Willis Reed Powered Knicks Past Lakers on May 8, 1970 — Last Time Knicks Were In The Finals

Willis Reed’s return on May 8, 1970, pushed the Knicks past the Los Angeles Lakers in the deciding game of the NBA Finals, the last time knicks were in the finals and the franchise finished with a title. Reed was listed as doubtful, then came onto the court at Madison Square Garden and changed the night with two jumpers.

Reed at Madison Square Garden

Reed was the Knicks’ captain and center, and his right leg had been numbed with cortisone and Carbocaine before he limped out for Game 7. He scored two precise yet floor-bound jumpers in the deciding game, the kind of contribution that gave the Knicks their opening against Los Angeles and set the tone for the final result.

When Reed left the game, Walt Frazier took over. He finished with thirty-six points and nineteen assists, a line that carried the Knicks the rest of the way against the Lakers.

1970 and 1973 for New York

The 1970 title was one of only two Knicks championships in the postwar era. The other came in 1973, again against the Lakers, and that same championship team included Earl Monroe, Bill Bradley, Dave DeBusschere, Dick Barnett, Phil Jackson, Cazzie Russell, and Mike Riordan under coach Red Holzman.

For Knicks fans, that left a half century of frustration after those two titles. The franchise’s most triumphant night in New York sports history still points back to Reed’s return, the Game 7 win, and a championship that has never been matched since.