NBA Playoffs 2011: 10 Biggest Postseason Upsets in NY Knicks History
The New York Knicks kicked off their first round series against the Boston Celtics Sunday night with a heart-pounding 87-85 loss.
Although there are no moral victories in the playoffs, the Knicks proved that they belonged and should be taken seriously.
New York may have entered the series as the clear underdogs, but the Knicks and their fans take this analysis with a grain of salt.
The Knicks are no strangers to the underdog role, and may even embrace it at this time. Throughout their rich basketball history, New York has committed a number of postseason upsets, and it is important that we do not forget this.
As the Knicks and Celtics series progresses, we need to keep in mind that nothing is written in stone.
No matter who enters as the favorites, no matter how far down the Knicks fall, this series is not over until its over.
The playoffs are a time for surprises. A time for Cinderella stories. A time for the improbable to become a reality
With this in mind as the we watch the Knicks assume the role of the underdogs once again, let us take a look at the ten biggest postseason series upsets in New York history.
And as the current series progresses, remember the upsets within this slide show so that as fans of the game of basketball, we assure that we remain in an "anything is possible" state of mind.
10. New York Knicks Upset Atlanta Hawks in Second Round of 1999 NBA Playoffs
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New York's entire 1999 playoff run was an upset and an impressive one at that.
When the Knicks met the Atlanta Hawks in the second round, they were still celebrating their first round upset over the Miami Heat.
Now, many may think that after defeating the number one seed as an eight seed, the number four seeded Hawks wouldn't be that difficult to handle. However, there were still some skeptics. Some believed the Knicks had simply played over their heads in that first round series.
The Knicks proved this was wrong.
Not only did New York upset Atlanta, but they upset them big time, sweeping them in the best of seven series.
The Knicks won the first two games in Atlanta by scores of 100-92 and 77-70, to bring the series back to New York with a 2-0 lead.
Once back at the Garden, the Knicks did not slow down. They won the next two games rather easily 90-78 and 79-66 to complete the four game sweep.
While Atlanta was far from the most impressive opponent the Knicks faced in the postseason that year, the series is still an improbable upset.
Why exactly?
Not only were the Knicks the lower seed, but this series was a sweep, not a seven game grudge match, which makes it all the more impressive, and definitely one of the top postseason series upsets in Knicks history.
9. New York Knicks Upset Detroit Pistons in First Round of 1984 NBA Playoffs
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In 1984, the Knicks upset the Isiah Thomas led Detroit Pistons in the first round of the playoffs in an absolutely earth shaking best of five game series.
The Knicks won Game 1 by a score of 94 to 93, but lost Game 2 to the Pistons, 113-105. New York then came back in Game 3 to win 120-113, but Game 4 went to the Pistons, 119-112.
In Game 5, the Knicks overcame Thomas' fourth quarter scoring binge in which he scored 16 points in 94 seconds to force the game into overtime.
Overtime belonged to the Knicks though and they beat the Pistons 127-123 to win the series.
It was a back and forth series, and neither team refused to give the other any breathing room. Each game was decided by seven points or less.
Furthermore, the momentum the Pistons gained by forcing Game 5 into overtime was an incredible obstacle that the Knicks overcame. After New York allowed Thomas to score 16 points in only a minute and half, the Knicks seemed poised for a late game collapse.
In the end though, behind Bernard King's average of 43 points per game in the series, the fifth seeded Knicks upset the fourth seeded Pistons to reach the second round of the playoffs.
The incredibly competitive nature of this series, coupled with having to overcome Thomas' Game 5 heroics, makes it one of the biggest postseason upsets in Knicks history.
8. New York Knicks Upset Boston Celtics in 1973 Eastern Conference Finals
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Does the above face look familiar?
Walt "Clyde" Frazier, now a renowned broadcaster for the Knicks, and the 1973 Knicks completed an upset of the top seeded Boston Celtics in the 1973 Eastern Conference Finals.
New York went on to beat the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Finals for the team's second championship, rewarding the Knicks for their efforts against Boston in the previous series.
It was a grueling seven game series and at some points, it looked as if the Knicks would not come out of it on top.
After losing Game 1 by a score of 134-108, the Knicks handed Boston a romping of their own, winning Game 2 by 33 points, 129-96. New York continued its momentum in Game 3 and 4, defeating Boston 98-91 and 117-110 in overtime, and they seemed poised for an upset.
Getting the fourth and final game would not prove to be easy though. In Game 5, Boston pulled out a 98-97 victory over New York, and in Game 6, the Celtics tied the series at three games apiece with a 110-100 victory.
However, with their backs against the wall and now facing elimination themselves, the Knicks came out ready in Game 7 and defeated the Celtics 94-78 to complete the upset and stun the first seeded Celtics.
The series tested the Knicks will to win. They came into the series as the underdog, but opened up the series with a 3-1 lead, changing the tune of many critics.
