LINSANE TIMES
In past 20 years, Knicks don’t have much to look back on other than Jeremy
It was a miserable 20 years for the Knicks. The games have mostly been forgettable, or disappointing for the fanbase. So choosing the Top 5 games since 2000 for a rewatch isn’t as simple as saying, “Best Game 7 of (pick a playoff series),” or “Winning the championship (Ha!).”
In fact, only two of these chosen games were from the playoffs. That tends to happen when a franchise has just one playoff series victory since making the 2000 conference finals. With that, there were some entertaining moments that we hope MSG Network will provide the millennialand-older age group with some joyful nostalgia during the coronavirus shutdown.
The NBA has unlocked its
League Pass if you want to watch other classics, but the only good
Knicks content is from pre-1993. There’s an option to watch the Knicks give up 30 points and 30 rebounds to Kevin Love, but Timberwolves fans don’t even want to see that. Keep in mind the 20-year cutoff means we just missed two of the greatest moments in Knicks history, both occurring in 1999: Allan Houston’s game-winner against Miami and Larry Johnson’s 4-point play against Indy.
Here’s the countdown:
5. DAVID LEE’S GAME-WINNER AGAINST BOBCATS: DEC. 20, 2006
You probably don’t want to watch the entirety of this double-overtime game between bad teams. But we suggest tuning in for the final possession, when David Lee (don’t forget, a one-time All-Star with the Knicks), tipped in an inbounds with 0.1 seconds left. It was his only chance to beat the clock in a tie game. And Michael Jordan, the owner of the Bobcats, had a courtside view at the Garden. Not quite equal revenge for Jordan shutting out the Knicks in the 90s, but the 2000s were all about finding satisfaction in the smaller things.
4. CARMELO ANTHONY SETS GARDEN SCORING RECORD: JAN. 24, 2014
Melo brought this record back to the Knicks when he dropped 62 points in a victory over the Bobcats. The previous mark of 61 was held by Kobe Bryant, and there’s a long list of all-time greats who’ve owned the Garden with 50-plus points. But this was Melo’s night: the signature game of his up-anddown Knicks career (on the other side of the spectrum, there’s getting blocked by Roy Hibbert in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference semis). Melo hit 23 of his 35 shots, including 10-of-10 from the foul line. The game, however, wasn’t very entertaining beyond Melo’s heat. The Knicks won by 29 points.
3. KNICKS ADVANCE TO CONFERENCE FINALS BY BEATING HEAT IN GAME 7: MAY21, 2000
It was a typical Knicks-Heat game in that it was intense, low-scoring (83-82) and controversial (the Knicks were awarded a pivotal timeout even though they never asked for one). But even beyond this being the Knicks’ most significant win of the last 20 years, it represented Patrick Ewing’s swan song. The center dropped 20 points with 10 boards against Alonzo Mourning, including the go-ahead bucket with 1:20 remaining. Ewing was injured the next series — a loss to the Pacers — and traded to the Sonics in the offseason. The Knicks were never the same.
2. JEREMY LIN BURIES GAME-WINNER AGAINST RAPTORS: FEB. Feb. 14, 2012
Linsanity was in full force and this was his greatest shot. He isolated at the top of the key against Jose Calderon and coolly nailed the 3pointer with 0.5 seconds remaining, giving the Knicks their 90-87 victory. The game was in Toronto all the fans were going nuts. Incredible moment. Lin scored 12 of his 27 points in the fourth quarter, finishing with 11 assists.
1. JEREMY LIN GOES OFF AGAINST LAKERS: FEB. 10, 2012
To be honest, I’d make this list all Linsanity games. But then it’d turn into a different kind of list, and not very entertaining, so I limited myself to the Top 2. Back in 2012, the Lakers were still a juggernaut and Kobe Bryant was still an MVP candidate. Bryant’s yearly trips to the Garden were always an event, but Lin – with his made-for-movie story — stole the show. He dropped 38 points on 23 shots in 39 minutes. The Knicks won their fourth straight (and would eventually extend the streak to seven) as the most thrilling period of the team’s last 20 years reached its pinnacle.