New York Knicks fandom hasn’t been for the faint of heart. From Patrick Ewing’s infamous blown layup in the 1995 Eastern Conference Finals to the underwhelming Carmelo Anthony experience, there’s been plenty of hope and not much much to show for it.
That all seems to be changing now. New York is only one win away from hoisting the Larry O’Brien Trophy after rallying back from a historic 29-point deficit in Game 4. The Knicks have breathing room with a 3-1 advantage but would prefer to finish the job tonight in San Antonio, even though the idea of celebrating alongside the raucous Madison Square Garden crowd in Game 6 must be tantalizing.
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OG Anunoby was the hero in Game 4. He made a key block on a De’Aaron Fox layup attempt late in the game then scored the winning tip-in off a Jalen Brunson miss. Brunson shook off an inefficient start to the series to dominate in Games 3 and 4, scoring a combined 68 points on 23 of 50 from the field.
With the Knicks on the precipice of a title, let’s take a look back at how they’ve fared on the NBA Finals stage in years’ past.
1973. For context, Knicks assistant Rick Brunson, Jalen’s father, was only 1 year old. Head coach Mike Brown was 3. The coach at the time was Red Holzman, while star players included Walt Frazier, Willis Reed and Earl “The Pearl” Monroe.
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Two. Prior to the 1973 title, the Knicks beat the Los Angeles Lakers in 1970 for their first Larry O’Brien Trophy.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: When did Knicks last win NBA Finals?
