THE New York Knicks want to finally put the San Antonio Spurs to sleep and capture their first title in 53 years in Game 5 of the National Basketball Association (NBA) Finals on Saturday (Sunday, June 14, PH time).
The Knicks carry high morale following their historic win back at Madison Square Garden in Game 4, where they rallied from a 29-point deficit to secure a commanding 3-1 series lead.
Just one more win is all the Knicks need to quench their championship drought, having last tasted a title way back in 1973.
To put that title drought into perspective, the retired coach and 11-time champion Phil Jackson was still a player on that 1973 championship team. Jackson was a bench player back then for a Knicks squad led by Walt Frazier, Earl Monroe, Bill Bradley, Dave DeBusschere, and Willis Reed.
But this mission won’t be easy for Jalen Brunson, OG Anunoby, Karl-Anthony Towns, Mikal Bridges, Josh Hart, and the rest of the Knicks’ forces as they head back to the Frost Bank Center, the homecourt of the Spurs.
Brunson has repeatedly emphasized that even though they lead the series, their mentality remains as if it’s tied since the mission isn’t finished yet.
“Our mentality has to be 0-0, the way it’s been,” said Brunson in an NBA article. “It has to be that way, and I feel like us moving forward with that mindset can really benefit us. There’s nothing to celebrate. It’s not over yet, not even close.”
Meanwhile, Spurs big man Victor Wembanyama said the series can only go one of two ways, and they will continue to grind until it is over.
“One of two ways. A bad one and a good one. The bad one would be giving up. The good one would be getting stronger through this, getting more together. I know this is what we’re going to do,” he said.
If the Knicks franchise secures the victory, they will avenge their loss to the Spurs in the 1999 NBA Finals, while a Spurs win will stretch the series to a Game 6 back at Madison Square Garden. / RSC