Sunday’s Game 7 against the Pacers will mark the Knicks’ first game since 2000. The Post’s Zach Braziller looks at some of their most memorable Game 7s:
2000 Eastern Conference Semifinals: Knicks 83, Heat 82
For the fourth straight year, the Knicks and Heat meet in the playoffs and the series goes the distance.
This time, the Knicks won for the third year in a row, winning in Miami by one point.
Latrell Sprewell’s 24 points lead the Knicks, but it’s Patrick Ewing’s dunk with just over a minute remaining that definitely gives them the lead in a battle between the two physical and defensive teams.
The unsung hero is Chris Childs, who scores 15 points off the bench and helps Tim Hardaway post a nightmarish 6-of-20 shooting performance.
1997 Eastern Conference Semifinals: Heat 101, Knicks 90
The Knicks won 57 games during the regular season and appeared headed for another showdown with Michael Jordan and the Bulls before losing a 3-1 lead to the Heat, lit by a Game 5 brawl in Miami.
During the seventh game, the Knicks were deprived of Larry Johnson and John Starks, who left the bench during this fight, and were overtaken by Hardaway (38 points).
Ewing did everything he could, with 37 points, 17 rebounds and four assists in the loss.
1995 Eastern Conference Semifinals: Pacers 97, Knicks 95
The Knicks’ final Game 7 at the Garden ended in crushing fashion, with Ewing’s missed finger roll at the buzzer that would have forced overtime.
Reggie Miller was the hero for the Pacers, scoring 29 points, after his eight points in nine seconds helped Indiana steal the opener.
Ewing also has a monster game – 29 points, 14 rebounds, five assists and four blocks – but his failure at the horn is what we remember from this epic confrontation.
1994 NBA Finals: Rockets 90, Knicks 84
The John Starks Game.
The Knicks guard shot 2 of 18 from the field and 0 of 11 from 3-point range in a six-point loss to the Rockets.
Hakeem Olajuwon got the better of Ewing, scoring 25 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists and three blocks in 46 dominant minutes.
1994 Eastern Conference Finals: Knicks 94, Pacers 90
One of the games that made Ewing’s Hall of Fame legacy.
In 44 memorable minutes, he sent the Knicks back to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1973, producing 24 points, 22 rebounds, seven assists and five blocks.
His dunk on a Starks miss with 26.9 seconds was the game winner.
Miller misses at the other end of the field then commits a fragrant foul while trying to stop the clock in the final seconds.
1973 Eastern Conference Finals: Knicks 94, Celtics 78
For the first time, the Celtics lost a Game 7 at home at Boston Garden, as Walt Frazier led the eventual NBA champion Knicks to a dominant 16-point road victory with 25 points and 10 rebounds.
Boston had won eight straight Game 7s on the floor before this stunning result.
1970 NBA Finals: Knicks 113, Lakers 99
Captain and league MVP Willis Reed, dealing with a torn muscle in his right thigh, is a surprise starter, limping around the floor and hitting two early jumpers to inspire his teammates.
Frazier goes all the way, producing a brilliant effort of 36 points, 19 assists and seven rebounds to lead the Knicks to their first NBA title.
Afterward, Reed said, “I didn’t want to have to look in the mirror 20 years later and say I wish I’d tried acting.”
1951 NBA Finals: Royals 79, Knicks 75
The Knicks remain one of four teams in NBA history to trail 3-0 in a series and force a Game 7. They can’t complete their comeback, however, as Rochester’s Arnie Risen overwhelms them with 24 points and 13 rebounds.
New York Post
