyone. Also, because he is a minority owner of the team (and also rarely at games), Will Smith is not eligible here.
Phoenix Suns: Alice Cooper
We’ll give Cooper the nod over Phil Mickelson and David Spade here. He doesn’t go to games quite as much anymore, but the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer is a long-time Suns fan and has performed at some Suns games in the past.
Portland Trail Blazers: Ty Burrell
The options here are Ty Burrell (most famously Phil from Modern Family), Danger Ehren from Jackass, or comedian Ian Karmel. I think Modern Family has the largest reach, so we’ll go with Burrell, but shouts to Danger Ehren, who was putting up Wilt numbers in Jackass Forever.
The Spurs still get use out of a GIF from years ago of Selena Gomez proudly showing off her Spurs jersey courtside, so even though she hasn’t been to a game in awhile (that there’s photos of on Getty, at least), she still is the biggest celebrity to rep the Spurs.
Toronto Raptors: Drake
There’s not really any competition in Toronto, where it’s very clearly Drake. He is constantly seated courtside, hops on the broadcast just to chop it up with the announce team sometimes, serves as a team ambassador, and pretty regularly collaborates with the Raptors for merch with his OVO line.
Utah Jazz: Gabrielle Union?
I gotta be honest, it’s very hard to find a celebrity Jazz fan that is not part of the ownership group in some way, so I’m going to finally cheat here and say Gabrielle Union-Wade who was at Jazz Summer League games (!) with her husband, Dwyane Wade who has a minority stake in the team.
Washington Wizards: Wolf Blitzer
Wale also has a claim here, but Wolf Blitzer is always at Wizards games and for some reason it makes me very happy that Wolf is just a diehard Wizards fan.
The New York Knicks are going for it. After making a big trade on Monday, they inked a key player to a large contract on Wednesday. The Knicks and OG Anunoby agreed to a five-year, $212.5 million contract.
Anunoby was obtained in a trade from the Toronto Raptors last season, helping the Knicks in the playoffs before he had to bow out due to injury. Anunoby was a critical defender in the playoff run. According to ESPN, Anunoby averaged 14.7 points and 4.2 rebounds last season.
Anunoby will be paid an average of $42 million per year.
Free agent F OG Anunoby intends to sign a five-year, $212.5 million contract to return to the New York Knicks, sources tell ESPN. Deal will include a player option and a trade kicker. pic.twitter.com/q5VcjOeryW
The New York Knicks have fully assembled the Nova Knicks. In a Monday night trade, the Knicks traded across the city to pull in Mikal Bridges from the Brooklyn Nets. Bridges join his Villanova teammates Jalen Brunson, Donte DiVincenzo, and Josh Hart.
The trade is a reset for the Nets, bringing in four unprotected first-rounders (2025, 2027, 2029, and 2031), a protected 2025 first-round pick via the Milwaukee Bucks, the Knicks’ unprotected 2028 pick swap, and a 2025 Brooklyn second-round selection.
More trades are expected ahead of and during the 2024 NBA Draft.
BREAKING: The Brooklyn Nets have agreed in principle on a trade to send F Mikal Bridges to the New York Knicks for Bojan Bogdanovic, four unprotected first-round picks, a protected first-round pick via Bucks, an unprotected pick swap and a second-rounder, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/TEGsIpoa3b
The Knicks go deeper into the Villanova national championship roster — bringing Mikal Bridges to join his old teammates and close friends Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart and Donte DiVencenzo. pic.twitter.com/G544CT02zI
The New York Knicks have fully assembled the Nova Knicks. In a Monday night trade, the Knicks traded across the city to pull in Mikal Bridges from the Brooklyn Nets. Bridges join his Villanova teammates Jalen Brunson, Donte DiVincenzo, and Josh Hart.
The trade is a reset for the Nets, bringing in four unprotected first-rounders (2025, 2027, 2029, and 2031), a protected 2025 first-round pick via the Milwaukee Bucks, the Knicks’ unprotected 2028 pick swap, and a 2025 Brooklyn second-round selection.
More trades are expected ahead of and during the 2024 NBA Draft.
