The 1987–88 New York Knicks season was the 42nd season for the team in the National Basketball Association.
Season summary
Off-season The Knicks had the 18th overall pick in the 1987 NBA draft, and selected point guard Mark Jackson out of St. John's University. During the off-season, the team acquired Sidney Green from the Detroit Pistons, and signed free agent and second-year forward Johnny Newman in November. The Knicks also hired Providence College head coach Rick Pitino as their new coach; Pitino had been hired after leading Providence to the Final Four of the 1987 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament.
For the season, the Knicks slightly redesigned their home and road uniforms, removing the jersey number from the right leg of their shorts; these uniforms would remain in use until 1990.
Regular season In the regular season, under Pitino and with the addition of Jackson, the Knicks lost their first five games, and later on held a 16–28 record at the All-Star break. The team had a winning percentage of over .500 for the remainder of the season, finishing with a 38–44 record, which earned them a tie for second place in the Atlantic Division with the Washington Bullets, and the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference. In their final game of the regular season on April 23, 1988, the Knicks faced off against the Indiana Pacers on the road at Market Square Arena for the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference; the Knicks defeated the Pacers, 88–86, to qualify for the NBA playoffs.
Patrick Ewing averaged 20.2 points, 8.2 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 3.0 blocks per game, and was named to the All-NBA Second Team, and to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team, while Gerald Wilkins averaged 17.4 points and 4.0 assists per game, and Jackson provided the Knicks with 13.6 points, 4.8 rebounds, 10.6 assists and 2.5 steals per game, and was named the NBA Rookie of the Year, and also named to the NBA All-Rookie Team. In addition, Bill Cartwright averaged 11.1 points and 4.7 rebounds per game off the bench, while second-year forward Kenny Walker had 10.1 points and 4.7 rebounds per game, and Newman contributed 10.0 points per game. Meanwhile, Green averaged 7.8 points and rebounds per game each, three-point specialist Trent Tucker contributed 7.1 points per game, and Pat Cummings provided the Knicks with 5.5 points and 3.8 rebounds per game.
During the NBA All-Star weekend at Chicago Stadium in Chicago, Illinois, Ewing was selected for the 1988 NBA All-Star Game, as a member of the Eastern Conference All-Star team, while Tucker participated in the NBA Three-Point Shootout for the second time. Ewing also finished tied in fifth place in Defensive Player of the Year voting, while Jackson finished in 13th place in Most Valuable Player voting, and Pitino finished in fifth place in Coach of the Year voting.
The Knicks finished seventh in the NBA in home-game attendance, with an attendance of 586,752 at Madison Square Garden during the regular season.
NBA playoffs In the Eastern Conference First Round of the 1988 NBA playoffs, the Knicks faced off against the top–seeded, and Atlantic Division champion Boston Celtics, who were led by the quartet of All-Star forward Larry Bird, All-Star forward Kevin McHale, Robert Parish and All-Star guard Danny Ainge. The Knicks lost the first two games to the Celtics on the road at the Boston Garden, but managed to win Game 3 at home, 109–100 at Madison Square Garden. However, the Knicks lost Game 4 to the Celtics at home, 102–94, thus losing the series in four games.
Aftermath Following the season, Cartwright was traded to the Chicago Bulls on draft day, and Cummings signed as a free agent with the Miami Heat expansion team.
Draft picks
Note: This is not an extensive list; it only covers the first round and notable post-first-round picks.
