The 1999–2000 NBA season was the 53rd season of the team in the
National Basketball Association.[1] The Knicks entered the season as runner-ups of the
1999 NBA Finals, where despite losing to the
San Antonio Spurs in five games, they became the first eighth seeded team to reach the NBA Finals. During the off-season, the team signed free agents
John Wallace and
Andrew Lang; Wallace previously played for the Knicks during the 1996–97 season.[2][3][4][5] After advancing to the
NBA Finals as the #8 seed last year, the Knicks won their first three games, but then lost seven of their next ten games, as
Patrick Ewing missed the first 20 games with Achilles tendonitis.[6][7][8][9] However, they won 11 of their next 13 games, then later on held a 29–18 record at the All-Star break,[10] and finished second in the Atlantic Division with a 50–32 record, good enough for their first 50-win season since 1997.[11]
Allan Houston led the team in scoring averaging 19.7 points per game, while
Latrell Sprewell, who became the team's starting small forward after playing off the bench the previous season, averaged 18.6 points and 1.3 steals per game, and Ewing provided the team with 15.0 points, 9.7 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game. In addition,
Larry Johnson contributed 10.7 points and 5.4 rebounds per game, while
Marcus Camby played a sixth man role averaging 10.2 points, 7.8 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per game off the bench, but only played 59 games due to a knee injury.[12][13][14]Kurt Thomas provided with 8.0 points and 6.3 rebounds per game also off the bench, while
Charlie Ward contributed 7.3 points, 4.2 assists and 1.3 steals per game, and
Chris Childs contributed 5.3 points and 4.0 assists per game off the bench.[15] Houston and head coach
Jeff Van Gundy both represented the Eastern Conference during the
2000 NBA All-Star Game.[16][17][18][19][20][21]
In the Eastern Conference First Round of the
playoffs, the Knicks swept the
Toronto Raptors in three straight games.[22][23][24][25] In the Eastern Conference Semi-finals, they faced the
Miami Heat for the fourth consecutive year. Despite trailing 2–3 after losing Game 5 in Miami, 87–81,[26][27][28] the Knicks would defeat the 2nd-seeded Heat in a tough, hard-fought seven-game series,[29][30][31][32] but would lose in six games to the
Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference finals, ending their hopes of making the Finals for a second straight year.[33][34][35][36] The Pacers would lose in six games to the
Los Angeles Lakers in the
NBA Finals.[37][38][39][40][41] As of 2023, this marks the last time the Knicks had reached the Eastern Conference finals.
The 1999–2000 NBA season was the 53rd season of the team in the
National Basketball Association.[1] The Knicks entered the season as runner-ups of the
1999 NBA Finals, where despite losing to the
San Antonio Spurs in five games, they became the first eighth seeded team to reach the NBA Finals. During the off-season, the team signed free agents
John Wallace and
Andrew Lang; Wallace previously played for the Knicks during the 1996–97 season.[2][3][4][5] After advancing to the
NBA Finals as the #8 seed last year, the Knicks won their first three games, but then lost seven of their next ten games, as
Patrick Ewing missed the first 20 games with Achilles tendonitis.[6][7][8][9] However, they won 11 of their next 13 games, then later on held a 29–18 record at the All-Star break,[10] and finished second in the Atlantic Division with a 50–32 record, good enough for their first 50-win season since 1997.[11]
Allan Houston led the team in scoring averaging 19.7 points per game, while
Latrell Sprewell, who became the team's starting small forward after playing off the bench the previous season, averaged 18.6 points and 1.3 steals per game, and Ewing provided the team with 15.0 points, 9.7 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game. In addition,
Larry Johnson contributed 10.7 points and 5.4 rebounds per game, while
Marcus Camby played a sixth man role averaging 10.2 points, 7.8 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per game off the bench, but only played 59 games due to a knee injury.[12][13][14]Kurt Thomas provided with 8.0 points and 6.3 rebounds per game also off the bench, while
Charlie Ward contributed 7.3 points, 4.2 assists and 1.3 steals per game, and
Chris Childs contributed 5.3 points and 4.0 assists per game off the bench.[15] Houston and head coach
Jeff Van Gundy both represented the Eastern Conference during the
2000 NBA All-Star Game.[16][17][18][19][20][21]
In the Eastern Conference First Round of the
playoffs, the Knicks swept the
Toronto Raptors in three straight games.[22][23][24][25] In the Eastern Conference Semi-finals, they faced the
Miami Heat for the fourth consecutive year. Despite trailing 2–3 after losing Game 5 in Miami, 87–81,[26][27][28] the Knicks would defeat the 2nd-seeded Heat in a tough, hard-fought seven-game series,[29][30][31][32] but would lose in six games to the
Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference finals, ending their hopes of making the Finals for a second straight year.[33][34][35][36] The Pacers would lose in six games to the
Los Angeles Lakers in the
NBA Finals.[37][38][39][40][41] As of 2023, this marks the last time the Knicks had reached the Eastern Conference finals.