The New York Knicks haven’t had much success since trading Patrick Ewing prior to the 2000-01 NBA season. A perennial playoff team during Ewing’s tenure, postseason success has often evaded them in the 20+ years since.
The Knicks made the playoffs for 14 straight seasons from 1987-88 until 2000-01 (only the last of those seasons was without Ewing). The team reached two NBA Finals in that time.
For much of the 2000s and 2010s, New York fans were pining to go back to those days. Those who have remained patient are finally starting to be rewarded.
The Knicks defeated the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday by the score of 118-115. New York won their first-round series in six games and will move on to play an old rival in the second round, the Indiana Pacers.
Knicks Having Most Sustained Playoff Success in Decades
Drought of Back-to-Back Successful Seasons
If a season were to be defined as successful by winning at least one playoff round, it had been a while since the Knicks had back-to-back successful seasons.
As a matter of fact, it had been nearly 2.5 decades up until yesterday. They made the second round in nine straight seasons from 1991-92 until 1999-00. They reached two NBA Finals and four Eastern Conference Finals in that stretch. The Knicks haven’t advanced to either since.
Until the last two seasons, New York only advanced once to the second round since 2000. That came in the 2012-13 season when they lost to the Pacers in the second round.
There were a lot of rough stretches as well. There were no playoff appearances by the Knicks for six straight seasons from 2004-05 until 2009-10, and they didn’t sniff the postseason for seven consecutive seasons from 2013-14 until 2019-20.
One playoff series win over a 21-season stretch. Now it’s three (and counting?) over 23 seasons.
Excitement is Back at Madison Square Garden
Thursday night’s win over the 76ers has allowed the Knicks to advance to the second round. It’s the first time they’ve advanced at least that far in back-to-back seasons since 1998-99 and 1999-00.
In the 2023 NBA Playoffs, New York easily dispatched the Cleveland Cavaliers in the opening round in five games. They then lost in six games to the NBA Finals-bound Miami Heat.
Many will point to signing Jalen Brunson in the 2022 offseason as the moment that turned around the franchise. The 27-year-old just finished an opening-round series averaging 35.5 points and nine assists.
The Knicks have also made other shrewd moves over the past two seasons to improve the roster surrounding him. In the 2022 offseason, they also signed Isaiah Hartenstein. He has proven invaluable, especially this season while Mitchell Robinson was out for a lengthy period. Josh Hart was acquired at the 2023 trade deadline. He has been a do-it-all player who entered the starting lineup with Julius Randle’s season-ending shoulder surgery. In the 2023 offseason, the Knicks brought in Donte DiVincenzo via free agency. He became the starting shooting guard early on in the season and set the single-season franchise record for three-pointers made. In late December, New York completed a trade with the Toronto Raptors, acquiring OG Anunoby (as well as Precious Achiuwa). While Anunoby missed ample time with an elbow injury, the Knicks are now 24-5 with him in the lineup.
The Knicks will now look to reach their first Eastern Conference Finals since 2000.
