Shake And Bake Nate Steals The Show

By Jason M. Williams

With Will Ferrell sitting courtside Monday night at Madison Square Garden, Nate Robinson made sure to put the pedal to the metal.

Robinson dropped a season-high 41 points on the Indiana Pacers en route to a last-minute 123-119 victory and stole the show in front of his all-time favorite actor. Throughout the season, Robinson has been borrowing Ferrell’s “Shake and Bake” catch phrase from the NASCAR racing movie Talladega Nights, and has recited it to get his teammates fired up and to celebrate crucial wins.

In the fourth quarter, with the Knicks struggling to hold the lead, Robinson was fouled in a big moment and drained the continuation three-point shot. After the whistled sounded and the bucket dropped, he paced over to an amped-up Ferrell and extended his arm for a “Shake and Bake” fist pound amongst the fury of the deafening crowd.

With less than a minute remaining in a tied game, Robinson stole the inbound pass and took it to the rim for the go-ahead and eventual game-winning score. After the game, Robinson presented Ferrell with the green jersey that he wore during his All Star Weekend Slam Dunk championship and gave the autographed piece of history to Ferrell as a token of appreciation for his movies.

When all was said and done, it was Robinson who punched it into fifth gear to ensure that Ferrell and the Knicks left the Garden happy.