The big winner at the Oscars was "Anora," but Ben Stiller was more focused on something happening thousands of miles away on Sunday ... the New York Knicks' matchup against the Miami Heat.
Stiller was a presenter at the biggest night in Hollywood ... experiencing a stage "malfunction" while announcing the Best Set Design category -- an obvious ploy to get some laughs.
Despite having a big job in the festivities, it's clear the "Severance" director wasn't gonna let it get in the way of his diehard Knickerbockers fandom .