New York Knicks playoff history after ending long NBA Finals drought
yahoo - 5/27/2026 8:59:25 PM - GMT (+2 )

New York Knicks fans had gone through droughts before. But none quite like the one Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns and company ended when they secured the Knicks spot in the 2026 NBA Finals earlier this week with a four-game sweep of the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference finals.

This will be the Knicks' first Finals appearance since 1999 and those 27 years represent the longest gap in time New York has gone without making the sport's championship series. They've reached this stage eight times before, with two titles in franchise history. But those came in 1970 (when Willis Reed famously played through injury in Game 7 against the Lakers) and 1973 (when Reed was named Finals MVP).

More recently, the franchise had mostly been a non-factor in the postseason since the heyday of Pat Riley, Patrick Ewing and the 1990s Knicks that made two NBA Finals appearances and could never get past Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls. But Brunson helped spur a resurgence upon signing with New York in 2022, leading the team to four-straight playoff appearances that culminated with its thrashing of the Cavaliers.

Here's a breakdown of all the NBA playoff appearances made by the New York Knicks since the league's inception, including how they did in every series:

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New York Knicks NBA playoff history

Note: The Knicks were members of the Basketball Association of America (BAA) before the BAA merged with the National Basketball League (NBL) to form the National Basketball Association (NBA) in 1949.

  • 1947: Beat Cleveland Rebels in first round (2-1); lost to Philadelphia Warriors in semifinals (2-0)
  • 1948: Lost to Baltimore Bullets in first round (2-1)
  • 1949: Beat Baltimore Bullets in first round (2-1); Lost to Washington Capitols in East finals (2-1)
  • 1950: Beat Washington Capitols in East semifinals (2-0); Lost to Syracuse Nationals in East finals (2-1)
  • 1951: Beat Boston Celtics in East semifinals (2-0); beat Syracuse Nationals in East finals (3-2); lost to Rochester Royals in NBA Finals (4-3)
  • 1952: Beat Boston Celtics in East semifinals (2-1); beat Syracuse Nationals in East finals (3-1); lost to Minneapolis Lakers in NBA Finals (4-3)
  • 1953: Beat Baltimore Bullets in East semifinals (2-0); beat Boston Celtics in East finals (3-1); lost to Minneapolis Lakers in NBA Finals (4-1)
  • 1955: Lost to Boston Celtics in East semifinals (2-1)
  • 1956: Lost to Syracuse Nationals in East tiebreaker (1-0)
  • 1959: Lost to Syracuse Nationals in East semifinals (2-0)
  • 1967: Lost to Boston Celtics in East semifinals (3-1)
  • 1968: Lost to Philadelphia 76ers in East semifinals (4-2)
  • 1969: Beat Baltimore Bullets in East semifinals (4-0); lost to Boston Celtics in East finals (4-2)
  • 1970: Beat Baltimore Bullets in East semifinals (4-3); beat Milwaukee Bucks in East finals (4-1); beat Los Angeles Lakers in NBA Finals (4-3)
  • 1971: Beat Atlanta Hawks in East semifinals (4-1); lost to Baltimore Bullets in East finals (4-3)
  • 1972: Beat Baltimore Bullets in East semifinals (4-2); beat Boston Celtics in East finals (4-1); lost to Los Angeles Lakers in NBA Finals (4-1)
  • 1973: Beat Baltimore Bullets in East semifinals (4-1); beat Boston Celtics in East finals (4-3); beat Los Angeles Lakers in NBA Finals (4-1)
  • 1974: Beat Capitol Bullets in East semifinals (4-3); lost to Boston Celtics in East finals (4-1)
  • 1975: Lost to Houston Rockets in East first round (2-1)
  • 1978: Beat Cleveland Cavaliers in East first round (2-0); lost to Philadelphia 76ers in East semifinals (4-0)
  • 1981: Lost to Chicago Bulls in East first round (2-0)
  • 1983: Beat New Jersey Nets in East first round (2-0); lost to Philadelphia 76ers in East semifinals (4-0)
  • 1984: Beat Detroit Pistons in East first round (3-2); lost to Boston Celtics in East semifinals (4-3)
  • 1988: Lost to Boston Celtics in East first round (3-1)
  • 1989: Beat Philadelphia 76ers in East first round (3-0); lost to Chicago Bulls in East semifinals (4-2)
  • 1990: Beat Boston Celtics in East first round (3-2); lost to Detroit Pistons in East semifinals (4-1)
  • 1991: Lost to Chicago Bulls in East first round (3-0)
  • 1992: Beat Detroit Pistons in East first round (3-2); lost to Chicago Bulls in East semifinals (4-3)
  • 1993: Beat Indiana Pacers in East first round (3-1); beat Charlotte Hornets in East semifinals (4-1); lost to Chicago Bulls in East finals (4-2)
  • 1994: Beat New Jersey Nets in East first round (3-1); beat Chicago Bulls in East semifinals (4-3); beat Indiana Pacers in East finals (4-3); lost to Houston Rockets in NBA Finals (4-3)
  • 1995: Beat Cleveland Cavaliers in East first round (3-1); lost to Indiana Pacers in East semifinals (4-3)
  • 1996: Beat Cleveland Cavaliers in East first round (3-0); lost to Chicago Bulls in East semifinals (4-1)
  • 1997: Beat Charlotte Hornets in East first round (3-0); lost to Miami Heat in East semifinals (4-3)
  • 1998: Beat Miami Heat in East first round (3-2); lost to Indiana Pacers in East semifinals (4-1)
  • 1999: Beat Miami Heat in East first round (3-2); beat Atlanta Hawks in East semifinals (4-0); beat Indiana Pacers in East finals (4-2); lost to San Antonio Spurs in NBA Finals (4-1)
  • 2000: Beat Toronto Raptors in East first round (3-0); beat Miami Heat in East semifinals (4-3); lost to Indiana Pacers in East finals (4-2)
  • 2001: Lost to Toronto Raptors in East first round (3-2)
  • 2004: Lost to New Jersey Nets in East first round (4-0)
  • 2011: Lost to Boston Celtics in East first round (4-0)
  • 2012: Lost to Miami Heat in East first round (4-1)
  • 2013: Beat Boston Celtics in East first round (4-2); lost to Indiana Pacers in East semifinals (4-2)
  • 2021: Lost to Atlanta Hawks in East first round (4-1)
  • 2023: Beat Cleveland Cavaliers in East first round (4-1); lost to Miami Heat in East semifinals (4-2)
  • 2024: Beat Philadelphia 76ers in East first round (4-2); lost to Indiana Pacers in East semifinals (4-3)
  • 2025: Beat Detroit Pistons in East first round (4-2); beat Boston Celtics in East semifinals (4-2); lost to Indiana Pacers in East finals (4-2)
  • 2026: Beat Atlanta Hawks in East first round (4-2); beat Philadelphia 76ers in East semifinals (4-0); beat Cleveland Cavaliers in East finals (4-0)

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: New York Knicks playoff history before NBA Finals: How they've fared



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