“There will be a lot of missed shots tonight”

Picture actress Sydney Sweeney attended Tuesday’s nationally televised NBA Rivals Week clash between New York Knicks and the Brooklyn Nets at the Barclays Center. Sweeney’s presence sparked countless humorous NBA fan reactions regarding her potential influence on player performance.

Tuesday’s matchup marked New York and Brooklyn’s third of the season. The Eastern Conference’s third-seeded Knicks (28-16) entered the night with a far superior record to the rebuilding Nets (14-29). Nevertheless, the teams are still considered rivals due to the ongoing “Battle of New York” narrative.

The interborough matchup, which featured Knicks wing Mikal Bridges’ first return to Brooklyn since his offseason trade, garnered high-profile celebrity attention. Sweeney, known for her roles in hit TV shows like “Euphoria,” “The Handmaid’s Tale” and “The White Lotus,” was among the biggest names in attendance.

Midway through the contest, the NBA’s X/Twitter account shared a clip of her sitting courtside in a black jacket, smiling and waving to the camera. The league captioned the post: “Sydney Sweeney in the house in Brooklyn!”

Many X users comically predicted that players would take their production to another level to impress the acting superstar.

“If I’m (Jalen) Brunson, I’m going for 90 (points),” @Flexd_ said.

“Cameron Johnson 50-point double-double,” @OwnedByCeedee wrote.

“Parlays are hitting tonight boys!!!!!” @Directorgawd said.

“Everybody balls out for Sydney,” @loynerlucas wrote.

“The box score is about to be insane,” @SouthernCharmSp said.

However, a few predicted the opposite, joking that Sweeney’s appearance could distract the players and hinder their output.

“So gonna be a lot of missed shots tonight,” @ItsBoTime88 wrote.

Meanwhile, some fans joked that they felt upset just watching Sweeney from their homes.

“I just tried to drive through my screen,” @nashp01 said.

“The neighbor just called animal control because I’m barking at my phone,” @ColdAsDakota wrote.

Knicks hang on for 4-point road win over Sydney Sweeney

While New York entered Tuesday heavily favored to dispatch Brooklyn, the contest came to an end. However, after the Nets extended the game via intentional fouls, the Knicks held on for a 99-95 road victory and improved to 3-0 in their season series.

Despite fans’ predictions of high-scoring performances with Sydney Sweeney in attendance, neither side topped 25 points in the low-scoring affair. Nevertheless, New York’s star center Karl-Anthony Towns delivered a well-rounded stat line of 25 points, 16 rebounds, six assists, three steals and two blocks, shooting 57.9%.

With their victory, the Knicks extended their winning streak against the Nets, which dates back to early 2023, to nine games. So the team’s so-called rivalry continues to underwhelm amid Brooklyn’s rebuilding phase.

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