History on This Day: Knicks become first No. 8 seed to reach NBA Finals
On this day in 1999, Allan Houston and Latrell Sprewell combined to score 52 points to lead the New York Knicks to a series victory over the Indiana Pacers and advance to the NBA Finals.
Houston finished with a team-high 32 points, while Sprewell had 20 points in the 90-82 win as the Knicks took the series in six games. With the win, the Knicks became the first No. 8 seed in history to reach the NBA Finals after finishing the regular season with a 27-23 record.
The Knicks needed the heroics of Houston to accomplish that rare feat.
New York faced a win-or-go-home situation in the first round versus the Miami Heat. In Game 5, the Knicks were down one point in the closing seconds, but Houston hit a one-handed runner with 0.8 seconds left to clinch the win and series.
They were just the second No. 8 seed to knock off a No. 1 seed.
The magical ride by the Knicks that season would end with the team losing in five games to the San Antonio Spurs. They proved to be no match for Tim Duncan and David Robinson as the Spurs claimed their first NBA championship.
Still, that Knicks team will go down as one of the best underdogs in history.
This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!
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