Denzel Washington, Spike Lee skip Oscars for Lakers-Knicks game

LOS ANGELES — A 12 months in the past on the Oscars, Denzel Washington was once seated close to the level and even offered counsel to Will Smith after The Slap. This 12 months, he was once seated close to the courtroom and observing The Lakers.

Oscar Night in Los Angeles was once simultaneous with the Knicks-Lakers game, with New York on the town for its annual consult with to the Lakers’ house ground.

Washington skipped the Oscars and took within the game sitting subsequent to Spike Lee, an established Knicks fan.

Last 12 months, Washington was once nominated in the most efficient actor class and in the end misplaced to Will Smith. 

Neither Washington or Lee have been nominated for any awards this 12 months. But there have been a few Oscar no-shows for others with movies nominated. 

“Top Gun” famous person Tom Cruise and “Avatar: The Way of Water” director James Cameron weren’t in attendance Sunday night time.

“The two guys who insisted we go to the theater, did not show up at the theater,” host Jimmy Kimmel quipped right through the monologue.

Cruise’s absence was reportedly because of him filming out of the country for “Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part II” within the United Kingdom.

Producer Jon Landau told Variety that Cameron could not attend Sunday’s rite because of “personal reasons,” despite the fact that the “Titanic” director did attend a dinner with the opposite Oscar nominees Saturday night time.

As for those that did attend the display, host Jimmy Kimmel wanted just a little over seven mins (about 10 1/2 mins into the telecast) earlier than he made his first veiled connection with Smith’s notorious slapping of Chris Rock remaining 12 months.

“We have nominees from every corner of Dublin,” Kimmel stated. “Five Irish actors are nominated tonight, which means the odds of another fight on stage just went way up.”