Thursday’s Game 5 matchup between the Indiana Pacers and the New York Knicks is set to be one of the most important games in the history of the Knicks organization as they try to fend off elimination. And while all the typical stars in attendance at Madison Square Garden like Ben Stiller and Timothée Chalamet will be in attendance, Pat McAfee will be supporting his Pacers from home.
McAfee of course made headlines during Game 4 of the series when he was asked by the Pacers organization to get the crowd going during a timeout in the fourth quarter with a live microphone. In doing so, he called out Chalamet, Stiller, and Spike Lee, who were all in attendance at the game as well, hyping up the crowd by telling the Pacers to “send these sons of b*tches back to New York”.
The Pacers did just that. But not without sparking a bit of a rivalry between Stiller and McAfee in the process. Since the game, Stiller has been quite vocal about McAfee’s “WWE-esque” mic work, telling him that his moment was “not the way it happens in New York” before asking McAfee to attend Game 5 in Madison Square Garden.
McAfee responded publicly to Stiller’s request that he attend Game 5 on Thursday’s edition of The Pat McAfee Show, explaining that he wouldn’t be attending for a litany of reasons.
“There will be a lot of people packed in that arena,” said McAfee. “I will not be one of them. Ben Stiller extended an invite as well, publicly, I saw him say that. I think there was some other people. I’m not paying $70,000 for a ticket. I’m sorry, I just can’t do it. Obviously, I will be watching the game. I will be fired up about the game. But I will not be in Madison Square Garden, I’m just not doing that. Yeah, there is a scheduling conflict. But also… Those seats have been taken for a long time. I believe there is a chance there is a say on who sits where from (James Dolan). And that’s awesome by the way.”
Ultimately, McAfee seems to have no ill will for Stiller, giving him a shoutout and pitching for him to come to future games between the Knicks and the Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
“But with that being said, shoutout to Ben Stiller,” added McAfee. “Appreciate you, will be watching. Hope you come back to Indianapolis in future years when the Pacers are playing the Knicks. Hope it’s not this year because that will mean that you won tonight, don’t want that.”
Stiller responded on the clip of McAfee on social media, telling him that he would be happy to sit courtside with him at another game in the future.
“Next time,” wrote Stiller. Always welcome Pat. We can do a courtside together!! Hoping we bring it back to Indy. Respect.”
Maybe McAfee truly does have a scheduling conflict. Or, maybe he simply doesn’t want to face the heat that Knicks fans surely would have given him if he had attended the game.
Either way, McAfee is hoping that the Pacers can put this series with the Knicks behind them, which would in turn put this short-lived animosity between he and Stiller behind him as well.