During a two-decade long stretch in the 20th century, fans of the New York Knicks waited season after season for their team to return to The Finals stage after they won it all in 1974. Many seasons of heartbreak, disappointment and unfulfilled dreams spanned that 20-year stretch until June 5, 1994.
It was on that date that Patrick Ewing and the Knicks returned to The Finals stage, albeit in thrilling fashion. New York powered past the Indiana Pacers 94-90 in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals to reach its first Finals since 1974. Ewing put the Knicks on his back, scoring 24 points and hauling in 22 rebounds in the win.
The Knicks had to claw back into the game, using an 18-9 run to open the fourth quarter. The victory was sealed when Ewing delivered a put-back dunk off John Starks’ missed layup with 26.9 seconds left.
“If we were going to go down, I wanted it to be in my hands. I mean, if we lose, I’m going to get the blame anyway,” Ewing said after the Game 7 win.
The Knicks would go on to lose in seven games to the Houston Rockets in The Finals.
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