| During the Knicks' slide into
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| | The entire starting line up for the 69-70
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| uselessness, there were signs of better
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| | Knicks had their jerseys retired by the
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| things to come. In 1964, the Knicks draft
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| | New York Knicks. The jerseys of Walt
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| Willis Reed, who went on to become 1965's
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| | Clyde Frazier #10, Willis Reed #19, Dave
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| NBA Rookie of the Year. In 1967, right
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| | DeBusschere #22, Bill Bradley #24, and
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| after the Knicks made it to the playoffs
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| | Dick Barnett #12 all hang from the
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| for the first time since 1959; the Knicks
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| | rafters at Madison Square Garden. Reed
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| hired Red Holzman as their head coach.
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| | walking on to the court was voted the
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| With Holzman at the helm, and young
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| | greatest moment in Madison Square Garden
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| players such as Bill Bradley and Walt
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| | history.
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| "Clyde" Frazier, the Knicks were a
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| | The Knicks' success continued for the
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| playoff team once more in 1968.
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| | next few years. After losing to the
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| The next season, the Knicks team acquired
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| | Bullets in the 1971 Eastern Conference
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| Dave DeBusschere from the Detroit
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| | finals, the team, aided by the
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| Pistons, and the team went 54-28. In the
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| | acquisitions of Jerry Lucas and Earl "The
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| ensuing playoffs, the Knicks team made it
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| | Pearl" Monroe, returned to the Finals in
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| past the first round of the playoffs for
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| | 1972. This time the Knicks fell to the
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| the first time since 1953, sweeping the
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| | Lakers in five games. The next year, the
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| Baltimore Bullets in three games, before
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| | results were reversed, as the Knicks
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| falling to the Boston Celtics in the
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| | defeated the Lakers in five games to win
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| Eastern Division finals.
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| | their second NBA title. The team had one
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| In the 1969-70 seasons, the Knicks had a
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| | more impressive season in 1973-74, as
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| then-NBA record 18 straight victories en
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| | they reached the Eastern Conference
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| route to 60-22 record, which was the best
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| | finals, where they fell in five games to
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| regular season record in the team's
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| | the Celtics. It was after this season
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| history. After defeating the Bullets in
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| | that Reed announced his retirement, and
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| the Eastern Division semifinals and the
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| | the team's fortunes took turn for the
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| Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Division
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| | worse.
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| finals, the Knicks defeated the Los
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| | In the 1974-75 season, the Knicks posted
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| Angeles Lakers in seven games to capture
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| | a 40-42 record, their first losing record
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| their first NBA title.
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| | in eight seasons. However, the record
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| Without question, the important moment in
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| | still qualified them for a playoff spot,
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| the series occurred in Game 7, where an
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| | though the Knicks lost to the Houston
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| injured Reed limped onto the court right
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| | Rockets in the first round. After two
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| previous to the start of the game. Marv
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| | more seasons with losing records, Holzman
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| Albert described it: "Here comes Willis!
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| | was replaced behind the bench by Reed. In
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| The crowd is going wild! Willis passes
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| | Reed's first year coaching the team, they
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| the scorers table, he grabs a basketball.
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| | posted a 43-39 record and made it to the
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| The Lakers have congested (shooting), the
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| | Eastern Conference semifinals, where they
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| Lakers are watching Willis!" He scored
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| | were swept by the Philadelphia 76ers. The
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| the game's first two baskets before
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| | next season, after the team got off to a
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| sitting out for the remainder of the
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| | 6-8 start, Holzman was rehired as the
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| contest. Despite his absence for most of
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| | team's coach. The Knicks team did not
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| the game, Reed's heroics inspired the
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| | fare any better that season, finishing
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| team, and they won the game by a score of
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| | with a 31-51 record, their worst in
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| 113-99.
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| | thirteen years.
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