Longest Win Streaks in NY Knicks History

The suddenly amazing New York Knicks have posted 11 wins in a row out of nowhere, tied for the fourth-longest streak in franchise history. They look better now than during their hot start, which bodes well for the playoffs.

One more victory will give them 12—the third-longest win streak in Knicks history.

But how many games did the Knicks’ longest streak last? And the second longest? Here’s a hint: They are both achievable this season.

It will be tough. The Oklahoma City Thunder, Chicago Bulls and Indiana Pacers are on the horizon.

And once playoff seedings lock up, surely Mike Woodson won’t want to gas his players. But that No. 2 seed might be at stake right down to the final game, which could see New York go all out for the duration.

What’s the big deal about win streaks anyway? As you’ll see, they’re a pretty good indicator of a long postseason and may even be harbingers of a future title.

Schedules and statistics used in this article courtesy basketball-reference.com.

4. 11 Wins in a Row: March-April, 2013

The Knicks’ current streak actually didn’t just come out of nowhere—it came out of a free fall.

New York had lost five of six, including four in a row out West, and looked worse than it had all season long.

The Knicks scored a season-low 63 points against the Golden State Warriors. A few days later, they fared barely better, posting 80 points in a loss to the Los Angeles Clippers. They dropped another to the 11th-seeded Portland Trail Blazers.

Carmelo Anthony and Tyson Chandler picked up what could have been season-affecting injuries (and still may be).

Suddenly, the Knicks’ bubble burst and they were looking like a Round 1 bust in the making all over again.

But just as suddenly, they snapped out of it. Anthony and J.R. Smith (and Kenyon Martin) co-led the way back, defeating nemeses like the Boston Celtics (twice), the pesky Toronto Raptors (back-to-back), the Memphis Grizzlies and the Chris Bosh-led Miami Heat.

Who can beat this team right now? Well, the Thunder are next.

1.	Mar 18, 2013	@	Utah Jazz	90-83
2.	Mar 20, 2013		Orlando Magic	106-94
3.	Mar 22, 2013	@	Toronto Raptors	99-94
4.	Mar 23, 2013		Toronto Raptors	110-84
5.	Mar 26, 2013	@	Boston Celtics	100-85
6.	Mar 27, 2013		Memphis Grizzlies	108-101
7.	Mar 29, 2013		Charlotte Bobcats	111-102
8.	Mar 31, 2013		Boston Celtics	108-89
9.	Apr 2, 2013	@	Miami Heat	102-90
10.	Apr 3, 2013	@	Atlanta Hawks	95-82
11.	Apr 5, 2013		Milwaukee Bucks	101-83

4. 11 Wins in a Row: January-February, 1969

The Knicks had failed to make the playoffs seven years in a row (1959-60 through 1965-66).

Then, the next two seasons, they did. Both were first-round knockouts, but the team showed improvement. In 1966-67, the Knicks fell to the long-time rival Boston Celtics 3-1.

In 1967-68, after posting their first winning season in nine years, the Knicks lost to the Philadelphia 76ers 4-2, including a double-overtime thriller.

Of course, drafting Willis Reed in 1964 (eighth overall) and Walt Frazier in 1967 (fifth overall) had a lot to do with New York's upswing.

By 1968-69, the Knicks had matured into a legitimate championship contender, posting their first 50-win season (54-28).

They went on to a four-game sweep of the Baltimore Bullets in Round 1 only to lose to the eventual-champion Celtics in the Eastern finals, 4-2.

But the Knicks won it all the following season.

1.	Jan 25, 1969		Milwaukee Bucks	113-96
2.	Jan 28, 1969		Philadelphia 76ers	121-88
3.	Jan 30, 1969	@	Baltimore Bullets	109-106
4.	Feb 1, 1969		Boston Celtics	109-82
5.	Feb 2, 1969	@	Boston Celtics	95-94
6.	Feb 4, 1969		Atlanta Hawks	122-97
7.	Feb 5, 1969	@	Milwaukee Bucks	111-102
8.	Feb 7, 1969	@	Chicago Bulls	105-98
9.	Feb 8, 1969		Baltimore Bullets	106-100
10.	Feb 12, 1969		Phoenix Suns	112-105
11.	Feb 15, 1969		San Francisco Warriors	98-92

4. 11 Wins in a Row: December-January, 1972-1973

Speaking of championships…

The Knicks won their second of two titles in 1973. Along the way, they posted an 11-game win streak en route to a 57-25 record.

