There are any number of reasons why New York’s Madison Square Garden is called “The World’s Most Famous Arena.”
It’s hosted classic boxing matches, from Joe Louis vs. Rocky Marciano to the “Fight of the Century” between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier.
It’s the birthplace of the Big East and the mecca of college basketball.
It’s a legendary concert venue, hosting sold-out shows by Billy Joel, Phish, Harry Styles and so many more.
And its ice is where the NHL’s New York Rangers finally ended their 54-year Stanley Cup drought in 1994.
But nothing gets the joint jumping more than the New York Knicks and the NBA.
Unfortunately for New Yorkers, the Knickerbockers haven’t hosted an NBA Finals game at MSG in 27 years. That all changes on Monday, June 8, when the San Antonio Spurs come to the Big Apple for Game 3.
Let’s take a look back at what happened the last time the Knicks were the talk of the town.
Knicks make stunning run to 1999 NBA Finals
A lockout-shortened 1998-99 regular season spurred some unexpected results once the playoffs rolled around.
Not in the West, where the Spurs − led by big men David Robinson and Tim Duncan − tied for the league’s best record and cruised into the NBA Finals.
In the East, however, the Knicks knocked off the top-seeded Miami Heat in the opening round. (Just the second time in NBA playoff history a No. 8 seed defeated a No. 1.) They went on to defeat the Atlanta Hawks and Indiana Pacers to reach the Finals.
But that’s where the magical ride ended.
Knicks vs. Spurs: NBA Finals Game 5
San Antonio Spurs big men David Robinson, left, and Tim Duncan defend as New York Knicks guard Latrell Sprewell launches a last-second shot in Game 5 of the 1999 NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden.
As was the case during the entire 1999 Finals, defense ruled the roost that June 25 night at Madison Square Garden.
Duncan, Robinson and guard Mario Elie hounded the Knicks into 44% shooting from the field (1-for-9 from 3-point range) and held New York scoreless for the final 3:12 of the game for a 78-77 win.
Behind guard Latrell Sprewell, the Knicks jumped out to an early lead. The Spurs came back to open up as much as a nine-point lead in the third quarter, but a 16-3 Knicks run put them back on top.
That’s when Duncan took over. He scored 14 of the Spurs’ next 15 points and assisted on an Elie 3-pointer to tie the game at 75 with 3:36 left.
On the next possession, Duncan fouled Sprewell, who hit both free throws to give New York a 77-75 advantage. But the Knicks missed their final five shots and Avery Johnson’s 18-foot jumper with 47 seconds left proved to be the difference.
Sprewell had a chance to win it at the buzzer but his baseline jumper didn’t fall and the Spurs won the series four games to one.
Finals MVP Duncan finished with 31 points and nine rebounds, while Robinson had a double-double (15 points, 12 boards) to lead San Antonio.
Sprewell scored a game-high 35 points and pulled down 10 rebounds for the Knicks. Allan Houston chipped in 16 points, seven rebounds and five assists.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NBA Finals at MSG: What happened last time Knicks, Spurs clashed?
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