New York Knicks: Re-living the their last playoff appearance

The New York Knicks have clinched a playoff appearance for the first time since the 2012-13 season. To celebrate the end of this drought, it seemed fitting to celebrate by reliving the last time the Knicks were in the playoffs.

The New York Knicks 2012-13 Regular Season

Mike Woodson led the 2012-13 Knicks to a record of 54-28 (.659), finishing 1st in the Atlantic division and 2nd overall in the Eastern Conference. Coming off an iconic year with the unlikely emergence of Jeremy Lin, the Knicks bolstered their roster with key veteran additions in the offseason.

While the fans were divided on the departure of Jeremy Lin, the Knicks started off the season hot from the three and were winning more games than the Los Angeles Lakers. (The Lakers this offseason had acquired Steve Nash and Dwight Howard and the entire league complained about parity.) This was all done while losing Amare Stoudemire for most of the season.

The Knicks’ improved perimeter shooting plus the shift in focus on the defensive end (with Mike D’Antoni gone) led them to become a team that could challenge the Miami Heat to represent the Eastern conference (The Knicks were 4-0 against Miami in the regular season).

While the team’s perimeter shooting regressed in the latter half of the season, Carmelo Anthony was still having the best season in his Knicks career. He won the scoring title, averaging 28.7 points per game and it really seemed like the Knicks were finally seeing the Carmelo Anthony they traded for from the Denver Nuggets. With the leadership of Jason Kidd and Carmelo Anthony, the New York Knicks headed into the postseason with confidence.