Ben Stiller did not need to be at Madison Square Garden to make his New York Knicks allegiance clear.
The actor and longtime New York Knicks fan used the 2026 Met Gala red carpet to offer a simple prediction for the team’s Eastern Conference semifinal series against the Philadelphia 76ers: Knicks in 6. NBA on ESPN shared video of Stiller making the call from the event, while noting he was “supporting his Knicks from the Met Gala red carpet.”
It was a light moment, but the timing made it more than just a celebrity clip. The Knicks opened their second-round series against the 76ers on Monday, May 4, at Madison Square Garden, with New York carrying momentum, home court and growing expectations after a dominant first-round finish.
Ben Stiller supporting his Knicks from the Met Gala red carpet 🔥
Ben Stiller Predicted the Knicks to Beat the Sixers in 6 Games at the 2026 Met Gala
Stiller’s Knicks fandom has been visible for years, especially during the team’s playoff runs. He has been a regular celebrity presence around Knicks games, and his Met Gala look made the connection obvious even before he made the prediction.
Stiller wore a navy suit with an orange tie, while his wife, actress Christine Taylor, wore a blue gown. People described the couple as putting their love for the Knicks “front and center” with their Met Gala fashion choices, and InStyle also noted that the couple coordinated around Knicks colors for their first Met Gala appearance in a decade.
Taylor’s presence matters for the story because this was not just Stiller sneaking in a Knicks reference. The couple appeared to make the team part of the night’s fashion statement. InStyle described Taylor as Stiller’s wife and noted that the couple has been married since 2000 and shares two children.
That made the “Knicks in 6” prediction feel like an extension of the outfit rather than a throwaway answer. Stiller was at one of New York’s biggest cultural events on the same night the Knicks were starting one of their biggest playoff series in years.
For Knicks fans, though, Stiller’s prediction fits the mood around the team entering the series.
Knicks-Sixers: The Knicks Are Favorites
The Knicks enter the matchup as the betting favorite, and that is part of what gives Stiller’s prediction some real context.
CBS Sports listed New York as a 7.5-point favorite for Game 1 after the line opened at Knicks -4.5. Sports Illustrated also listed the Knicks as -270 series favorites, compared with Philadelphia at +220, giving New York an implied win probability of just under 73%.
That lines up with the broader shift around the Eastern Conference. In a previous Heavy story, the Knicks were highlighted as the new favorites to get out of the East, with ESPN BET listing New York at +140 to win the conference before the series.
Knicks-Sixers is on NBC/Peacock
Game 1 of Knicks-Sixers is scheduled for Monday, May 4, at 8 p.m. ET at Madison Square Garden.
NBC’s viewing guide says the game will air live on NBC and stream simultaneously on Peacock. NBC Sports Philadelphia listed the early series schedule as Game 1 on NBC/Peacock, Game 2 on ESPN, Game 3 on Amazon Prime Video and Game 4 on ABC. Games 5, 6 and 7 would be played if necessary.
For Stiller’s prediction to hit, the Knicks would need to win the series on May 14 in Philadelphia.
That would be a bold finish for a team trying to turn a promising bracket into something bigger. It would also make Stiller’s orange tie look a lot more like a playoff omen than a red-carpet accessory.
Ben Stiller Offers Knicks-Sixers Blunt Message From Met Gala 2026