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Ben Stiller Skips Knicks’ Game 1 for Met Gala, Predicts ‘Knicks in 6’ as Fan Backlash Builds

The flap underscores the tight scrutiny on celebrity loyalty during overlapping Met Gala and NBA dates.

Overview

  • The Knicks opened their second‑round series Monday with a 137–98 rout of the 76ers at Madison Square Garden to take a 1–0 lead, as Timothée Chalamet watched courtside and Kylie Jenner attended the Met Gala uptown.
  • Ben Stiller chose the Met Gala over the game but signaled his support by wearing Knicks colors with wife Christine Taylor and telling red‑carpet interviewers, including Vogue, that it was a “great second choice” before predicting “Knicks in six.”
  • Critics on social media, including a Dan Patrick Show poll and Barstool’s Dave Portnoy, questioned his choice, and Stiller replied on X with “Bring it. I know who i am,” after earlier noting his Knicks fandom dates to 1973 and is not measured by posts.
  • Chalamet, who also skipped last year’s Gala for the playoffs, became a foil for Stiller in fan chatter, with some posts calling him the team’s new celebrity standard‑bearer after New York’s blowout win.
  • This recurring clash happens because the Met Gala lands the first Monday in May during NBA playoffs, and with Game 2 set for Wednesday back at the Garden, attention now turns to which stars show up as the Knicks try to extend their lead.