Doubt began to resurface though once New York allowed Boston to tie the series at three games.
The Knicks restored faith however, once they won Game 7 to complete the upset, making this one of the top series upsets in Knicks postseason history.
7. New York Knicks Upset Cleveland Cavaliers in First Round of 1996 Playoffs
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The fifth seeded Knicks upset of the fourth seeded Cleveland Cavaliers in the 1996 NBA Playoffs may be one of the lesser known feats in the team's history.
While having identical records, the Cavaliers obtained the fourth seed because of their 3-1 record against the Knicks. In the playoffs however, New York swept Cleveland in the first round of a best of five game series.
It was an improbable sweep for a few reasons. Obviously the Knicks season record against the Cavaliers was unfavorable, but additionally, they were in the middle of a rough patch entering the series.
After firing head coach Don Nelson 59 games into the season, New York hired longtime assistant Jeff Van Gundy, who had no prior head coaching experience, to take the reigns.
When Van Gundy took over, New York was 34-25. The Knicks struggled in the final 23 games, posting a mediocre 13-10 record to close out the season. It seemed that they were spiraling fast.
However, come playoff time, the Knicks seemed to have gotten a wake up call. They opened up the playoffs against the Cavaliers with a 106-83 blowout in Game 1.
New York seemed to come back down to earth a little bit in Game 2, but still managed to hold off Cleveland 84-80 and come out victorious. The Knicks completed the sweep in Game 3 with an 81-76 victory.
Van Gundy was able to coach the Knicks past the first round in his first partial season as the head coach. It was the first of many accomplishments by the Van Gundy led Knicks, but it holds a special place in Knicks history.
New York overcame a mid-season coaching change to sweep a team that they had struggled dearly with in the regular season, and it was done with a rookie coach at the helm.
And that is why it is the seventh biggest postseason upset in New York Knicks playoff history.
6. New York Knicks Upset Boston Celtics in 1972 Eastern Conference Finals
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Walt "Clyde" Frazier makes an appearance in this slide show once again along side teammate Earl "The Pearl" Monroe.
With the acquisition of Monroe before the 1971-1972 NBA season, the Knicks high-tailed it into the playoffs and wound up facing the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference finals.
The third seeded Knicks beat the first seeded Celtics in Game 1 of the series 116-94. New York won again in Game 2 by a score of 106-105. In Game 3, the Celtics bounced back with a 115-109 victory. The Knicks however took Game 4 and 5 with scores of 116-98 and 111-103 to take the series 4-1.
New York was not expected to pull off the upset, especially in only five games. New York went 4-4 against Boston that season, yet due to the aging of their key players, especially Willis Reed, they were the deemed underdogs.
However, led by Frazier, Monroe and Reed, the team accomplished the unexpected and advanced to the NBA Finals.
While a three seed defeating a one seed may not seem like that significant of a victory, it was a huge upset for the Knicks. It showed the rest of the league and their critics that they could still compete on a championship level.
And this is why it is the sixth biggest playoff series upset in Knicks history.
5. New York Knicks Upset Boston Celtics in First Round 1990 NBA Playoffs
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Heading into the 1990 NBA playoffs, the Knicks grabbed the fifth seed and faced off against the fourth seeded Celtics in the first round.
While not far apart in the standings, the Knicks series victory over Boston was nothing short of an upset.
Boston won the first two games 116-105 and 157-128 to take a two games to none lead over New York in a best of five game series. Having just lost the first two games by double-digit margins, hope was wavering on the Knicks side.
However, on the back of Patrick Ewing, the Knicks miraculously won the next three games to defeat Larry Bird and the Celtics. It was a comeback for the ages.
New York defeated the Celtics in a very close Game 3 by a score of 102-99 and then handed Boston a blowout loss in Game 4, 135-108. And then, in Game 5, the Knicks won 121-114, holding off the Celtics for a third straight time and claiming the series victory.
In a best of five series, coming back from a 2-0 deficit is magnificent and definitely an upset Knicks fans need to remember when watching the present Knicks and Celtics series.
4. New York Knicks Upset Miami Heat in First Round of 1998 NBA Playoffs
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The Knicks upset Miami two years in a row in the first round of the playoffs, and 1998 was the first of the two.
What is most impressive is that they pulled off the upset without their fearless leader, Patrick Ewing, who suffered a wrist injury midway through the season and didn't return until the second round of the playoffs.
After the Knicks lost Ewing, they were able to scrape to the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference, which pitted them against Alonzo Mourning and the second seeded Miami Heat in the first round.
Many wrote the Knicks off before the series even started, citing the absence of Ewing as an insurmountable obstacle.
New York would go on to prove its doubters wrong.
The Knicks lost Game 1 of the series to the Heat 94-79, but they took Game 2 by a score of 96-86. Miami bounced back to beat the Knicks 91-85 in Game 3, but New York retaliated with a 90-85 victory in Game 4 to force the series back to Miami for a Game 5.
