New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson. Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Knicks end 25-year drought in Game 6 win over Celtics

By Clark Dalton | Last updated May 17, 2025 12:10 AM ET

It's fair to say these aren't the same old New York Knicks.

On Friday night at Madison Square Garden, the No. 3 seed Knicks hosted the No. 2 seed Boston Celtics in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.

It could've been a prime opportunity for the defending champions to steal a game on the road, especially after they crushed the Knicks 127-102 in Game 5 on Wednesday. Remember that star Celtics forward Jayson Tatum didn't play after suffering an Achilles injury in Game 4.

Instead of wilting, the Knicks took care of business. They demolished the Celtics 119-81. After the win, the New York Post shared a clip of fans partying on Seventh Avenue.

7th Avenue is electric!

The Knicks are back in the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in 25 years!! pic.twitter.com/zrtGDWq2S4
— New York Post Sports (@nypostsports) May 17, 2025

Who could blame them? It's the first time the Knicks have made the Eastern Conference Finals in 25 years.

In a postgame interview with ESPN's "SportsCenter," Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns said the long-suffering fans "found another level tonight." Perhaps the energy of the fans powered the Knicks' dominant performance.

All the Knicks starters scored in double figures. Four scored at least 20 points, including guard Jalen Brunson, who had 23.

THE KNICKS' STARTERS WENT TO WORK IN GAME 6

A statement win from New York to knock out the defending champs pic.twitter.com/jq8mYCxzvZ
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) May 17, 2025

Still, Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau wants more.

"The goal is always to win a championship, the coach said in a postgame news conference, via The Athletic's Fred Katz. "We've got eight wins. We need 16."

The Knicks haven't won a championship since the 1972-73 season. They last made the NBA Finals in 1999, losing to the San Antonio Spurs in five games.

In the next round, they'll face the No. 4 seed Indiana Pacers, who beat the No. 1 seed Cleveland Cavaliers in five games in the Eastern Conference semifinals. Game 1 is scheduled for May 21 in New York at 8 p.m. ET on TNT/Max.

While it should be a challenging matchup for the Knicks, they've already ended one playoff drought this season and may have what it takes to end another.

Clark Dalton

Dalton is a 2022 journalism graduate of the University of Texas at Austin. He gained experience in sports media over the past seven years — from live broadcasting and creating short films to podcasting and producing. In college, he wrote for The Daily Texan. He loves sports and enjoys hiking, kayaking and camping.

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