With the Knicks under .500, the team decided to hire Red Holzman, whose impact was immediate. Under his direction, the Knicks went 28–17 and finished with a 43–39 record thus salvaging a playoff berth, however the Knicks were again vanquished in the Eastern Division semi-finals by the Philadelphia 76ers.[16] However their roster was slowly coming together piece by piece. Rookies Phil Jackson and Walt Frazier were named to the NBA All-Rookie Team while Dick Barnett and Willis Reed performed in the 1968 NBA All-Star Game.[12]
The following season, the team acquired Dave DeBusschere from the Detroit Pistons, and the team went 54–28.[16][20] In the playoffs, New York made it past the first round of contention for the first time since 1953, sweeping the Baltimore Bullets in three games, before falling to theBoston Celtics in the Eastern Division finals.[21]
In the 1969–70 season, the Knicks had a then-single-season NBA record18 straight victories en route to a 60–22 record, which was the best regular season record in the franchise's history to that point.[22][23] After defeating the Bullets in the Eastern Division semifinals and the Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Division finals, the Knicks faced the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Finals.[22] With the series tied at 2–2, the Knicks would be tested in Game 5. Willis Reed tore a muscle in his right leg in the second quarter, and was lost for the rest of the game.[24] Despite his absence, New York went on to win the game, rallying from a 16-point deficit.[24]
Without their injured captain the Knicks lost Game 6, setting up one of the most famous moments in NBA history.[24] Reed limped onto the court before the seventh game, determined to play through the pains of his injury.[24] He scored New York's first two baskets before going scoreless for the remainder of the contest.[24]Although he was not at full strength, Reed's heroics inspired the Knicks, and they won the game by a score of 113–99, allowing New York to capture the title that had eluded them for so long.[24] Reed, who had been named the All-Star MVP and the league's MVP that season, was named MVP of the Finals, becoming the first player to attain all three awards in a single season.[24]
The Knicks' success continued for the next few years. After losing to the Bullets in the 1971 Eastern Conference finals, the team, aided by the acquisitions of Jerry Lucas and Earl "The Pearl" Monroe, returned to the Finals in 1972.[12] This time the Knicks fell to the Lakers in five games.[12] The next year, the results were reversed, as the Knicks defeated the Lakers in five games to win their second NBA title in four years.[25] The team had one more impressive season in1973–74, as they reached the Eastern Conference finals, where they fell in five games to the Celtics.[26] It was after this season that Willis Reed announced his retirement, and the team's fortunes began to shift once more.[27]
[edit]After the championship years (1975–1985)
In the 1974–75 season, the Knicks posted a 40–42 record, their first losing record in eight seasons. However, the team still qualified for a playoff spot, however the opportunity was squandered as they lost to the Houston Rockets in the first round.[12] After two more seasons with losing records,[16] Holzman was replaced by Willis Reed who signed a three year contract.[28] In Reed's first year, New York finished the year with a 43–39 record and returned to the Eastern Conference semi-finals, where they were swept by the Philadelphia 76ers.[29] The next season, after the team began with a 6–8 record,[30] Holzman was rehired as the team's coach after Reed had angered Madison Square Garden president Sonny Werblin.[31][32] The team did not fare any better under Holzman's direction, finishing with a 31–51 record, their worst in thirteen years.[30]
After improving to a 39–43 record in the 1979–80 season, the Knicks posted a 50–32 record in the 1980–81 season.[12] In the playoffs, the Chicago Bulls swept New York in two games.[12] Holzman retired the following season as one of the winningest coaches in NBA history. The team's record that year was a dismal 33–49.[12] However, Holzman's legacy would continue through the players he influenced. One of the Knicks' bench players and defensive specialists during the 1970s was Phil Jackson. Jackson went on to coach the Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers to eleven NBA championships, surpassing Red Auerbach for the most in NBA history. Jackson cited Holzman as a significant influence on his career in the NBA.[33]
Hubie Brown replaced Holzman as head coach and in his first season, the team went 44–38 and make it to the second round of the playoffs, where they were swept by the eventual champion Philadelphia 76ers.[34] The next season, the team, aided by new acquisitionBernard King, improved to 47–35 and returned to the playoffs.[12] The team defeated the Detroit Pistons in the first round with an overtime win in the fifth and deciding game, before losing in second round in seven games to the Celtics.[12] The team's struggles continued the next season as they lost their last twelve games to finish with a 24–58 record.[12] The first of these losses occurred on March 23, 1985, where King injured his knee and spent the next 24 months in rehabilitation.[12] posted by oluwaseun lekan
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