Life in New York has revolved around one thing for the past week — basketball. Nothing else seems to matter!
The Knicks are New York’s basketball team. Despite being based in the wealthiest city in the world, they last reached the NBA Finals in 1999. We were all in school back then — 27 years ago!
The last time the New York Knicks won the NBA Finals and became champions was in 1973. Many of us had not even been born yet — that was 53 years ago! Now imagine what is happening in the city as the beloved team leads the Finals series 3-1.
The NBA Finals are not a single game but a best-of-seven series. Teams can play anywhere from four to seven games, and the championship goes to the first team that wins four games. The Knicks currently lead the Finals series 3-1 and need just one more victory to become NBA champions. Their opponent is the San Antonio Spurs, who last won an NBA championship in 2014.
It is hard to believe, but it feels as if a quarter of the city’s population is wearing Knicks merchandise. The entire skyline is illuminated in blue and orange. Every casual conversation begins with a discussion of the latest games.
This week has been especially dramatic:
- On Monday, June 8, with a 2-0 series lead and playing at home in Madison Square Garden in front of a crowd packed with celebrities, including the Mayor of New York City and the President of the United States, the Knicks lost 115-111. Everyone was stunned.
- Yesterday, by the end of the first half, the Knicks were trailing by 24 points (49-73). With 5.7 seconds remaining, still behind on the scoreboard, the Knicks inbounded the ball. Jalen Brunson launched a deep three-point shot in desperation, but the ball hit the front rim and bounced away. Then OG Anunoby leaped for the rebound and, with a soft touch, redirected the ball into the basket with just 1.2 seconds left before the buzzer. The comeback became the largest in NBA Finals history.
The next game between the New York Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs will take place on Saturday, June 13, in Texas and could bring the Knicks their first championship in more than five decades. If they do not win, the following game will be played on Tuesday, June 16, at Madison Square Garden. If the series remains tied after that, it will return to Texas for another game on Friday, June 19.