In Game 5, the Knicks eliminated Miami with a 98-81 victory to complete the upset.
It was an improbable outcome to say the least. Without Ewing, the Knicks were extremely vulnerable down low, especially with Mourning on the floor for the Heat. Somehow though, Allan Houston, Larry Johnson and company managed to become victorious.
The fact that the Knicks were able to prevail when the stage was set for disaster makes this one of the greatest postseason series upsets in Knicks history.
3. New York Knicks Upset Los Angeles Lakers in 1970 NBA Finals
8 of 10The Knicks overcame team captain Willis Reed's injury to defeat the Lakers in seven games during the 1970 NBA Finals to bring home New York's first NBA title.
Some may not consider this an upset, but overcoming such an obstacle makes this accomplishment an upset for sure.
New York won Game 1 by a score of 124-112, but the Lakers came right back in Game 2 to beat the Knicks 105-103. In Game 3, the Knicks answered back with a 111-108 victory. Once again though, the Lakers took control in Game 4, beating the Knicks 121-115 in overtime.
During the second quarter of Game 5, Reed suffered a muscle tear in his right leg and was forced to leave the game. New York held on to beat the Lakers 107-100 that night, but the damage had been done.
Without Reed in Game 6 for the Knicks, the Lakers won 135-113 to force a Game 7.
Against all odds, Reed walked on the court ready to play prior to Game 7. He scored the first two baskets for New York, but remained silent the rest of the game.
However, Reed's presence was all the Knicks needed to prevail in this game. New York defeated the Lakers 113-99 to win their first NBA title.
Although New York never trailed during this series, they overcame quite a roadblock in Reed's injury. Walt "Clyde" Frazier and company held their own to close out Game 5 and while they got blown out in Game 6, they came ready to play for Game 7.
Whenever a team loses a key player, they are at a huge disadvantage. And the case of the 1970 Knicks was no different. They were susceptible to suffering a blowout in Game 7 as they did in Game 6, but they defied those odds and won.
And it is the very nature of their championship series victory in 1970 that makes it the third greatest postseason upset in Knicks team history.
2. New York Knicks Upset Indiana Pacers in 1999 Eastern Conference Finals
9 of 10The eighth seeded Knicks upset the second seeded Indiana Pacers in the 1999 Eastern Conference finals.
With the upset, New York became the first eighth seed to ever make an NBA Finals appearance. The Knicks wound up losing in the finals to the San Antonio Spurs in five games, but they forever left their mark on the NBA with a true Cinderella story.
In the opening game of the series, the Knicks beat the Pacers 93-90, but fell in Game 2 by a score of 88-86.
New York bounced back in Game 3 though. It took one of the most famous shots in Knicks history to do it, but New York defeated Indiana 92-91.
The Knicks were down 91-88 with just over 11 seconds left when the ball was inbounded to Larry Johnson. Johnson dribbled toward the left corner and put up a three. He drained the shot and was fouled, and sank the free-throw to convert an improbable four point play to seal the victory.
New York could not keep the momentum going though and lost 90-78 in Game 4. The Knicks never looked back after that however. They won Game 5 by a score of 101-94 and Game 6 as well, 90-82.
It was an improbable series outcome. Many believed that the Knicks were running on borrowed time at this point in the playoffs after beating both the Miami Heat and Atlanta Hawks in the previous rounds.
New York pulled off the upset though and headed into the NBA finals, something an eighth seed team had never done before, which makes this the second biggest playoff upset in Knicks history.
1. New York Knicks Upset Miami Heat in First Round of 1999 NBA Playoffs
10 of 10The 1999 Knicks Cinderella playoff run makes the list once again, this time for New York's first round upset of the Miami Heat.
Miami, the top seed in the East, fell to the Knicks, the eighth seed, in a tumultuous five game series.
New York won Game 1 by a score of 95-75, but Miami fought back in Game 2 to win 93-73. The Knicks proceeded to take Game 3 by 24 points, 97-73. In Game 4 though, the Heat dished out a beating of their own, winning 97-82, sending the series back to Miami for a Game 7.
With just over four seconds remaining, the Heat led the Knicks 77-76. Knicks guard Charlie Ward inbounded the ball to Allan Houston, who as you can see in the above video, drove down the middle and hit a running jumper with only eight tenths of a second left to give the Knicks a 78-77 lead.
When the buzzer finally sounded, the Knicks became only the second eighth seed in NBA history to knock off the number one seed. It was truly the greatest upset in Knicks history.
Some may feel that the upset against Indiana that same year was bigger because it sent the Knicks to the NBA finals, and there is a case to be made for that. But this series started it all.
This upset catapulted the Knicks into the second round and beyond. It was the eighth seed taking down the first seed and it just doesn't get any better than that.
Houston's shot gave the Knicks new life and an opportunity to continue to make NBA Playoff history, making it the clear choice for the number one greatest playoff series upset in Knicks history.
