Mariska Hargitay Hugged Jalen Brunson on the Court After the New York Knicks Game
The Law & Order: SVU star was there to congratulate the basketball star on the court!
On May 29, Mariska Hargitay had a court-side seat for one of the most pivotal wins in New York basketball history.
The New York Knicks staved off elimination in Game 5 of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals, beating the Indiana Pacers 111-94 behind Knicks superstar Jalen Brunson's epic performance. Shortly after the final buzzer sounded, Brunson was greeted by a familiar face: Hargitay herself. The Law & Order: Special Victims Unit icon congratulated Brunson on a job well done, resulting in one of the sweetest moments captured on the Madison Square Garden hardwood:
Brunson paved the way for a Knicks victory with 32 points — and nobody was more proud of the 28-year-old point guard than Hargitay, who offered up an enthusiastic "Congratulations!" along with a big hug. See the moment here.
Hargitay — who regularly cheers on Brunson and the Knicks during their home games — attended alongside longtime SVU star Kelli Giddish. As it turns out, their presence helped fuel the team to a decisive win — and led to one epic courtside photo.
Next up for Brunson and his teammates: Game 6 in Indianapolis on Saturday night, May 31. (Fans know who Hargitay will be rooting for.)
Hargitay and Brunson go way back. In fact, in a 2024 discussion with Interview, Hargitay credits their friendship for scoring her major points with her son, August.
"August and I were at a Knicks game, and after the game, Jalen Brunson beelined over to talk to me," she explained. "The next time we went, we were going into the game and Jalen wanted to meet with me, and he gave me a jersey and signed it, and then he recently, I think in People, said that I was his favorite."
Hargitay confessed that's when she realized her son finally thought she was cool!
Mariska Hargitay and Kelli Giddish's close friendship
For Hargitay and Giddish, their years-long working relationship naturally transformed into a real-life friendship off-screen.
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Giddish put it all into perspective during a 2022 People interview.
"That relationship really developed organically over time into such a strong female relationship," she explained. "And it wasn't like I came on the show 12 years ago and we were like, 'Hey, I'm going to be your best buddy.' It wasn't that. Every step of the way was earned."
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In 2024, Hargitay sang her friend's praises to Variety and called Giddish her "heart."
"Kelli is my favorite actor to work with," Hargitay said. "Kelli is my heart...That relationship was one of the most powerful relationships in television because you saw these two badass women, so flawed and so there for each other."
