The New York Knicks are rolling through the playoffs and stirring up a wave of NBA hype the city hasn’t seen in years.
If they win at home on Friday night against the Boston Celtics — their rivals and the reigning NBA champs — the Knicks will advance to the Eastern Conference Finals to play the Indiana Pacers. It would be the first time they made it that far in a quarter-century, putting them one step closer to their first NBA title in 52 years.
It’s the first time younger fans have gotten to rally behind the team going this deep into the playoffs. And this week, it’s hard to step outside in any borough without feeling swept up in the orange and blue.
Whether you’re a season ticket holder or don’t know what a point guard is (or both), here’s how to join the rest of New York City in rooting for the Knicks.
Why is this such a big moment for New York?
The Knicks haven't made it to the Eastern Conference Finals since 2000. They haven't made the NBA Finals since 1999, when TLC’s “No Scrubs” was still fresh on the radio and Wikipedia didn’t exist.
The Watergate scandal was national news the last time the Knicks won the NBA championship in 1973.
“ New York needs it,” fan Nilsa Rosada said outside of a Game 5 watch party at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday night.
The Knicks were ultimately bested by the Celtics in Boston that night, but the series is a best-of-seven contest and Wednesday's Celtics win left the Knicks with a 3-2 series lead.
“ They've been waiting for this moment for a long time," Rosada said. "This is the Knicks’ moment. It's their time. The city's going to be on fire.”
Rosada's prediction is backed up by past events. Fans flooded and ultimately shut down Seventh Avenue after the Knicks won Game 4 at MSG on Monday.
Winning the series at home on Friday would surely bring a lot of excitement to Midtown and the city at large. If not, the Knicks will still have one more chance to punch their ticket to the conference finals at Game 7, which is set for Monday night in Boston.
Why does New York City care so much about the Knicks?
We could ask Mayor Eric Adams, but frankly, he sounds a little rude about it.
Fans across the city make it simple: The Knicks are New York’s men's basketball team.
Their New York roots run deep. The Knicks' iconic orange and blue colors have revved up fans in New York since the team was founded in 1946 as the Knickerbockers (named for Father Knickerbocker, a Dutch book character from the 19th century).
Of course, there are also the Brooklyn Nets, but Knicks fans are quick to note they started out as a New Jersey team. Some Knicks die-hards have said the Nets are a runner-up when it comes to New York’s basketball identity.
“ I don't mean it to be disrespectful, but I know two people who are Nets fans,” Brooklyn native Andre Richey said outside MSG on Wednesday. “This is New York basketball.”
It's not like this with other sports. If you’re on Long Island, you probably root for the Islanders. In Manhattan, you’re all about the Rangers. Queens is Mets territory, but the Yankees are the Bronx Bombers.
Ray Figueroa, at left and with two of his friends, says love for the Knicks is in the air.
Samir Ferdowsi / Gothamist
Knicks fandom is somewhat more borough-agnostic. For that matter, people from all over the state cheer for the Knicks. And this is a city that loves its basketball.
”If basketball is successful here, it's successful anywhere,” said Earl Miranda of Brooklyn, also outside MSG for Wednesday's watch party. “You see New York blow up stars, they go from mediocre to superstars — that's what we do as New York. We pour the love, the passion into the players and they give it back.”
He said that’s what’s happening this season.
“This is a time where this hasn’t happened in so many years that we got a chance to go to the conference finals, and we’re going against our rivals," he said. "I'm telling you we’re about to smoke these guys.”
So you’re getting stoked on the Knicks. Where can you watch them?
The team’s home court is MSG. But if you want tickets, we hope you have deep pockets.
As of Thursday, the cheapest tickets on Ticketmaster’s reseller market for Friday night’s Game 6 were going for more than $700 per seat, with some going for more than $20,000.
When the team is away, the Garden has been hosting watch parties, where fans come to the arena and watch televised broadcasts of the games.
But MSG isn't your only option. It’ll probably feel like almost every bar, restaurant and sit-down-oriented establishment in the state will be playing the games for as long as the team stays in the playoffs.
The Knicks have also partnered with bars across the city for “official” watch parties, where some are offering special events.
“ Everything in New York is around the Knicks,” said Ray Figueroa, another fan. “Blue and orange skies. You feel me? Nobody else got blue and orange skies.”