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[Saba Sports News] Pat McAfee knows how to work a mic—and a crowd.
The former Indianapolis Colts punter and current WWE personality delivered a full-blown hype promo during Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals between the Indiana Pacers and New York Knicks on Tuesday night.
With the Pacers on a 9-2 run early in the fourth quarter and up 111-96, the Knicks called a timeout. That’s when McAfee seized the moment to fire up the Gainbridge Fieldhouse crowd in true wrestling fashion.
“Indianapolis, Indiana. We’ve got some bigwigs from the big city in the building,” McAfee bellowed. “Spike Lee is here. Ben Stiller is here. Timothée Chalamet is here. Let’s send these sons of b—-es back to New York with their ears ringing. Let’s turn this s–t up!”
McAfee delivered the lines with the pacing and flair of a WWE main-event promo, complete with perfectly timed pauses that let the fans erupt between each line. The crowd kept the energy going as the Pacers closed out a 130-121 win to take a 3-1 series lead.
The NBA-WWE crossover energy was strong all night. WWE executive and legend Triple H was courtside, and Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton—who once squared off with Knicks guard Jalen Brunson in a WWE ring—is expected to appear as a playable character in the upcoming WWE 2K25 game.
With McAfee on the mic and playoff basketball on the floor, Game 4 felt like both a hardwood battle and a pay-per-view event rolled into one.