Stars and celebrities flocked to Greenwich’s The O2 Arena for an eighth consecutive sellout NBA game in London.

One half of Little Mix in Jesy Nelson and Leigh-Ann Pinnock, comedian Jack Whitehall and athletes from several Premier League clubs – including from Chelsea, Arsenal, Tottenham and Manchester City – were among those in attendance.

The Boston Celtics, who currently posess one of the NBA’s best records, defeated the Philadelphia 76ers after rallying from a 22-point decefit to win 114-103.

Former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson sat near to the court, while Chelsea players including Eden Hazard, Alvaro Morata and Thibaut Courtois were courtside.

Tottenham and Arsenal fans would have spotted some of their favourite footballers, as Christian Eriksen, Moussa Sissoko and Toby Alderweireld were there, as well as Hector Bellerin, Nacho Monreal and Alexandre Lacazette.

But not ones to be left out, Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish was alongside Wilfried Zaha, Patrick van Aanholt, Jeffrey Schlupp and Timothy Fosu-Mensah for the south London contingent.

Aside from football there were some musicians, comedians and models too – Will Poulter, Michael Dappah (aka Big Shaq), actor Nicholas Hoult, actress Naomie Harris and model Xenia Tchoumi were the famous faces in the seats.

In previous years, Luther star Idris Elba and boxer Anthony Joshua have visited Greenwich for the annual NBA event.

While the Celtics clinch victory number 34 as they rank first in the Eastern Conference, the Sixers now have more losses than wins as their record stands at 19 wins and 20 defeats.

At half-time, iconic figures Dikembe Mutombo and Andre Miller were presented to the crowds inside a packed arena, while stand-up act Jack Whitehall was pranked when he took shots on the court during one of the breaks.

This is the eighth time a regular season game has been played in London since 2011, with the Denver Nuggets wiping the floor with the Indiana Pacers 140 – 112 last time out in January 2017.

But for some it was a great experience being in London.

Speaking days before the game, Boston Celtics point guard Terry Rozier spoke about his time in the capital.

He said: “I’m loving it! It’s got some similarities with some cities in the US. It’s great – I can’t wait to go out and get some shopping done today and see what it really like around the city.”

Asked about other sports he likes, he added: “I really like soccer. I’m not a huge fan but I’m a fan of sports and to see guys playing anything at a high level is amazing to me.

“Lionel Messi is my favourite player – he’s got so much talent.”