"Go root for Knicks" - Pacers fans clown John Mellecamp as he calls out 'Hoosiers hospitality' for trashing New York entourage in Game 4

Faithful New York Knicks fans travelled to Indiana to support their team during Tuesday's Game 4 showdown against the Pacers in the Eastern Conference finals. The emotions from this heated rivalry have caused the home fans to react negatively to seeing fans from the visiting team on their home turf.

As expected, fans from New York received a chorus of boos from the Indiana supporters. This behavior, while expected from sports fans, has drawn an apology from musician and Indiana native John Mellencamp.

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Mellencamp's apology was not well received, leading some to troll him on X.

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Meanwhile, several people pointed out that this is the type of atmosphere expected at a sports event, especially in the playoffs.

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The Knicks had a chance to tie the series at 2-2 against the Pacers in Game 4. While they did not have a home-court advantage, they did have some fans. This included hardcore Knicks fans such as actors Ben Stiller and Timothée Chalamet, as well as director Spike Lee.

Still, New York could not overcome Tyrese Haliburton's performance. The Pacers' star point guard put up 32 points, 12 rebounds, 15 assists and 4 steals. Additionally, he didn't turn the ball over even once. His blazing performance led Indiana to a 130-121 victory.

Also read: New York Knicks' troubles worsen as Karl-Anthony Towns at risk of missing elimination Game 5 vs the Indiana Pacers

Ben Stiller invites Pat McAfee to Game 5 after the latter's taunt during Game 4 between the Knicks-Pacers

To hype up the Pacers' home crowd in Game 4, former Indianapolis Colts punter and ESPN analyst Pat McAfee decided to taunt some notable New York fans. Specifically, he went after Ben Stiller, Timothée Chalamet and Spike Lee.

McAfee encouraged the hometown crowd at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse to cheer loudly and to send the NY fans with their ears ringing.

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In response to McAfee's taunts, Stiller decided to invite the former Colts punter to Madison Square Garden for Game 5 on Thursday.

"Come to game 5 Pat!! 😂," Stiller tweeted.

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A Game 5 victory will secure a trip to the Finals for Indiana, where they will face the OKC Thunder. Should that happen, it will be their first trip to the NBA Finals since 2000, where they lost to the LA Lakers, led by legends, Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant.

If the Knicks manage to come back and win the series, New York will make it to the Finals for the first time since 1999, where they lost to Tim Duncan and the San Antonio Spurs.

About the author

Miguel is a basketball writer at Sportskeeda with an overall experience of 7 years. A lover of the sport owing to its mental aspect, he has played it throughout high school and college as a power forward and small forward, and has also coached high school and college basketball teams. These experiences have given him a unique perspective on the game, which translates into insightful content.

For Miguel, the San Antonio Spurs, especially during the Tim Duncan era, were the embodiment of team basketball. He respects Gregg Popovich's empathy toward his players and his understanding of the game. The Spurs' titles, Kobe Bryant's poignant "Dear Basketball" tribute, Derrick Rose's remarkable 50-point game with Minnesota and Magic Johnson's remarkable comeback are among Miguel's top basketball moments.

For his articles, he conducts thorough research, cross verifies information with at least three sources, and sometimes sacrifices speed for accuracy. Content simplification and maintaining a neutral view on topics are his strengths.

Miguel follows other sports, particularly the NFL, and when not working he enjoys hobbies like cooking and playing video games.

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Edited by Alvin Amansec