Knicks Proud to End MSG's Clinching Drought

For the New York Knicks, there's finally no place like home.

Seventh Avenue hosted its most raucous Madison Square Garden party in nearly three decades on Friday night, as the Knicks secured their reservation in Eastern Conference Finals since 2000 with an emphatic 119-81 win over the Boston Celtics.

"I don't even know if I was alive," Knicks depth star Miles McBride said with a smirk when asked if he recalled the franchise's last ECF appearance in video from SNY. "But it's something New York deserves. The way they support us through the ups and downs, it's truly amazing to play here in New York and play at MSG."

In addition to snapping what was the third-longest active final four drought on the NBA ledgers, the Knicks secured the necessary fourth win of series advancement in front of a friendly crowd for the first time since punch their NBA Finals ticket back in 1999, just over a year before McBride, 24, was born in Cincinnati.

Though their own celebration was muted with the acknowledgement of the upcoming, long-sought ECF series against the Indiana Pacers, the Knicks at least seemed proud of what they were able to accomplish for their long-suffering yet long-loyal fanbase.

"[We] definitely felt the energy," captain Jalen Brunson said in video from SNY. "The way they've been supporting us all year, it's been remarkable, so I'm just really happy we were able to do that."

Denied a glimpse of live postseason advancement for so long, Knicks fans were allowed to bask in this triumph: the tightly-contested nature of the series (where the Knicks' three wins were earned by a combined 12 points) was long-forgotten on Friday, as the Knicks never relinquished a double-figure lead once it was established in the early stages of the second period.

The Knicks set a new franchise record on Friday, as the 38-point margin of victory was their largest in their postseason history. Somehow the game seemed further distanced than the scoreboard indicated as the Knicks were frequently inflating their advantage as they further deflated Boston's will.

New York management even dedicated the final stages of the game to their fans: when the 19,000-plus at MSG—a population that included celebrity superfans like Timothee Chalamet, Spike Lee, Tracy Morgan, Ben Stiller, Russell Wilson, and countless Knick legends—called for the insertion of cult favorite veteran PJ Tucker, head coach Tom Thibodeau acquiesced with just about four minutes left, ending the lone bit of drama left under MSG's roof.

The long-sought breezy victory—which was only the Knicks' fifth double-figure playoff win since 2014—only allowed fans to build up their energy for the raucous aftermath, igniting a celebration 26 years in the making.

“Josh (Hart) showed me a video, walking over here, of people climbing up lightposts," Mikal Bridges said of the euphoric, viral aftermath, per James Edwards III of The Athletic. “It’s crazy, man. Great for them. Happy for them. Obviously, I’m new here, but I know how much New York loves their sports, especially the Knicks. I’m so excited to be a part of it.

“They can enjoy it for us right now, but obviously, we’ve got way more to go. I’m happy for them.”