It’s been 26 years since the New York Knicks last closed out a playoff series at Madison Square Garden. Tonight, they have a chance to rewrite history, as they face the Detroit Pistons in Game 5 of their first-round series.
The last time the Knicks did so was in 1999, when they stunned the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals — a run that also marked their last appearance in the NBA Finals. Strangely enough, the 1999 roster and this year’s 2025 team share more similarities than many fans realize:
- Rick Brunson, father of current star Jalen Brunson, was an active player
- Dominant centers: Patrick Ewing and Karl-Anthony Towns
- Defensive enforcers: Latrell Sprewell and OG Anunoby
- Two-way scorers: Allan Houston and Mikal Bridges
- Top-10 defensive coaches: Jeff Van Gundy and Tom Thibodeau
Of course, the game has changed dramatically since 1999 — more 3s, less contact, and what many legends call a “softened” style of basketball. But the 2025 Knicks haven’t backed down from the physicality the Pistons bring — they’ve embraced it.
Knicks are embracing the fight
Despite early predictions from analysts picking Detroit to pull off a first-round upset, the Pistons have struggled to back up their talk. Their vow to be the more physical, dominant team has backfired in several key ways:
- Starters are regularly in foul trouble
- Coach’s challenges have been unsuccessful
- The team still hasn’t won a home playoff game in 17 years
The Knicks, meanwhile, prepared for this. They knew the Pistons’ youth and inexperience would show — and they’ve adjusted accordingly. What’s emerged is a clear identity led by the co-captain duo of Towns and Brunson, who aren’t just leading this Knicks squad — they’re owning New York.
What would a win mean for the Knicks?
A Game 5 win at the Garden would do more than punch New York’s ticket to the next round. It would offer redemption.
In the 2024 first-round series against the 76ers, a missed travel call on Tyrese Maxey extended the series to a sixth game, eventually closed out thanks to Josh Hart’s late-game heroics.
This year, the Knicks need to make up for their lackluster Game 2 showing at home. Send the fans home happier than they arrived, and give the starters some much-needed rest ahead of what’s shaping up to be a second-round showdown with the Boston Celtics.
The crowd isn’t just hungry for revenge against their division rivals — they believe this team can do something special. So what does a win do for the Knicks? It should be what it's going to do for the fans of Detroit.