NBA
Knicks Haven’t Won A Series-Clincher At MSG Since 1999
James is a Basketball Insiders contributor. He earned his bachelor's degree in English and Creative Writing from Southern New Hampshire University. James enjoys watching sports and helping gamblers win money.
All posts by James FoglioUpdated3 hours ago on May 16, 2025
With the New York Knicks set to host Game 6 of their Eastern Conference second-round series against the Boston Celtics on Friday night, fans might be wondering when was the last time the Knicks closed out a playoff series at Madison Square Garden.
1998-99 Knicks Became The First 8-Seed To Reach NBA Finals
Let’s just say the Knicks haven’t won a playoff series at home in nearly 26 years.
The last time New York won a series-clincher at MSG was June 11, 1999. That was Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals against the Indiana Pacers.
The Knicks won 90-82 over Indiana behind Allan Houston’s 32 points. Latrell Sprewell had 20 points, five rebounds, and three assists, and Marcus Camby added 15 points and nine rebounds off the bench.
Knicks are looking to do something in Game 6 that they haven’t done since 1999: clinch a playoff series at home 😳
Will they get it done, or is this series going to seven games?
Celtics-Knicks Game 6 | Friday at 8 PM ET on ESPN 🍿 pic.twitter.com/wlcGK68Iks
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) May 15, 2025
Because of a lockout, the regular season began on Feb. 5, 1999, and was cut from 82 games to 50. New York finished 27-23 and eighth in the East standings that year.
The Knicks posted the worst record by a team to reach the Finals since the Houston Rockets went 40-42 in 1981.
They also became the first 8-seed to reach the NBA Finals, a feat that has since only been repeated once by the Miami Heat in the 2022-23 season.
2024-25 Knicks Are Poised To Make History
The 2024-25 Knicks seem to be a completely different team.
Prior to Game 6 of their first-round series with the Detroit Pistons, the Knicks were 0-47 when trailing by at least seven points with 2:30 or less remaining in the fourth quarter or overtime in the playoffs since 1996.
To add to that, Jalen Brunson is the first player in Knicks history to score 40 or more points in multiple series-clinching wins. His career scoring average increase from regular season to postseason (+6.3) is the largest in NBA history among qualified players.
In New York’s semifinal series with Boston, the team overcame a nine-point deficit in the fourth quarter of Game 1, then rallied in Game 2 after trailing by 16 points early in the final frame.
The Knicks became the first NBA team to win back-to-back playoff games after trailing by at least 20 points in each.
New York Hasn’t Advanced To The Eastern Conference Finals Since 2000
The Knicks last advanced to the Eastern Conference finals in 2000, when they lost in six games to the Pacers.
In New York’s 78 seasons, the franchise has reached the NBA Finals eight times and won just two championships. The Knicks reached the NBA Finals each year from 1952 to 1954.
The Knicks also returned to the Finals in 1970 and defeated the Los Angeles Lakers in seven games for the team’s first championship. New York and Los Angeles faced off again in the 1972 NBA Finals, a series that the Lakers won in five games.
New York won its second NBA title the following year in a rematch with Los Angeles. Then from 1988 through 2001, the franchise made the playoffs in 14 consecutive seasons.
Although the Knicks reached their first NBA Finals in 21 seasons in 1994, they lost to the Houston Rockets in seven games. Five years later, New York again lost in the NBA Finals, this time in a five-game series against the San Antonio Spurs.
The Knicks won only one playoff series between 2001 and 2022.
