#2 NEW YORK KNICKS VS. #3 INDIANA PACERS
The New York Knicks are finally back as one of the Eastern Conference’s best teams, but they’ll have to get past the Indiana Pacers if they want the chance to prove they’re the best. The Knicks were able to beat the rival Celtics in the first round while the Pacers didn’t have too much trouble besting the Hawks to set up the semifinal.
Carmelo Anthony was this year’s scoring leader, so a lot of the Pacers defense will be concentrated on stopping him. Meanwhile, the Pacers have a plethora of players that can step up on any given night, including 6'8 forward Paul George and point guard George Hill.
NEW YORK KNICKS INFORMATION:
Founded: 1946
Location: New York City, New York
Stadium: Madison Square Garden
Conference: Eastern Conference
Division: Atlantic Division
Rivals: Miami Heat, Chicago Bulls
Dancers: Knicks City Dancers
Notable Players: Walt Bellamy, Bill Bradley, Walt Frazier, Bernard King, Patrick Ewing
New York Knicks Championship Titles: 2
New York Knicks Conference Titles: 8
See Also:
New York Knicks Playoff tickets
New York Knicks Season Preview History
NEW YORK KNICKS EXPERIENCE:
As one of the original charter members of the National Basketball Association, the New York Knicks have a storied history that began in 1946. The Knicks have always been based out of Madison Square Garden in the heart of Manhattan, helping the team become one of the most recognizable franchises in the world of sports. The Knicks started off with a bang in their early years, making the NBA Finals three straight seasons from 1950-51 to 1952-53, but lost each time they made an appearance. It wasn't until the late '60s that the team would score on a number of draft picks and start to develop a squad that would eventually capture the league crown.
In 1967, the New York Knicks hired Red Holzman as their head coach, who became one of the faces of the franchise and whose name is spoken with admiration to this day. The team also accrued a number of stars, including Walt Frazier, Willis Reed and Dick Barnett. The Knicks won the NBA Finals in 1970 and 1973 before falling apart in the late '70s and early '80s when they made sporadic playoff appearances and struggled to recapture their former glory.
It was the abysmal 1984-85 season that gave the Knicks the top spot in the NBA draft lottery, allowing them to pick up center Patrick Ewing, who would become the golden boy of the franchise in the early part of the '90s. The team hired championship-winning coach Pat Riley and surrounded Ewing with impressive talent such as John Starks, Mark Jackson and Charles Oakley. While this team was one of the most competitive the Knicks have put on the court since their championship years, they were on the wrong side of history. The Knicks had to deal with the growing juggernaut that was the Chicago Bulls, and the team was never able to overcome the overwhelming amount of talent that the dynasty had over the league.
After the forgettable years of Isiah Thomas as president of basketball operations and questionable free agent decisions, the New York Knicks finally made it back to the playoffs in 2010, but were eliminated quickly by the Boston Celtics. With the arrival of Carmelo Anthony and Amar'e Stoudemire, the team has a bright future and looks to become one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference for years to come.