For the second time in three years, the Knicks are getting ready to play a postseason game.
While New York has a deep history of exciting playoff moments, none have come in the last 20 years, and opportunities to make new ones have been sparing, to say the least. But this year’s upstart group has already taken steps to changing that, by putting together the most memorable Knicks season since 2013.
So, as New York looks to take further steps toward a brighter future by making the present unexpectedly meaningful, let’s take a quick look to the past for the best playoff moments in Knicks history, a list that this year’s group hopes to change in the coming weeks.
The Clincher
The Knicks knew the 1994 playoffs were their chance to finally make the NBA Finals, when chronic tormentor Michael Jordan retired to play baseball. After just getting by Jordan’s former team in the Bulls in seven games in the conference semifinals, New York found itself in another dogfight with Reggie Miller and the Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Miller poured in 39 points in a stunning game five at the Garden to put the Knicks down 3-2 in the series, but after a win in Indiana thanks to a red-hot John Starks in game six, New York completed the comeback in game seven, holding off the Pacers 94-90 behind 24 points and 22 rebounds from Patrick Ewing. The win was the peak of the 90s Knicks, who went on to lose in a heartbreaking seven-game bout with the Rockets in the Finals and never got over that final hump.
The Dunk
Before Jordan retired, the Knicks spent years trying to bully the Bulls into an early playoff exit, but never succeeded. But those early 90s series still produced some great moments, plenty in a seven-game battle in the 1992 playoffs and one unforgettable on in 1993 at MSG, with the Knicks holding a three-point lead in game two with one minute to go.
The Knicks had the ball, looking to put an exclamation point on a win and a 2-0 series lead, and gave the ball to Starks, who drove baseline and slammed a one-handed dunk down on Horace Grant and Jordan, electrifying the crowd and sending a stunned Bulls group back to Chicago. It is still considered one of the greatest moments in MSG history.
The Floater
The Knicks had to go on a roll at the end of the 1999 regular season just to make the playoffs as the eighth seed, and were seconds away from being bounced in the first round before Allan Houston cemented himself as a Knicks legend.
Trailing the Heat by one with 4.5 seconds left on the game clock and four ticks left on the shot clock in a decisive game five, Houston took the inbounds pass, split a pair of defenders and threw up a one-handed running floater that softly bounced off the front rim and off the backboard before dropping in to give the Knicks a thrilling 78-77 win. But it wasn’t the most memorable moment of that improbable run to the Finals.
The 4-Point Play
The Knicks dismantled the Hawks after shocking the Heat, setting up another matchup with Miller and the Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals. With the series tied at one apiece, New York hosted a pivotal game three, which the Knicks were in danger of losing in the closing seconds of the fourth quarter with an injured Ewing on the bench.
Trailing by three with 12 seconds left, Johnson grabbed a tipped inbounds pass from Charlie Ward and threw up a 3-pointer in front of Antonio Davis, who fouled Johnson on the attempt. As the referee’s arm went up, Johnson’s three went down, as would his ensuing foul shot to complete a 4-point play and give the Knicks one of the greatest wins in franchise history.
The Entrance
The Knicks were trying to clinch their first-ever championship in 1970 against the Lakers, but dropped game six after their leader Willis Reed went down with a horrific leg injury in game five. After missing game six, Reed wasn’t about to let a torn thigh muscle keep him from helping his teammates clinch a title in the Garden.
Still, given the obvious severity of his injury, Reed’s availability for game seven was in serious doubt, but that doubt turned to elation when Reed emerged from the tunnel and onto the Garden floor for warmups. The crowd became unhinged at just the sight of warmup shots, and while Reed only finished with four points and three rebounds, his toughness inspired the Knicks, including Walt Frazier, who scored 36 points and dished out 19 assists to lead New York to the championship.
Reed sadly passed away earlier this year, and the Knicks will be sporting black bands on their uniforms in Reed's memory as they look to upset the Cavaliers.
Follow Ryan Chichester on Twitter: @ryanchichester1
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