Tyrese Haliburton and Co. knew heading into tonight’s East Finals opener that a win would not come easy. Not only were they facing an elite Knicks team, they were also facing thousands of their passionate fans in attendance. Of course, the Pacers sent them packing in last year’s playoffs, so the MSG crowd was prepared to make the atmosphere as hostile for the visitors as possible to gain an edge. And who could have predicted that actor Jon Hamm would get in on the action?

It happened in the closing minutes of the second quarter. With the Pacers trailing by four points, Haliburton locked down OG Anunoby on defense and intercepted his pass to the corner. But before he could save the ball from going out of bounds, a fan sitting courtside grabbed it, forcing the official to blow the whistle and give possession back to the Knicks. Turns out, the person sitting there was Primetime Emmy Award winner Jon Hamm. Sure enough, Tyrese was furious and rushed to the official to complain about potential fan interference.

Unfortunately, it was too late, and the decision was final. Even on-air announcer Reggie Miller pointed out Hamm’s role in the controversial play on Live TV, “You’re talking about Jon Hamm being a Knicks fan, Haliburton has a chance to get this ball, Jon Hamm’s like ‘Wait a minute, nah nah. Souvenier.’”

Meanwhile, his colleague added, “That’s a nice play from Jon Hamm. Nice play by Jon Hamm. If you’re gonna be a Knicks fan, help them.” As the camera panned to the actor, he could be seen sipping his drink and having a great time. As expected, the play quickly went viral, and several Knicks fans thanked Hamm for winning a possession for their team.

Comments like “Thibs so locked in he’s got Jon Hamm playing defense” began flooding in. However, it was not Hamm whom the Pacers should be mad at.

Turns out, his role was mistaken by the announcers as well as the fans because the person sitting next to Jon was the one who actually grabbed the ball. Yes, the live broadcast camera shows the man wearing black, catching the rock while Hamm quickly moves his hands away from it. Although Jon did not participate in that play like many thought, looked like he definitely enjoyed the Knicks winning possession because of the potential fan interference. And it’s an issue that has bothered NBA players in the past.

Revisiting Nikola Jokic’s wild courtside altercation with Mat Ishbia amid Tyrese Haliburton-Jon Hamm incident

Had the fan not caught the ball, Haliburton could have saved it and maybe even gotten a couple of points off the Knicks’ turnover, which is crucial in such high-stakes games. So, his frustration is understandable. During the 2023 West Semis, Nikola Jokic experienced a similar situation.

The Serbian big man got into an altercation with Mat Ishbia after the Suns owner grabbed the ball and refused to let go, causing a potential delay of the game. ‘The Joker’ even received a tech for his actions.

Sure enough, he was furious and highlighted the impact of fan interference. “He (referee) told me I was elbowing the fan, but the fan put the hand on me first. I thought the league’s supposed to protect us or whatever. But maybe I’m wrong… I know who he is, but he is a fan. Isn’t he? Sitting on the court, he is a fan. Isn’t he? Whoever it is, he’s a fan and he cannot influence the game by holding the ball.” Jokic claimed. “I think he’s supposed to get kicked out if he’s influencing the game.”

Obviously, tonight’s incident did not escalate to that level, but things could have gotten ugly had Haliburton reacted more aggressively. So, the NBA needs to be extremely cautious about such situations. Do you agree?