1998–99 New York Knicks season

The 1998–99 New York Knicks season was the 52nd season for the New York Knicks in the National Basketball Association.^[1] Due to a lockout, the regular season began on February 5, 1999, and was cut from 82 games to 50.^[2] Head coach Jeff Van Gundy entered in his third full season coaching the Knicks. To give All-Star center Patrick Ewing more help offensively and defensively, the Knicks acquired controversial All-Star guard Latrell Sprewell from the Golden State Warriors,^[3][4][5] acquired Marcus Camby from the Toronto Raptors,^[6][7][8] and signed free agents Kurt Thomas,^[9][10][11] and three-point specialist Dennis Scott during the off-season.^[12][13] However, Scott was released by the team to free agency after 15 games, and later on signed with the Minnesota Timberwolves.^[14][15]

With the addition of Sprewell, Camby and Thomas, the Knicks won eight of their first eleven games of the regular season. However, the team dealt with injuries, as Sprewell only played 37 games due to a stress fracture in his right heel,^[16][17][18] and Ewing only appeared in 38 games due to a knee injury.^[19][20][21] The Knicks played mediocre basketball around .500 in winning percentage for most of the season, and held a 21–21 record as of April 19, 1999. The Knicks won six of their final eight games of the season to finish in fourth place in the Atlantic Division with a 27–23 record, earning the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference, and qualifying for the NBA playoffs for the twelfth consecutive year.^[22][23]

Ewing averaged 17.3 points, 9.9 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game, while Sprewell played a sixth man role off the bench, averaging 16.4 points per game,^[24][25] and Allan Houston provided the team with 16.3 points per game. In addition, Larry Johnson contributed 12.0 points and 5.8 rebounds per game, while Thomas provided with 8.1 points and 5.7 rebounds per game, and Charlie Ward contributed 7.6 points, 5.4 assists and 2.1 steals per game. Off the bench, Camby averaged 7.2 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game, while Chris Childs contributed 6.8 points and 4.0 assists per game, and Chris Dudley provided with 2.5 points and 4.2 rebounds per game.^[26] Sprewell also finished tied in tenth place in Most Improved Player voting; despite a stellar season off the bench, he did not receive any votes in Sixth Man of the Year voting.^[27]

In the Eastern Conference First Round of the 1999 NBA playoffs, and for the third consecutive year, the Knicks faced off against the top–seeded, and Atlantic Division champion Miami Heat, who were led by All-Star center, and Defensive Player of the Year, Alonzo Mourning, All-Star guard Tim Hardaway, and Jamal Mashburn.^[28] The Knicks took a 2–1 series lead over the Heat, before losing Game 4 at home at Madison Square Garden, 87–72. With the series tied at 2–2, the Knicks won Game 5 over the Heat on the road, 78–77 at the Miami Arena, in which Houston hit the game-winning buzzer-beater; the Knicks defeated the Heat in a hard-fought five-game series, and became the second 8th–seeded team in NBA history to defeat the first–seeded team.^[29][30][31]

In the Eastern Conference Semi-finals, the Knicks faced off against the 4th–seeded Atlanta Hawks, who were led by All-Star center Dikembe Mutombo, All-Star guard Steve Smith and Mookie Blaylock. Despite the Hawks having home-court advantage in the series, the Knicks won the first two games on the road at the Georgia Dome, before winning the next two games at Madison Square Garden, winning Game 4 over the Hawks by a score of 79–66 to complete a four-game sweep of the series, and become the first #8 seed in NBA history to do so.^[32][33][34] After struggling during most of the regular season, Camby emerged as a key player off a deep Knicks bench, particularly with his 11 points and 13 rebounds in Game 2.^[35]

In the Eastern Conference Finals, and for the second consecutive year, the Knicks faced off against the 2nd–seeded, and Central Division champion Indiana Pacers, who were led by All-Star guard Reggie Miller, All-Star center Rik Smits, and sixth man Jalen Rose.^[36] The Knicks won Game 1 over the Pacers on the road, 93–90 at the Market Square Arena, but then lost Game 2 to the Pacers, 88–86. In Game 2, the Knicks lost Ewing to injury for the remainder of the playoffs; Ewing had been battling an Achilles tendon injury, and it was learned that the tendon was partially torn, forcing an end to his season.^[37][38][39] The Knicks were rescued by Johnson in Game 3 at Madison Square Garden; standing outside the three-point line with 11.9 seconds left, Johnson held the ball, and then began to dribble; he leaned into Pacers defender Antonio Davis before jumping up. The referee called the foul about a half-second before Johnson released the ball, but it was counted as a continuation shooting foul; the three-point basket, and the ensuing free throw gave the Knicks a 92–91 victory.^[40][41][42]

The Pacers evened the series with a 90–78 win in Game 4, but the Knicks won Game 5 at Market Square Arena, 101–94. At home in Game 6, the Knicks won 90–82, despite losing Johnson to a knee injury in the first half. Led by Houston's 32-point performance and defense against Miller, who struggled and only made 3 out of 18 field-goal attempts, the Knicks won the series over the Pacers in six games, and advanced to the NBA Finals for the second time in six seasons.^[43][44][45] The Knicks' 27–23 record was the worst for a team to reach the NBA Finals, since the Houston Rockets did it with a 40–42 record in 1981.^[46] They also became the first #8 seed to reach the Finals, a feat that has since only been repeated once by the Miami Heat in the 2022–23 season.

In the 1999 NBA Finals, the Knicks faced off against the top–seeded San Antonio Spurs, who were led by All-Star forward Tim Duncan, All-Star center David Robinson, and Sean Elliott. The Knicks lost the first two games to the Spurs on the road at the Alamodome, but managed to win Game 3 at home, 89–81 at Madison Square Garden. However, the Knicks lost their next two home games, including a Game 5 loss to the Spurs at Madison Square Garden, 78–77, despite Sprewell's double-double performance of 35 points and 10 rebounds, as Spurs guard Avery Johnson hit the game-winning shot. The Knicks lost the series in five games, as the Spurs won their first ever NBA championship in franchise history.^[47][48][49] In the Finals, Sprewell averaged 26.0 points per game, and Houston provided with 21.6 points per game; the Knicks defense did not allow any opponent to score more than 96 points against them in their 20 playoff games.^[50] The Knicks would not return to the NBA Finals again until the 2025–26 season.

The Knicks finished third in the NBA in home-game attendance, with an attendance of 494,075 at Madison Square Garden during the regular season.^[26][51] Following the season, veteran center Herb Williams retired at age 41.^[52] The team's season roster has been featured in the basketball game series NBA 2K since the 19th installment NBA 2K18.