The 1994–95 New York Knicks season was the 49th season for the team in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Knicks entered the season as runner-ups of the 1994 NBA Finals, where they lost to the Houston Rockets in seven games.
Season summary
Off-season During the off-season, the Knicks acquired Doug Christie from the Los Angeles Lakers. In the 1994 NBA draft, the team selected small forward Monty Williams out of Notre Dame University with the 24th overall pick, and also selected point guard Charlie Ward out of Florida State University with the 26th overall pick.
Regular season However, Christie only played twelve games due to an ankle injury, and Ward only played ten games due to a wrist injury. In December, the team released Doc Rivers to free agency; Rivers later signed as a free agent with the San Antonio Spurs.
In the regular season, the Knicks played around .500 in winning percentage with a 12–12 record, after a five-game losing streak in December. However, the team posted an eight-game winning streak between December and January afterwards, won 17 of their next 19 games, and later on held a 30–16 record at the All-Star break. The Knicks finished in second place in the Atlantic Division with a 55–27 record, two games behind the top-seeded Orlando Magic, who won the Division title. By earning the third seed in the Eastern Conference, the Knicks qualified for the NBA playoffs for the eighth consecutive year.
Patrick Ewing averaged 23.9 points, 11.0 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per game, while John Starks averaged 15.3 points and 5.1 assists per game, and led the league with 217 three-point field goals, becoming the first player ever to reach up to 200 three-pointers in a single season. In addition, Charles D. Smith provided the team with 12.7 points and 1.3 blocks per game, while Derek Harper contributed 11.5 points and 5.7 assists per game, along with 106 three-point field goals. Sixth man Anthony Mason averaged 9.9 points and 8.4 rebounds per game off the bench, and was named the NBA Sixth Man of the Year. Meanwhile, Charles Oakley averaged 10.1 points and 8.9 rebounds per game in only just 50 games, due to a toe injury, while off the bench, three-point specialist Hubert Davis contributed 10.0 points per game and 131 three-point field goals, and Greg Anthony provided the Knicks with 6.1 points and 2.6 assists per game.
During the NBA All-Star weekend at the America West Arena in Phoenix, Arizona, Ewing was selected for the 1995 NBA All-Star Game, as a member of the Eastern Conference All-Star team, and also finished in fourth place in Most Valuable Player voting. The Knicks finished sixth in the NBA in home-game attendance, with an attendance of 810,283 at Madison Square Garden during the regular season.
NBA playoffs In the Eastern Conference First Round of the 1995 NBA playoffs, the Knicks faced off against the 6th–seeded Cleveland Cavaliers, a team that featured Mark Price, All-Star forward Tyrone Hill, and second-year forward Chris Mills. Despite losing Game 2 at home to the Cavaliers, 90–84 at Madison Square Garden, the Knicks won the next two games over the Cavaliers on the road, including a Game 4 win at the Gund Arena, 93–80 to win the series in four games, and advance to the Eastern Conference Semi-finals.
In the Semi-finals, and for the third consecutive year, the Knicks faced off against the 2nd–seeded and Central Division champion Indiana Pacers, who were led by All-Star guard Reggie Miller, Rik Smits, and former Knicks guard Mark Jackson. Despite the Pacers being the second seed in the East, and winning the Central Division title, the Knicks had home-court advantage in this series, since they had a better regular-season record than the Pacers.
The Pacers defeated the Knicks in Game 1 at Madison Square Garden, 107–105, as Miller scored eight points in the final 18.7 seconds to bring the Pacers back from a six-point deficit. The Pacers gained a 3–1 series edge, before the Knicks won two straight games to force a seventh game back home in New York City. With the Knicks down by two points in the final seconds, Ewing had a chance to send the game into overtime, but missed his driving layup attempt, as the Pacers defeated the Knicks, 97–95, thus winning in a hard-fought seven-game series to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals.
Aftermath Following the season, Pat Riley resigned as head coach after four seasons with the Knicks, and became the President of basketball operations and head coach of the Miami Heat. Meanwhile, Anthony was left unprotected in the 1995 NBA expansion draft, where he was selected by the Vancouver Grizzlies expansion team, and Anthony Bonner was released to free agency, and left to play overseas in Italy.
