The New York Knicks being back in the NBA Finals is truly a dream come true for the club's devoted fanbase. Interestingly enough, it seems one of their title-round opponents, Dylan Harper, shares this same level of excitement.
After the Spurs downed the defending champion Thunder on Saturday night and, in turn, officially punched their ticket to the fourth and final playoff round, Harper told reporters that he's "always wanted to just play at [MSG] for the Finals."
A native of Franklin Lakes, New Jersey, and specifically growing up "25-30 minutes from" MSG, the rookie revealed during his post-game presser that he's "been to so many Knicks playoff games [and] Knicks games" in his life, and suggested that a lot of hometown supporters could be found in attendance for Games 3 & 4.
Despite the feel-good, full-circle moment, as we make our way toward Thursday's tip-off, it should be well understood that, though not inherently personal, the Knicks are looking to do everything in their power to turn Harper's dream into an all-out nightmare by not only taking charge and not letting up a Spurs win when playing at the Garden, but, also, to upset San Antonio in the series as a whole.
Fortunately for them, many seem to believe this could realistically end up being the case.
Knicks may be underdogs, but an upset seems to be far from improbable
On paper, San Antonio is seen as the current favorite to take home this year's Larry O'Brien Trophy, with the folks at FanDuel giving them minus-205 odds to do so.
However, considering New York's hot stretch, ample rest compared to San Antonio's fatigue after enduring such a long and grueling conference finals, and the sheer fact that the Knicks already bested them twice in three tries during the regular season, including in the 2025 NBA Cup Championship, an upset is certainly in the realm of possibility.
In fact, many talking heads and in-the-know figures around the league believe the Knicks have as good a chance as anyone to walk away from the NBA Finals as champions.
An anonymous NBA scout recently told ESPN's Tim Bontemps that "the Knicks have more of a chance than I thought."
Former NBA Champion and current ESPN personality Kendrick Perkins finds himself "leaning more towards the Knicks winning this series in seven."
Hall of Famer Charles Barkley put it the most plainly when he recently said New York is "playing the best basketball in the NBA" and, in the end, he believes they're "gonna win this thing" as a result.
Though the postseason is undoubtedly a much different beast, the Knicks have already had success against this Spurs team throughout this year's campaign. Should they stay as locked in as they have been throughout their current playoff run, and avoid any more significant injuries to key contributors, there's no reason to believe the good times can't continue to roll here in the Finals.
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