10 big moments from the Knicks' NBA championship season
After an unforgettable playoff run, New York City is finally getting to celebrate a Knicks championship with a parade through the Canyon of Heroes.
While Knicks fans will remember the 2025-26 NBA season forever, there are a handful of moments that stand head and shoulders above the rest.
Here's a look back at 10 key moments from the Knicks' championship run.
Knicks win NBA Cup
In a preview of the 2026 NBA Finals, which nobody knew at the time, the Knicks defeated the San Antonio Spurs 124-113 for the NBA Cup championship on Dec. 16 in Las Vegas, proving they had what it takes to win a title, even if the game did not count in the standings.
After trailing for the entire third quarter, the Knicks rallied in the fourth as OG Anunoby finished with 28 points, Jalen Brunson had 25 points and Mitchell Robinson pulled down 15 rebounds.
Christmas comeback vs. Cavs
On Christmas Day, the Knicks came back from 17 points down in the fourth quarter to defeat the Cleveland Cavaliers 126-124 in a thriller at Madison Square Garden. It was a sign of things to come in the playoffs.
Brunson led with 34 points, but Tyler Kolek and Jordan Clarkson combined for nine 3-pointers off the bench, which proved to be crucial down the stretch.
18-point comeback vs. Rockets
Two days after a disappointing loss to the Eastern Conference-leading Detroit Pistons, the Knicks pulled off a big second-half rally against the Houston Rockets on Feb. 21.
New York let a 13-point lead in the first half slip away, but it outscored Houston 33-15 in the fourth on its way to the win at MSG.
Knicks annihilate Hawks in 51-point blowout
The Knicks cruised into the second round of the playoffs by eliminating the Atlanta Hawks in one of the most lopsided games in NBA history.
New York led 83-36 after the first two quarters, the largest halftime lead in NBA playoff history, before finishing off a historic 140-89 performance in Game 6. Fifteen players entered the game for the Knicks and everyone scored at least once.
The Knicks outscored the Hawks by 96 points over the final three games after the Hawks got out to a 2-1 series lead.
Knicks sweep Sixers in 2nd round
The Knicks' epic playoff winning streak started against the Hawks, but the domination continued in the second round against the Philadelphia 76ers.
New York reached 140 points for the second time in the playoffs and sent the Sixers packing 144-114 in front of a ton of Knicks fans who made the trip to Game 4 in Philly.
The Knicks shot 25-of-44 on 3-pointers in their third double-digit win of the series.
22-point comeback in Eastern Conference finals
The Knicks' seven-game playoff winning streak was on the verge of being snapped by the Cavaliers in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals, until another epic run.
The Knicks trailed 93-71 with just 7:52 left in the game before Brunson, who finished with a game-high 38 points, jump-started an 18-1 run to get the team back into it and eventually force overtime.
Overtime started with a 9-0 Knicks run and the series never felt competitive from that point on as New York stole the game 115-104 en route to another sweep.
13 playoff wins in a row
The Knicks arrived at Madison Square Garden for their first home Finals game in 26 years on a commanding 13-game winning streak that covered every round of the playoffs.
The run from April 25-June 5 started in Game 4 of the first round against the Hawks and lasted through Game 2 of the Finals against the Spurs, which the Knicks won 105-104 after Victor Wembanyama missed a jumper at the buzzer.
The Knicks outscored their opponents by 273 points during the streak, which is the second-longest winning streak in NBA playoff history. The Golden State Warriors won 15 straight postseason games in 2017.
Anunoby seals 29-point comeback
OG Anunoby's game-winning tip-in during Game 4 of the NBA Finals will go down as one of the greatest moments ever at Madison Square Garden, period.
The Knicks rallied from 29 points down in the third quarter to defeat the Spurs 107-106, putting the franchise on the verge of its third championship with the greatest comeback in Finals history.
Mitchell Robinson's clutch rebound
Mitchell Robinson, the longest-tenured player on the Knicks, delivered the biggest rebound of his career when New York was up by three and 26.1 seconds away from a championship.
After Josh Hart missed his second free throw, Robinson muscled his way into the paint, beat 7-foot-4 Wembanyama for the ball and got the offensive rebound.
The Knicks put the game out of reach once the Spurs were forced to start fouling on the extra possession.
Brunson's MVP performance in Game 5
Brunson willed the Knicks to the NBA title with a stellar 45-point performance in Game 5, scoring nearly half of New York's points in the series-clinching game.
The captain scored 13 straight in the fourth quarter to lead another comeback and set the Knicks' scoring record for a Finals game.
Brunson was named NBA Finals MVP shortly after the game.