Round Pick Player Position Nationality School/Club team 1 18 Mark Jackson PG St. John's
Roster
Regular season
Season standings
z – clinched division title y – clinched division title x – clinched playoff spot
Record vs. opponents vs. Eastern Conference
vs. Atlantic Division 1987–88 NBA recordsTeamBOSNJNNYKPHIWSBTotal New York 1–5 3–3 — 3–3 3–3 10–14
vs. Central Division 1987–88 NBA recordsTeamATLCHICLEDETINDMILTotal New York 3–3 2–3 4–2 2–4 3–2 3–3 17–17
vs. Western Conference
vs. Midwest Division 1987–88 NBA recordsTeamDALDENHOUSACSASUTATotal New York 1–1 1–1 1–1 1–1 1–1 1–1 6–6
vs. Pacific Division 1987–88 NBA recordsTeamGSWLACLALPHOPORSEATotal New York 2–0 2–0 0–2 0–2 1–1 0–2 5–7
Game log
Regular season
|- style="background:#fcc;" | 1 || November 6, 19877:30 PM EST || @ Detroit | L 99–110
| Pontiac Silverdome28,676 | 0–1 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 2 || November 7, 1987 || @ Indiana | 95–108
| Market Square Arena | 0–2 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 3 || November 9, 1987 || Boston | 87–96
| Madison Square Garden | 0–3 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 4 || November 11, 1987 || Atlanta | 93–94
| Madison Square Garden | 0–4 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 5 || November 13, 1987 || @ Washington | 101–108
| Capital Centre | 0–5 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 6 || November 14, 1987 || Milwaukee | 93–89
| Madison Square Garden | 1–5 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 7 || November 18, 1987 || @ Boston | 109–111 (2 OT)
| Boston Garden | 1–6 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 8 || November 19, 1987 || @ New Jersey | 107–108
| Brendan Byrne Arena | 1–7 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 9 || November 21, 1987 || Golden State | 99–91
| Madison Square Garden | 2–7 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 10 || November 23, 1987 || San Antonio | 112–117
| Madison Square Garden | 2–8 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 11 || November 25, 1987 || @ Cleveland | 104–101
| Richfield Coliseum | 3–8 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 12 || November 28, 1987 || Cleveland | 105–93
| Madison Square Garden | 4–8
|- style="background:#fcc;" | 13 || December 1, 1987 || Seattle | 109–112
| Madison Square Garden | 4–9 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 14 || December 3, 1987 || @ Phoenix | 114–120
| Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum | 4–10 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 15 || December 4, 1987 || @ Utah | 92–104
| Salt Palace | 4–11 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 16 || December 6, 1987 || @ Portland | 99–117
| Memorial Coliseum | 4–12 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 17 || December 8, 1987 || Washington | 116–92
| Madison Square Garden | 5–12 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 18 || December 10, 1987 || Denver | 113–97
| Madison Square Garden | 6–12 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 19 || December 12, 19877:30 PM EST || @ Detroit | L 96–124
| Pontiac Silverdome21,368 | 6–13 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 20 || December 15, 1987 || Milwaukee | 98–103
| Madison Square Garden | 6–14 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 21 || December 17, 1987 || Philadelphia | 96–106
| Madison Square Garden | 6–15 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 22 || December 19, 1987 || New Jersey | 125–93
| Madison Square Garden | 7–15 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 23 || December 22, 1987 || @ Milwaukee | 102–122
| MECCA Arena | 7–16 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 24 || December 23, 1987 || Chicago | 90–89
| Madison Square Garden | 8–16 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 25 || December 25, 198712 Noon EST || Detroit | L 87–91
| Madison Square Garden14,549 | 8–17 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 26 || December 26, 1987 || @ Atlanta | 98–125
| The Omni | 8–18 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 27 || December 29, 1987 || Portland | 123–110
| Madison Square Garden | 9–18
|- style="background:#cfc;" | 28 || January 1, 1988 || L.A. Clippers | 115–96
| Madison Square Garden | 10–18 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 29 || January 5, 1988 || Phoenix | 95–100
| Madison Square Garden | 10–19 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 30 || January 6, 1988 || @ Boston | 108–117
| Boston Garden | 10–20 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 31 || January 8, 1988 || @ New Jersey | 111–118
| Brendan Byrne Arena | 10–21 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 32 || January 9, 1988 || Boston | 106–98