Willis Reed was out most of the previous season with a knee injury, managing 11 games total.

He returned in 1972-73, his penultimate season, as more of a role player than an on-the-floor leader.

This was more Walt Frazier’s team. He was backed up by Reed, but more so by backcourt partner Earl “The Pearl” Monroe, Dave DeBusschere and Bill Bradley.

1.	Dec 28, 1972		Buffalo Braves	107-86
2.	Dec 29, 1972	@	Detroit Pistons	99-94
3.	Dec 30, 1972		Baltimore Bullets	100-98
4.	Jan 2, 1973		Milwaukee Bucks	102-92
5.	Jan 5, 1973	@	Buffalo Braves	129-106
6.	Jan 6, 1973		Houston Rockets	116-106
7.	Jan 9, 1973	@	Kansas City-Omaha Kings	116-115
8.	Jan 11, 1973	@	Atlanta Hawks	122-107
9.	Jan 12, 1973	@	Houston Rockets	104-103
10.	Jan 14, 1973	@	Seattle SuperSonics	86-84
11.	Jan 16, 1973	@	Phoenix Suns	102-101

3. 12 Wins in a Row: April-November, 1993

The Knicks won 12 games in a row spanning two seasons, from the end of 1992-93 through the first seven games of 1993-94.

They finished a very promising 1992-93 on the heels of a five-game win streak. New York had streaks of nine, seven and six that season, on the way to a 60-win year.

The Knicks charged through the first rounds of the playoffs, beating the Indiana Pacers 3-1 and then the Charlotte Hornets 4-1.

Then, as so often happened in the 1990s, they ran into Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls. This time in the Eastern Conference finals.

But the door was opened in 1993-94, when Jordan retired a first time, and the Knicks seized the chance right from the beginning, starting out 7-0.

New York would make it to the NBA Finals, thanks also to an even bigger win streak.

1.	Apr 17, 1993		Detroit Pistons	95-85
2.	Apr 20, 1993	@	Miami Heat	109-97
3.	Apr 21, 1993		New Jersey Nets	105-74
4.	Apr 23, 1993	@	Philadelphia 76ers	99-84
5.	Apr 25, 1993		Chicago Bulls	89-84
6.	Nov 5, 1993	@	Boston Celtics	111-108
7.	Nov 7, 1993	@	Cleveland Cavaliers	115-107
8.	Nov 9, 1993		Philadelphia 76ers	95-86
9.	Nov 10, 1993	@	Washington Bullets	92-84
10.	Nov 12, 1993	@	Indiana Pacers	103-84
11.	Nov 13, 1993		Milwaukee Bucks	99-86
12.	Nov 16, 1993	@	Dallas Mavericks	103-90

2. 15 Wins in a Row: March-April, 1994

The Knicks won 57 games in 1993-94, three less than the previous season, but at times were much more dominant.

They started on the tail end of that 12-game win streak, beginning the year 7-0 and taking that to 15-3 in a hurry.

After weaving to 36-15, the Knicks hit one of those West-swing roadblocks, like the one this season. New York lost four in a row (three on the road) before righting the path.

They righted it with a 15-game win streak, beating 13 different opponents in the process, including future Eastern Conference postseason opponents in the New Jersey Nets, Chicago Bulls and Indiana Pacers (twice).

After making easy work of the Nets in Round 1 (3-1), the Knicks went the distance the next three rounds, taking the Bulls and Pacers to 4-3 wins and, in the championship, taking the Houston Rockets to a 4-3 loss.