NBA draft
Round Pick Player Position Nationality School/Club team 1 24 Monty Williams SF Notre Dame 1 26 Charlie Ward PG Florida State
Roster
Season standings Division
Conference
Notes z – Clinched home court advantage for the entire playoffs c – Clinched home court advantage for the conference playoffs y – Clinched division title x – Clinched playoff spot
Game log Regular season
|- style="background:#cfc;" | 1 | November 4 | @ Boston | W 120–107 | Charles Smith (23) | Patrick Ewing (13) | Derek Harper (11) | Boston Garden14,890 | 1–0 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 2 | November 8 | L.A. Lakers | W 117–113 | Patrick Ewing (24) | Charles Oakley (12) | Derek Harper (8) | Madison Square Garden19,763 | 2–0 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 3 | November 10 | Orlando | W 101–99 | Patrick Ewing (24) | Charles Smith (13) | Derek Harper (9) | Madison Square Garden19,763 | 3–0 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 4 | November 12 | @ San Antonio | L 82–101 | Patrick Ewing (22) | Charles Oakley (10) | Greg Anthony (5) | Alamodome19,710 | 3–1 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 5 | November 14 | @ Utah | L 97–110 | John Starks (35) | Patrick Ewing (7) | John Starks (8) | Delta Center18,955 | 3–2 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 6 | November 16 | @ L.A. Lakers | W 110–89 | Hubert Davis (27) | Ewing, Oakley (8) | Mason, Anthony (7) | Great Western Forum13,630 | 4–2 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 7 | November 17 | @ Golden State | L 100–109 | Derek Harper (21) | Charles Oakley (14) | Derek Harper (7) | Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Arena15,025 | 4–3 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 8 | November 19 | Atlanta | W 92–79 | Charles Smith (24) | Charles Oakley (15) | three players tied (5) | Madison Square Garden19,763 | 5–3 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 9 | November 21 | San Antonio | W 92–88 | Charles Oakley (16) | Oakley, Ewing (7) | three players tied (5) | Madison Square Garden19,763 | 6–3 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 10 | November 26 | Charlotte | L 82–101 | Patrick Ewing (22) | Ewing, Oakley (14) | John Starks (7) | Madison Square Garden19,763 | 6–4 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 11 | November 29 | @ Washington | W 99–91 | Patrick Ewing (20) | Patrick Ewing (15) | Derek Harper (6) | US Airways Arena18,756 | 7–4
|- style="background:#fcc;" | 12 | December 2 | @ Orlando | L 100–125 | Patrick Ewing (15) | Charles Oakley (11) | John Starks (7) | Orlando Arena16,010 | 7–5 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 13 | December 3 | Washington | W 111–95 | Charles Smith (23) | Patrick Ewing (10) | Greg Anthony (8) | Madison Square Garden19,763 | 8–5 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 14 | December 5 | @ Philadelphia | W 101–96 (OT) | Patrick Ewing (25) | Charles Oakley (15) | Harper, Ewing (6) | CoreStates Spectrum14,212 | 9–5 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 15 | December 6 | Boston | W 104–90 | Charles Smith (20) | Oakley, Mason (12) | Greg Anthony (10) | Madison Square Garden19,763 | 10–5 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 16 | December 9 | @ Atlanta | L 85–89 | Ewing, Smith (20) | Charles Oakley (15) | John Starks (6) | The Omni14,967 | 10–6 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 17 | December 10 | Philadelphia | W 107–103 | Patrick Ewing (28) | Charles Oakley (16) | Derek Harper (9) | Madison Square Garden19,763 | 11–6 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 18 | December 12 | Miami | L 111–122 | Patrick Ewing (30) | Charles Oakley (12) | John Starks (7) | Madison Square Garden19,763 | 11–7 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 19 | December 15 | @ Sacramento | W 94–84 | Patrick Ewing (27) | Patrick Ewing (18) | John Starks (9) | ARCO Arena17,317 | 12–7 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 20 | December 16 | @ Phoenix | L 85–106 | Patrick Ewing (15) | Patrick Ewing (12) | Derek