The New York Knicks went on one of the most dominant postseason runs ever en route to a championship. However, it wasn’t always a smooth sailing ship to get there.
Knicks’ Josh Hart describes confidence after trailing to Hawks in round 1
Down 2-1 in the first round to the Atlanta Hawks, New York looked to be in real trouble despite having huge expectations coming in. It was after that very moment, that they would only lose once more the rest of the playoff run, including a 13-game win streak.
Speaking at Fanatics Fest for the Roommates Show taping, Josh Hart described what the mood was before they flipped the switch.
Josh Hart walks during Knicks-Spurs NBA Finals action
“Our backs were against the wall,” Hart said, via Anthony Rivardo of Empire Sports Media. “We knew that was their best punch.”
The two games lost to Atlanta were both by one point. What followed was pure dominance from New York, including a stunning 51-point rout to close out the Hawks in Game 6.
The Knicks had one of the most dominant runs ever
The Knicks would go on to sweep both the 76ers and Cavaliers convincingly, and continued their run in the NBA Finals against the San Antonio Spurs. In the Finals, they played their clutch style that got them to the postseason to begin with.
They trailed by double digits in every single game of the Finals, yet they found a way to close the games out four out of five times. Included in that was the biggest comeback in NBA Finals history, overcoming a 29-point deficit in a decisive Game 4 to take a commanding 3-1 series lead.
OG Anunoby battles for the ball during a Knicks NBA Finals game
Game 5 was the cherry on top, as Jalen Brunson carried his squad with 45 of their 94 team points to secure their first championship in 53 years. Brunson was named Finals MVP, capping off one of the most historic runs in league history.
Some teams need adversity to get going, and it is clear that facing a tough situation in Atlanta made the difference for this Knicks team.
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Dylan Backer is the Senior Content Producer for ESM. He is 23 years old and is from Royal Palm ... More about Dylan Backer