| Madison Square Garden | 11–21 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 33 || January 12, 1988 || @ Cleveland | 111–119
| Richfield Coliseum | 11–22 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 34 || January 15, 1988 || @ Philadelphia | 104–119
| The Spectrum | 11–23 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 35 || January 16, 1988 || Philadelphia | 110–96
| Madison Square Garden | 12–23 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 36 || January 18, 1988 || Atlanta | 110–102
| Madison Square Garden | 13–23 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 37 || January 20, 1988 || @ Seattle | 96–108
| Seattle Center Coliseum | 13–24 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 38 || January 22, 198810:30 PM EST || @ L.A. Lakers | L 112–113
| The Forum17,505 | 13–25 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 39 || January 23, 1988 || @ Sacramento | 94–97
| ARCO Arena | 13–26 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 40 || January 26, 1988 || New Jersey | 122–101
| Madison Square Garden | 14–26 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 41 || January 28, 1988 || @ Washington | 90–104
| Capital Centre | 14–27 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 42 || January 30, 1988 || @ Chicago | 95–97 (OT)
| Chicago Stadium | 14–28
|- style="background:#cfc;" | 43 || February 2, 1988 || Washington | 110–106
| Madison Square Garden | 15–28 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 44 || February 4, 19887:30 PM EST || Detroit | W 100–93
| Madison Square Garden14,363 | 16–28 |- style="background:#fcc" | 45 || February 10, 19887:30 PM EST || @ Detroit | L 87–98
| Pontiac Silverdome19,160 | 16–29 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 46 || February 13, 1988 || Cleveland | 120–103
| Madison Square Garden | 17–29 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 47 || February 15, 1988 || New Jersey | 97–96
| Madison Square Garden | 18–29 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 48 || February 16, 1988 || @ Indiana | 104–117
| Market Square Arena | 18–30 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 49 || February 18, 1988 || Sacramento | 108–104
| Madison Square Garden | 19–30 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 50 || February 22, 1988 || @ Boston | 93–95
| Hartford Civic Center | 19–31 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 51 || February 23, 1988 || Milwaukee | 89–87
| Madison Square Garden | 20–31 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 52 || February 25, 1988 || @ L.A. Clippers | 106–96
| Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena | 21–31 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 53 || February 26, 1988 || @ Golden State | 125–119
| Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Arena | 22–31 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 54 || February 28, 1988 || @ Denver | 100–109
| McNichols Sports Arena | 22–32
|- style="background:#cfc;" | 55 || March 1, 1988 || Indiana | 98–96
| Madison Square Garden | 23–32 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 56 || March 4, 1988 || Philadelphia | 110–108 (OT)
| Madison Square Garden | 24–32 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 57 || March 5, 1988 || @ New Jersey | 85–94
| Brendan Byrne Arena | 24–33 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 58 || March 7, 1988 || Chicago | 110–98
| Madison Square Garden | 25–33 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 59 || March 9, 19888:00 PM EST || L.A. Lakers | L 99–104
| Madison Square Garden19,591 | 25–34 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 60 || March 11, 1988 || @ Atlanta | 115–122
| The Omni | 25–35 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 61 || March 12, 1988 || Utah | 108–105
| Madison Square Garden | 26–35 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 62 || March 14, 1988 || Cleveland | 104–102
| Madison Square Garden | 27–35 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 63 || March 16, 1988 || @ Philadelphia | 108–115
| The Spectrum | 27–36 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 64 || March 19, 1988 || Atlanta | 116–110
| Madison Square Garden | 28–36 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 65 || March 21, 1988 || @ San Antonio | 133–121
| HemisFair Arena | 29–36 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 66 || March 22, 1988 || @ Dallas | 105–124
| Reunion Arena | 29–37 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 67 || March 24, 1988 || @ Houston | 117–134
| The Summit | 29–38 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 68 || March 26, 1988 || Boston | 106–118
| Madison Square Garden | 29–39 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 69 || March 28, 1988 || Dallas | 114–106