Harper (6) | America West Arena19,023 | 12–8 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 21 | December 18 | @ Portland | L 87–111 | Patrick Ewing (24) | Patrick Ewing (14) | Derek Harper (6) | Memorial Coliseum12,888 | 12–9 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 22 | December 20 | New Jersey | L 83–85 | Patrick Ewing (22) | Patrick Ewing (11) | Hubert Davis (4) | Madison Square Garden19,763 | 12–10 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 23 | December 22 | Cleveland | L 90–93 | Charles Oakley (19) | Charles Oakley (13) | Derek Harper (6) | Madison Square Garden19,763 | 12–11 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 24 | December 25 | @ Chicago | L 104–107 (OT) | Patrick Ewing (30) | Patrick Ewing (13) | three players tied (6) | United Center22,854 | 12–12 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 25 | December 27 | @ New Jersey | W 99–91 | John Starks (22) | Ewing, Mason (8) | Ewing, M. Williams (5) | Brendan Byrne Arena20,049 | 13–12 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 26 | December 28 | Detroit | W 101–93 | Patrick Ewing (30) | Anthony Mason (14) | John Starks (8) | Madison Square Garden19,763 | 14–12 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 27 | December 30 | @ Minnesota | W 90–81 | Patrick Ewing (30) | Patrick Ewing (12) | Harper, Starks (7) | Target Center18,122 | 15–12
|- style="background:#cfc;" | 28 | January 4 | Atlanta | W 89–80 | Patrick Ewing (21) | Patrick Ewing (12) | Ewing, Harper (4) | Madison Square Garden19,763 | 16–12 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 29 | January 6 | @ Cleveland | W 103–93 | John Starks (23) | Patrick Ewing (11) | Derek Harper (7) | Gund Arena20,562 | 17–12 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 30 | January 8 | Minnesota | W 102–87 | Ewing, Davis (22) | Ewing, Mason (9) | Derek Harper (8) | Madison Square Garden19,763 | 18–12 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 31 | January 10 | Indiana | W 117–105 | John Starks (22) | Patrick Ewing (9) | Derek Harper (13) | Madison Square Garden19,763 | 19–12 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 32 | January 13 | @ Milwaukee | W 91–88 | Patrick Ewing (24) | Patrick Ewing (14) | Derek Harper (7) | Bradley Center17,909 | 20–12 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 33 | January 14 | Utah | L 81–86 | John Starks (22) | Patrick Ewing (14) | Derek Harper (6) | Madison Square Garden19,763 | 20–13 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 34 | January 16 | New Jersey | W 107–90 | Patrick Ewing (32) | Patrick Ewing (15) | John Starks (9) | Madison Square Garden19,763 | 21–13 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 35 | January 19, 19958:00p.m. EST | @ Houston | W 93–77 | Starks (22) | Ewing (18) | Starks (7) | The Summit16,611 | 22–13 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 36 | January 20 | @ Dallas | W 106–93 | Patrick Ewing (36) | Patrick Ewing (12) | Derek Harper (11) | Reunion Arena17,502 | 23–13 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 37 | January 22 | @ Miami | W 104–95 | John Starks (26) | Patrick Ewing (15) | Derek Harper (9) | Miami Arena15,200 | 24–13 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 38 | January 24 | Portland | W 105–99 | John Starks (26) | Anthony Mason (15) | Mason, Ewing (5) | Madison Square Garden19,763 | 25–13 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 39 | January 26 | L.A. Clippers | W 87–74 | Patrick Ewing (21) | Anthony Mason (13) | Derek Harper (5) | Madison Square Garden19,763 | 26–13 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 40 | January 27 | @ Charlotte | L 90–105 | John Starks (26) | Anthony Mason (11) | Derek Harper (6) | Charlotte Coliseum23,698 | 26–14 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 41 | January 29 | Phoenix | W 107–88 | Patrick Ewing (35) | Anthony Mason (19) | John Starks (9) | Madison Square Garden19,763 | 27–14 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 42 | January 31 | Golden State | W 90–87 | Derek Harper (26)