Flashbacks flooded Friday’s broadcast of Game 6 of an Eastern Conference semifinal between the Boston Celtics and New York Knicks, longtime rivals with decidedly polar pedigrees over the past quarter-century.
Footage of former Knicks luminaries at courtside at Madison Square Garden is a constant no matter the stakes. As New York continued hobbling the defending NBA champs on the way to a 119-81 runaway victory, however, references and video from the last Knicks club to reach a conference final — in 2000, egad — rolled, too.
A fan base howling and thirsting for this moment will have until Wednesday to keep partying like it’s the year after 1999. The Knicks plan to get back to business sooner, with the Indiana Pacers visiting the Garden to open the East finals.
“Our season’s not over,” New York’s Jalen Brunson said. “We got so much more to go.”
Allow Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau to explain exactly how much — without exploring the intangibles of 1973, the last time New York claimed an NBA title.
“I think the way you have to look at it is whatever your ceiling is, that’s what you’re striving for,” Thibodeau said. “You’re trying to go past whatever the expectations are for you. The goal is always to win a championship. We’ve got eight wins. You need 16. And each one gets harder and harder. You’ve got to keep fighting.”
New York squandered an earlier attempt to earn its eighth victory of the postseason. With the Celtics seemingly dazed from losing star Jayson Tatum to a season-ending Achilles tendon injury late in Game 4, Boston instead responded with a rousing 127-102 home win in Wednesday’s Game 5 to avoid elimination.
As Brunson battled foul trouble and Josh Hart navigated a gash over his eye, the Knicks faded after playing the Celtics even in the first half.
“Just the way, that whole Game 5, that just wasn’t us,” Brunson said. “We knew that, we reflected on it, we came back and knew we needed to be better.”
The Knicks showed similar resolve against the Detroit Pistons in the first round. Unable to close out the Pistons at the Garden in Game 5, New York didn’t waste its next opportunity in Detroit two nights later.
Friday brought arguably the most complete game New York has played all season. With Brunson and OG Anunoby leading the way with 23 points each, four Knicks finished with at least 21 points.
Hart, the other New York starter, wasn’t shabby himself, contributing 10 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists for the first franchise postseason triple-double since Walt Frazier.
If you’re a Knicks fan lacking a certain vintage, “Clyde” was that suave gent with the goatee and mustard gold Puma top at courtside Friday.
Frazier and Co. will have at least two more chances for national TV face time — unless they travel to Indiana, too.
At any rate, the East finals — a rematch of a seven-game semifinal tussle last season — don’t figure to be short. The rested Pacers just knocked off the top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers in five games and retained much of the core that overcame a 2-0 series deficit against the Knicks last season.
Playing in a city and arena with plenty of glitz, the Knicks realize they’ll need grit.
Nothing new there.
“It’s how you respond to the challenge that’s in front of you,” Thibodeau said. “We can’t get carried away. Obviously, it’s a great win and we advance, you look at that, but you also understand you have to get ready for the next series. We know Indiana is a terrific team and we have to be ready.”
