"Gonna be a lot of missed shots tonight" - NBA fans erupt as box-office actress Sydney Sweeney shows up for Knicks vs Nets game

Box-office actress Sydney Sweeney attended Tuesday's nationally televised NBA Rivals Week clash between the New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center. Sweeney's presence sparked countless humorous NBA fan reactions regarding her potential impact on players' performances.

Tuesday's showdown marked New York and Brooklyn's third of the season. The Eastern Conference's third-seeded Knicks (28-16) entered the evening with a far superior record than the rebuilding Nets (14-29). Nevertheless, the teams are still considered rivals of sorts 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 television series 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 at the camera. The league captioned the post, "Sydney Sweeney in the house in Brooklyn!"

Many X users comically predicted 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 hitting tonight boys!!!!!" @Directorgawd said.

"Everyone balling out for Sydney," @loynerlucas wrote.

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

However, a few forecasted the opposite, joking that Sweeney's looks could distract the players and hinder their output.

"Gonna be a lot of missed shots tonight, then," @ItsBoTime88 wrote.

Meanwhile, some fans quipped that they felt worked up just by seeing Sweeney from their homes.

"I just tried running through my screen," @nashp01 said.

"Neighbor just called animal control because I'm barking at my phone," @ColdAsDakota wrote.

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Knicks hang on for 4-point road victory in front of Sydney Sweeney

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

Despite fans' predictions for high-scoring performances with Sydney Sweeney in attendance, nobody on either side exceeded 25 points in the low-scoring affair. Nevertheless, New York star center Karl-Anthony Towns delivered a well-rounded stat line with 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 squads' so-called rivalry continues to underwhelm amid Brooklyn's rebuilding phase.

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