May 16, 2013.
That's the date of the last Knicks playoff game at MSG, an 85-75 win over the Pacers that cut their deficit in their Eastern Conference Semifinal series to 3-2…only for them to fall in Game 6 in Indiana.
Eight years and one week to the day of that Game 5 win, the Knicks will open the 2021 playoffs against the Hawks, and it'll mark another first: the first time they've had more than 10 percent capacity inside MSG all season.
Thanks to Gov. Cuomo's mandate that the Knicks and Nets can have full capacity in sections for vaccinated fans and increased capacity among unvaccinated, the Knicks are hoping to go from 2K to at least 13,000 on Sunday, with owner James Dolan saying he hopes people are "shoulder to shoulder" in that vaccinated section when he spoke at Cuomo's press conference on Monday.
And the Knicks players themselves? They can't wait.
"It's gonna be pretty packed in (MSG), and we're excited about the fun, the energy, all that," Julius Randle said in a Zoom on Wednesday. "We went from no fans to a certain amount to a good amount now, and I think it's perfect timing."
"It's been electric in there, even at 2,000 or whatever," Nerlens Noel added. "I'm super excited to get however many plus more. I think it's gonna be a great atmosphere for us. I know the fans are gonna bring it at a high level."
The Knicks were 3-0 against first-round opponent Atlanta this year and 25-11 overall at MSG this season, and they know that having more fans in the building is going to make The Garden an even tougher locale this postseason.
"It's been eight years, so I know they're definitely living in the moment right now, ready to capture it, and seize it," Noel said. "As a collective unit, we have to make sure we're doing what we need to give them what they want, for them to be our sixth man, and push us through."
If you want to be there, you can check Ticketmaster to see what's available – and either way, score some new Knicks gear to cheer on the 'Bockers!
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