After a fourth-quarter takeover, Jalen Brunson showed love to his favorite actress.
The Knicks’ star, who hit double-figures in points again in the final quarter of the Knicks’ 109-93 Game 2 win over the Cavaliers, celebrated by running over to Mariska Hargitay, the star of “Law & Order: SVU.”
The actress, who plays Captain Olivia Benson, gave Brunson a big hug for his latest heroics, as seen in a video posted by award-winning director and actor Ben Stiller.
The two became friends in 2024, and viral clips began surfacing of Brunson and Hargitay embracing after games.
The Knicks’ star even attended the premiere of Hargitay’s HBO documentary “My Mom Jayne,” while Hargitay sent an All-Star Game congratulatory message.
“Jalen, from one captain to another, congratulations on becoming a 2025 NBA All-Star,” Hargitay said. “I cannot wait to see you work your magic in San Francisco.”
“Yeah, that’s my favorite person ever,” Brunson responded. “That’s my favorite person ever.”
Law & Order: SVU star Mariska Hargitay and Jalen Brunson are good friends. NBABrunson’s love of Hargitay is no secret of everyone else on Celebrity Row.
“The love that Mariska Hargitay gets from you postgame is the envy of every other Knicks fan, Knicks celebrity fan. She gets a hug after a loss,” Stiller told Brunson on his “Roommates” podcast last year.
Brunson was also seen with multiple other “Law & Order” stars on different occasions, including Christopher Meloni, who sat next to Hargitay in a clip that went viral last year as Brunson hugged her.
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Also in the photo was Hargitay’s son, August, whom she had with her longtime husband, Peter Hermann, with the two tying the knot in 2004.
The stars love Brunson, as he’s been seen hugging the likes of Francisco Lindor, Jimmy Fallon and many more before and after games.
There will be many more flocking to him, too, as the Knicks are up 2-0 in the Eastern Conference finals in this dominating run.
Jalen Brunson embraces with the Law & Order: SVU star.
After going down 2-1 to the Hawks in the first round, the Knicks have won nine straight playoff games.
The Knicks have opened Game 3 as 2.5-point underdogs with the series shifting to Cleveland, as oddsmakers suspect a big boost from the Cavaliers’ home crowd.
