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Knicks halftime show tonight: 'Inside the NBA' crew can't help but dance as Mary J. Blige shows out during Game 1

David Suggs

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Knicks halftime show tonight: 'Inside the NBA' crew can't help but dance as Mary J. Blige shows out during Game 1 image

TNT's broadcast of Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals between the Knicks and Pacers was a real family affair.

The match was highly-competitive in its opening moments, with New York and Indiana jousting back and forth amid a pour of buckets. The stars came to play beneath the glint Madison Square Garden lights: Jalen Brunson, Tyrese Haliburton, and Karl-Anthony Towns all showed out during a lively first 24 minutes.

They weren't the only luminaries who made their presence felt during the duel. Celebrities lined the colosseum's concourses, from Timothee Chalamet and Ben Stiller to Stephon Marbury, Carmelo Anthony, and A'mare Stoudemire.

Then, there was the halftime performer, a humble figure in the world of music: Mary J. Blige.

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The Garden was most certainly Eden on Wednesday night. TNT's "Inside the NBA" crew felt the groove, too, dancing around the set during a broadcast like few others.

Here's what you need to know.

Mary J. Blige halftime show

Blige marked New York's return to the Eastern Conference Finals with a flourish, lending her effortless vocals to her hometown team.

The "Inside the NBA" crew couldn't help but embrace Blige and her dulcet tones. Shaquille O'Neal was the first to crumble, cutting a rug as Blige's vocals spilled through the arena during a video segment.

He was soon joined by longtime colleague Kenny Smith, who employed similar, albeit distinct, gestures to pay homage to the Queen of Hip-Hop Soul. 

Charles Barkley wasn't quite as joyous. The 62-year-old delivered a stern look as O'Neal and Smith danced the night away.

Nevertheless, Blige's performance certainly proved a memorable one, both for those packed inside MSG and the millions who watched on from their living rooms.

Is Mary J. Blige a Knicks fan?

Blige certainly seems like a Knicks fan. She's been to more than a few New York contests in the past, recently taking to celebrity row to watch on as the Knicks battled the Celtics.

If she's not a New York supporter, she certainly has us convinced. We think it's safe to assume the Bronx native embraces the Knickerbockers.

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Where is Mary J. Blige from?

Blige has circumnavigated the globe. Her heart belongs in the Big Apple, however; the 54-year-old was born in the Bronx.

Blige spent her earliest years in Georgia, but she and her family returned to New York, setting up shop in the Schlobohm Housing Projects in Yonkers. 

David Suggs

David Suggs is a content producer at The Sporting News. A long-suffering Everton, Wizards and Commanders fan, he has learned to get used to losing over the years. In his free time, he enjoys skateboarding (poorly), listening to the likes of Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye and D’Angelo, and penning short journal entries.