NBA Playoffs: the New York Knicks and the dream of a title that has been delayed for 50 years

With a suffocating defense, an impressive presence on the boards (Mitchell Robinson had 18 rebounds) and the good offensive contribution of Jalen Brunson (23 points) and RJ Barrett (21), the New York Knicks defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 106-95

the

Mortgage FieldHouse and thus closed their series of the first round of the

Eastern Conference playoffs 4-1 .

Thus,

A decade had passed since the outcome of the last meeting in which the Knicks had emerged victorious: it had been in the first round of the 2012/13 season, when the team that featured Carmelo Anthony had beaten the

4-2

before falling by the same result against the Indiana Pacers.

This was followed by a seven-season drought without reaching the playoffs.

The streak was cut in the first season under the direction of

, his current coach.

That year he lost in the first round to the Atlanta Hawks.

Tom Thibodeau has led the New York Knicks since 2020. Before that, he was the coach of the Minnesota Timberwolves and Chicago Bulls.

Photo: Phil Long/AP.

Before that, 13 years had passed since the last team led by the legendary

had reached the conference final, in which they also capitulated against the Pacers.

On that team, Thibodeau was an assistant to another Knicks icon, Jeff Van Gundy.

And one of the bases was

, one of the figures of the group that is making fans of the Big Apple smile back.

," said the point guard on Wednesday, who was signed as a free agent by the Knicks before the start of this season after four seasons with the Dallas Mavericks.

That defeat in 2000 and the subsequent dismissal of veteran Ewing,

, marked the end of a very positive decade for New Yorkers, who were unable to crown themselves with a championship because of coexistence with the

's

brilliant

.

In those years, the Knicks established themselves as their main rivals in the East and were runners-up in the league twice, in 1994 and 1999, and finalists in the conference one more time, in 1993.

Patrick Ewing played 15 seasons with the New York Knicks and was runner-up twice.

Photo: Jeffrey Boan / AP.

In the 1999 definition, they had no chance against the

of

and

, who beat them 4-1.

But in 1994, with a team that also featured mainstays like

, they came one shot away from glory.

Leading 3-2 in the series with the Houston Rockets and trailing 86-84 in Game 6, Starks had the last three-point shot, but missed a shot that would have given his team the title.

The Rockets won that game and also prevailed 90-84 in Game 7.

kings of new york

The other brilliant segment in the history of the Knicks was at the beginning of the 1970s. In those years, with a great team led by Red Holzman and in which

,

,

and

stood out, they got their Only two titles, in 1970 and 1973, were runners-up in 1972 (their executioners were the Lakers) and finalists in their conference in 1971.

Half a century has passed since the last consecration of this historic franchise, one of the two that have participated in the most important league on the planet since its first edition and have kept its name and headquarters ever since (the other is the Boston Celtics).

Too long, especially in a city where fans are extremely demanding with their teams in any discipline.

Willis Reed was one of the mainstays of the Knicks team that won two NBA titles.

To top it off, in these 50 years New York has seen its teams win titles in the other four major American leagues.

The

history

, celebrated seven times in the World Series, while the

once.

In the

, the

have lifted the Super Bowl four times.

In the

, the Islanders won the Stanley Cup four times and the Rangers once.

And even in the young

celebrated

in 2021.

In this period, basketball did not give crowns to the city, since the wandering

(formerly based in New Jersey) could not consecrate themselves.

However, in this season in which the Nets have already been swept by the Philadelphia 76ers,

, whose fans have renewed their credit for their players after so much frustration.

“The way this team plays impacts all of our fans.

They play hard, they play smart, and they play together.

That is always recognized in New York,” Thibodeau reasoned.

Julius Randle was the most outstanding player for the New York Knicks in the regular phase of this NBA season.

Photo: David Maxwell / EFE.

The next test will be, in one of the Eastern Conference semifinals, against

, who have just given the big blow and eliminated the Milwaukee Bucks.

In that match, the Knicks will have a home-field advantage, since they finished fifth in the regular season, while the Florida team was eighth (they had to pass the play-in before meeting the Bucks).

The first game will be played on Sunday and the second on Tuesday, both at Madison Square Garden.

The negative note for New Yorkers before the start of this series is the uncertainty regarding the presence of their greatest figure,

(he averaged 25.1 points and 10 rebounds in the regular season), who in the last game against Cleveland He suffered from a discomfort in his left ankle, had to leave a minute from the end of the second quarter and was unable to return.

In the Big Apple they cross their fingers that he can play on Sunday.

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