1997–98 New York Knicks season


The 1997–98 New York Knicks season was the 52nd season for the New York Knicks in the National Basketball Association. During the offseason, the Knicks acquired Chris Mills from the Boston Celtics and Chris Dudley from the Portland Trail Blazers. At midseason, they traded Herb Williams to the Philadelphia 76ers for Terry Cummings. In the regular season, the Knicks had a 43–39 record, which placed them in a tie for second place in the Atlantic Division. Despite their lowest winning percentage since the 1990–91 season, the team qualified for the NBA Playoffs as the #7 seed. They also hosted the 1998 NBA All-Star Game at Madison Square Garden.
The season saw All-Star center Patrick Ewing break his wrist trying to catch an alley-oop during a game against the Milwaukee Bucks on December 20. The injury kept Ewing out for the rest of the regular season, and the entire first-round series against the Miami Heat. However, Ewing did return for Game 2 against the Indiana Pacers in the conference semifinals.
The 1998 NBA Playoffs matched the Knicks against the #2 seed Heat, who had eliminated the Knicks in the 1997 playoffs in a series that featured a brawl during Game 5. The altercation led to the suspension of six players, including five Knicks. In the 1998 series, another brawl occurred in the closing seconds of Game 4, which the Knicks won to even the series at two games each. Larry Johnson and Alonzo Mourning exchanged punches, and New York coach Jeff Van Gundy clung to one of Mourning's legs at one point in an attempt to separate the two. Three players were suspended for Game 5: Johnson, Mourning, and Mills, who left the bench during the fight. The Knicks won Game 5 to advance to the second round, where they lost to the Pacers in five games.
Following the season, Charles Oakley was traded to the Toronto Raptors, John Starks was dealt along with Mills and Cummings back to the Golden State Warriors, and Buck Williams retired.

NBA Draft

RoundPickPlayerPositionNationalitySchool/Club Team
125John ThomasPFMinnesota

Roster

Regular season

Season standings

Record vs. opponents

Playoffs

East First Round

Miami Heat vs. New York Knicks
Last Playoff Meeting: 1997 Eastern Conference Semifinals

East Conference Semifinals

Indiana Pacers vs. New York Knicks
Last Playoff Meeting: 1995 Eastern Conference Semifinals

Player statistics

Season

Playoffs

Awards and records