McAfee fires up Pacers crowd against Knicks celebrities, drawing Mellencamp’s ire

Pat McAfee pumped up Pacers fans in the final minutes of Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals, but there’s one Indiana native who was not a fan of the pep talk.

With the Pacers leading the New York Knicks 111-96 with 9:52 left in the game, McAfee took the mic to take shots at celebrity Knicks fans in the building and the team in general.

“Indianapolis, Indiana, we’ve got some bigwigs from the big city in the building. Spike Lee is here. Ben Stiller is here. Timothée Chalamet is here,” McAfee said as Pacers fans booed those celebrities. 

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John Mellencamp and Pat McAfee (Getty Images; Imagn)

“Let’s send these sons of b—— back to New York with their ears ringing. Let’s turn this s— up!”

Thankfully for McAfee, his words didn’t come back to haunt him because the Pacers held on to take a commanding 3-1 series lead.

But John Mellencamp, who was at the game, said he was “embarrassed” when “somebody … called out” the Knicks fans.

“The Knicks/Pacers games have been very entertaining for anyone who likes basketball or sports. I attended Game 4 in Indianapolis,” Mellencamp, who’s from Seymour, Indiana, said on social media. 

Paul Michael Levesque, known professionally as Triple H, and Pat McAfee pose for a photo before Game 4 of the 2025 Eastern Conference finals between the Indiana Pacers and the New York Knicks at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.  (Trevor Ruszkowski/Imagn Images)

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“‘Hoosier Hospitality’ …I was embarrassed when somebody, under whose direction I don’t know, called out some of the people who had made the trip from New York to support their team — and in turn, support our team. The audience booed these people. I’d say that was not Hoosier Hospitality. 

“One could only say it’s poor, poor sportsmanship. I was not proud to be a Hoosier, and I’ve lived here my entire life. On behalf of most Hoosiers, I would like to apologize for our poor behavior. I’m sure the Pacers had nothing to do with this smackdown.”

Stiller challenged McAfee to attend Game 5 at Madison Square Garden Thursday.

Tyrese Haliburton dropped 32 points for a triple-double in Game 4, and he did not commit a turnover.

The Knicks need to win each of the next three games if they want to make it to the NBA Finals. The winner of the series will take on the Oklahoma City Thunder, who will be playing for a championship for the first time since 2012.

Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton, right, reacts with center Myles Turner (33) after shooting a 3-point basket during the second quarter against the New York Knicks in Game 4 of the 2025 Eastern Conference finals at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.  (Trevor Ruszkowski/Imagn Images)

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The Knicks and Packers have failed to reach the NBA Finals during the 21st century.

Indiana defeated the Knicks in a playoff series last year.

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