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New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) reacts in the third quarter against the Cleveland Cavaliers during game four of the eastern conference finals for the 2026 NBA playoffs.
Ken Blaze-Imagn Images
So the oddsmakers say the Knicks are the underdogs. They say they won’t beat the San Antonio Spurs and their 7-foot-4 freak center Victor Wembanyama in the NBA Finals starting Wednesday night.
Yet the bookmakers also said the Knicks would never make it to the Finals; they said it would be Boston or Detroit.
But a funny thing happened along the way to the Knicks’ expected burial.
The team started playing the best basketball this city has seen since the glory days of 1969-’73, and the last time the Knicks won an NBA championship.
They haven’t lost since April 23. They’ve won 11 straight postseason games by an average of 19.4 points, easily the best in NBA playoff history.
Most recently, they cruised to the Eastern Conference title in a four-game beatdown of the Cleveland Cadavers . . . ur, Cavaliers. This followed 86’ing the 76ers in four games and turning the Hawks into doves in six.
Now New York fans aren’t just dreaming of past Knicks glory days: This 2026 iteration is providing new glories — in abundance
They’ve been getting better and better all year long, especially on defense — the hallmark of past Knick champions — as Karl-Anthony Towns came into his own as a two-way menace and Mike Brown’s coaching philosophy took full hold.
Sure, they face infinite questions: Can OG Anunoby continue to control Wembanyama? Will Mitchell Robinson perform despite his broken left pinky?
But many are positive unknowns: How will Jalen Brunson’s brilliant leadership undo the Spurs’ gameplans?
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How much of an edge will the Knicks draw from the experience of Mikal Bridges and the team’s other vets?
New York has played 56 playoff games in Brunson’s four years; with Game 2, it’ll officially become the league’s most-postseason-experienced team over that period.
And the Knicks have been playing some of the best basketball of their lives; the team’s energy is electrifying the city from The Bronx to Coney Island.
The Boss’ “Glory Days” sums up fans’ hopes and dreams right now:
“Alright, boys, keep it rockin’ now
“Keep on goin’
“We’re goin’ for home now
“Bring it home, yeah.”
Let’s go, Knicks.
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