BREAKING: The Brooklyn Nets have agreed in principle on a trade to send F Mikal Bridges to the New York Knicks for Bojan Bogdanovic, four unprotected first-round picks, a protected first-round pick via Bucks, an unprotected pick swap and a second-rounder, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/TEGsIpoa3b
The Knicks go deeper into the Villanova national championship roster — bringing Mikal Bridges to join his old teammates and close friends Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart and Donte DiVencenzo. pic.twitter.com/G544CT02zI
On Sunday (May 19), the New York Knicks were eliminated in round two of the NBA Playoffs in a blowout game 7 by the Indiana Pacers. While their loss could be attributed to any number of factors, including a litany of injuries to core players like Julius Randall, OG Anunoby, Mitchell Robinson, and Bojan Bogdanovic, one New York native has an alternative theory involving one of his own great rivals.
Nuclear-grade troll 50 Cent posted a photo on his social media feeds of Ja Rule holding and kissing the Larry O’Brien trophy, adding the caption, “If you’re wondering why the Knicks couldn’t get the W, here you have it. SMH who let this fool touch the trophy?”
I’m sure whenever Ja Rule took the pic, he was just enjoying a rare opportunity as a basketball fan, but had no idea he was feeding his longtime foe the perfect opportunity to resurrect their rivalry while making a timely joke about the Knicks’ basketball misfortunes. But we all know 50, who can’t resist the chance to poke fun at other peoples’ miscues, would have something to say about the Knicks’ loss.
The Knicks’ Playoff run is definitely over for 2024, but fans have good reasons to be optimistic about the future. Taking the potential conference champs to seven games with a roster like a disaster triage tent is encouraging, and should the group manage to remain healthy all the way through next season, they’ve got a real shot at championship contention.
In a commanding performance, the Indiana Pacers surged to a 121-89 victory over the New York Knicks, leveling the playoff series at 2-2 in front of a vibrant Indiana crowd.
Led by Tyrese Haliburton’s 20 points, six Pacers players reached double figures, showcasing their depth and offensive prowess. T.J. McConnell also made a significant impact off the bench, joining an elite group of players with at least 15 points and ten assists in a playoff game.
The Pacers’ dominant display marked their third-largest playoff win in franchise history, with a staggering 32-point margin of victory. Their relentless start saw them establish a commanding 34-14 lead after the first quarter, setting the tone for the rest of the game.
Indiana’s stifling defense held the Knicks to just 33.7% shooting from the floor and 18.9% from beyond the arc. Despite Alec Burks’ 20 points leading New York’s scoring efforts, the Knicks struggled to close the gap against a determined Pacers side.
With the series now tied at 2-2, the action shifts back to Madison Square Garden for what promises to be a thrilling Game 5 showdown on Tuesday. As the iconic playoff rivalry resumes, both teams find themselves in familiar territory, setting the stage for an intense battle in New York City.
Ice Spice has a lot going on right now. Overall, she is in the midst of her rollout for her brand-new album Y2K. This is going to be her debut, and there is a lot riding on its success. Meanwhile, tomorrow, she will be dropping off “Gimmie A Light” which has the potential to be a huge single. These are all huge developments for Spice, who has become a massive artist in just a short amount of time. Now, fans want to see what she can do on a full-length LP.
With her new song dropping tomorrow, Ice Spice has been spending time in her native New York City. In fact, on Wednesday night, she found herself at Madison Square Garden where the New York Knicks were taking on the Indiana Pacers. Spice was sitting courtside, and she stunned with her signature orange hair and Betty Boop-inspired chain. Speaking of inspiration, it seems as though the artist had a positive impact on the home team. Despite a plethora of injuries, they were able to come away with the win all while taking a 2-0 series lead.
The winner of this series is likely going to take on the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals. The Knicks have not been to the ECF in a very long time, and fans are hyped about their potential. They have had success against Boston this season, and there is certainly some upset potential there. However, they have to win two more games against the Pacers before they can think about all of that.
Let us know if you are excited about the new Ice Spice track, in the comments section down below. Who do you have winning the series between the Pacers and the Knicks? Can the Pacers make a comeback? Are the Knicks going to go to the NBA Finals? Additionally, stay tuned to HNHH for the latest news and updates from around the music world. We will continue to keep you informed on all of your favorite artists and their upcoming projects.
NYK-MIN live on TNT pic.twitter.com/k9fw0jbw42
LOL 
