A No. 7 seed has never reached the NBA Finals but there has been one No. 8 seed to pull it off. In 1998-99, the New York Knicks did the unthinkable.
This season, the Miami Heat became just the fifth No. 8 seed to defeat a No. 1 seed in the NBA Playoffs. Now, they must face the only franchise in NBA history to ever reach the Finals as a No. 8 seed in their pursuit to accomplish the same feat.
The Knicks’ magical run as the eight-seeded team in the Eastern Conference in 1998-99 remains the last time they reached an NBA Finals. In a season that was shortened due to a lockout, the Knicks struggled with consistency throughout the regular season, posting a 27-23 record. Led by head coach Jeff Van Gundy, the team was able to change gears come playoff time and showed some serious grit and determination.
NBA history suggests No. 8 seeds struggle
The Heat and Knicks rivalry in the late 90s was as intense and physically demanding as any that we’ve ever seen and this best-of-five series in 1999 was no different. It was a grueling and hard-fought series, but the Knicks had the last laugh when Alan Houston hit a game-winning shot to stun Heat fans in Miami.
One shot helped ignite a team, a fanbase, and a city to believe they have what it takes to beat anyone on any given night. It created a snowball effect that propelled them to sweep the Hawks in the second round of the 1999 Eastern Conference Playoffs.
Led by defensive anchor Dikembe Mutombo and Steve Smith, the Hawks didn’t pose much of a threat to the Knicks. The Knicks won all four games of the series by at least seven points while holding the Hawks to 78 points or less in Games 2-4. The Hawks may have been the higher seed, but the Knicks showed they were the better team.
A not-so-friendly NBA rematch
Next up for the Knicks was a rematch with the Pacers, who had eliminated them from the NBA Playoffs the year prior. The No. 2 seed Pacers had several talented players such as Hall of Famer Reggie Miller, Mark Jackson, and Jalen Rose, among others. As if the Knicks needed any more momentum or motivation as the eighth seed, they were hungry for revenge against the team that sent them home just a year before.
In a highly-contested series, the two teams battled for six games. Games 1-3 had a combined deficit of six points, with no team winning a game by more than three points. With the series tied 2-2, Latrell Sprewell and Alan Houston shouldered the scoring load to help Knicks win the next two games and the series. As a result, the 1998-99 Knicks become the first and only No. 8 seed to reach the NBA Finals.
NBA David vs. Goliath
Unfortunately for the Knicks, they had to face David Robinson, Tim Duncan, and the Spurs in the NBA Finals. The Spurs were the best team in the NBA in 1998-99, posting a 37-13 record during the regular season. Tim Duncan proved too much for the Knicks to handle in his hunt for his first NBA title. In five games, Duncan averaged 27.4 points, 14.0 rebounds, one steal, and 2.2 blocks per game and earned Finals MVP honors.
An unfavorable ending to an improbable story, the 1998-1999 Knicks will forever be regarded as one of the most special and unique stories in NBA history. Alan Houston, Latrell Sprewell, Patrick Ewing, Larry Johnson, Marcus Camby, and the rest of that Knicks roster will always be commemorated for the run they made.
The 2022-23 Miami Heat have an opportunity to put themselves in rarified air if they can continue their postseason success. The only thing currently standing in their way of continuing said success is Jalen Brunson and the Knicks. Rick Brunson, the father of Jalen Brunson and assistant coach for the Knicks, played for the team during their epic run in 1999. He knows that despite being a No. 8 seed they cannot take the Heat lightly.
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