1.	Mar 1, 1994	@	Sacramento Kings	100-88
2.	Mar 3, 1994		New Jersey Nets	97-86
3.	Mar 7, 1994	@	Detroit Pistons	99-85
4.	Mar 9, 1994	@	Atlanta Hawks	90-83
5.	Mar 11, 1994	@	Boston Celtics	90-83
6.	Mar 12, 1994		Cleveland Cavaliers	96-86
7.	Mar 15, 1994		Indiana Pacers	88-82
8.	Mar 17, 1994		Milwaukee Bucks	105-83
9.	Mar 19, 1994		Boston Celtics	105-91
10.	Mar 22, 1994		Chicago Bulls	87-78
11.	Mar 24, 1994	@	Minnesota Timberwolves	123-106
12.	Mar 25, 1994	@	Indiana Pacers	85-82
13.	Mar 27, 1994	@	Orlando Magic	111-90
14.	Mar 29, 1994		Charlotte Hornets	106-95
15.	Apr 2, 1994		Miami Heat	110-87

1. 18 Wins in a Row: October-November, 1969

The 2012-13 Knicks will need to win out the regular season to tie this one. Unlikely, but if it happens, all bets are off. Carmelo Anthony and the Knicks, Heat or not, will have officially transformed themselves into viable championship contenders.

The longest Knicks win streak of all time is 18, posted by the 1969-70 championship team.

This Willis Reed-led squad, and the aforementioned 1992-93 team, are the only Knicks teams with 60-win seasons.

In 1969-70, the Knicks started the season 26-2, winning the first five, losing the sixth and then winning the next 18 in a row. They beat every other team in the league during the streak except the Seattle SuperSonics, who they defeated anyway two games later.

In 14 of these games, New York scored over 110 points (six times over 120) for the most dominant period in the franchise's history.

1.	Oct 24, 1969	@	Detroit Pistons	116-92
2.	Oct 25, 1969		Baltimore Bullets	128-99
3.	Oct 28, 1969		Atlanta Hawks	128-104
4.	Oct 30, 1969		San Diego Rockets	123-110
5.	Nov 1, 1969		Milwaukee Bucks	112-108
6.	Nov 3, 1969	@	Milwaukee Bucks	109-93
7.	Nov 4, 1969	@	Phoenix Suns	116-99
8.	Nov 7, 1969	@	San Diego Rockets	129-111
9.	Nov 9, 1969	@	Los Angeles Lakers	112-102
10.	Nov 11, 1969	@	San Francisco Warriors	116-103
11.	Nov 13, 1969		Chicago Bulls	114-99
12.	Nov 15, 1969		Boston Celtics	113-98
13.	Nov 18, 1969		Cincinnati Royals	112-94
14.	Nov 21, 1969	@	Philadelphia 76ers	98-94
15.	Nov 22, 1969		Phoenix Suns	128-114
16.	Nov 25, 1969		Los Angeles Lakers	103-96
17.	Nov 26, 1969	@	Atlanta Hawks	138-108
18.	Nov 28, 1969	N	Cincinnati Royals	106-105

Conclusion

Winning streaks, particularly long, robust ones as the Knicks have going now, are good omens.

At the very least, they mean deep postseason runs. At the most, a title in the near future.

Based on the history of the Knicks’ winning streaks, you have to believe this team has the goods to take it to the Eastern Conference finals.

There, they will likely meet a team who had an even bigger win streak, the Miami Heat (27).

According to this theory of winning streaks, the Heat should advance.

But according to that same theory, the Knicks have a pretty good chance of making it to the NBA Finals and possibly winning it in 2014.

The Knicks' remaining 2012-13 schedule:

1.	Apr 7, 2013	@	Oklahoma City Thunder
2.	Apr 9, 2013		Washington Wizards
3.	Apr 11, 2013	@	Chicago Bulls
4.	Apr 12, 2013	@	Cleveland Cavaliers
5.	Apr 14, 2013		Indiana Pacers
6.	Apr 15, 2013	@	Charlotte Bobcats
7.	Apr 17, 2013		Atlanta Hawks