A touch of Croatia at the world’s most famous arena as Klapa Astoria serenade the audience at Madison Square Garden in New York.
Klapa Astoria, the klapa singing group of the Croatian Catholic Community from New York, performed “The Star-Spangled Banner” ahead of the NBA spectacle between the New York Knicks and Indiana Pacers on Friday evening, reports Dalmatinski Portal on January 12, 2019.
Namely, the Knicks chose to celebrate the “Croatian Heritage Days” before the two teams met. Recall, both sides boast a Croat in their squad – Bojan Bogdanović plays for the Indiana Pacers and Mario Hezonja for the New York Knicks.
The group’s rendition of the national anthem of the United States was met with an ovation by the audience at Madison Square Garden, which included many Croatian fans in the stands.
But that’s not all.
During half time of the game, spectators at Madison Square Garden also enjoyed Linđo, the popular dance of the Dubrovnik region.
Who wouldn’t want to get acquainted with Croatia’s heritage at an NBA game?
The Indiana Pacers and New York Knicks met for their Eastern Conference game at “The World’s Most Famous Arena,” where Bojan Bogdanović’s Pacers celebrated against Mario Hezonja’s Knicks 121:106.
Bogdanović was better than fellow countryman Mario Hezonja, scoring 15 points in 26 minutes (shots in play 5/12, three-pointers 3/5) with two rebounds, one assist, and one steal. Hezonja, the 23-year-old Dubrovnik native, played 30 minutes and achieved 10 points (shots in play 4/12, three-pointers 1/4), adding six rebounds, two assists, five steals, and one block.
Domantas Sabonis was the best shooter for the Pacers, with 22 points and 15 rebounds, while Victor Oladipo added 19 points. Emmanuel Mudiay was the best for New York, scoring all of his points (21) in the second half.
To read more about sport in Croatia, follow TCN’s dedicated page.
