Knicks vs. Spurs Finals Is Dream Scenario for NY and the NBA

After a 27-year drought, the Knicks have punched their ticket to the NBA Finals in historic fashion with an 11-game playoff win streak and back-to-back sweeps. They’ll face the winner of the Thunder and Spurs series, which is tied at two games apiece.

We could be looking at a 1999 Finals rematch if San Antonio holds up its end of the bargain and knocks off the defending champs. A Finals date between the two would also be a rematch of the NBA Cup, which New York took 124-113 in the championship game.

Many moons ago, a young Tim Duncan and the Spurs beat the Knicks 4-1 en route to their first of five championships during the Duncan era. Now it would be a battle-tested New York core against an up-and-coming San Antonio team led by generational talent Victor Wembanyama. History doesn’t often give do-overs.

A Knicks ss. Spurs Finals would be loaded with storylines

No one thought those No. 8 seed Cinderella Knicks, who were without Patrick Ewing, had a chance against those ascending Spurs. Times are very different now on and off the court. Gas was $1.11 a gallon. The median U.S. home price was $158,700. A dozen eggs cost $0.95. Cellphones didn't have GPS. “Believe” by Cher was top-100 hit.

Knicks fans would love revenge, and winning the whole thing for the first time since 1973 is a dream scenario for not only the fanbase, but the NBA. There would be monster ratings and a narrative goldmine. It's such a marketable matchup given New York being the No. 1 TV market and Wemby setting himself up to be the future face of the league.

Beating the Spurs would make Wembanyama seem mortal, which prevents interest decline as he'd be still seeking to climb the NBA mountaintop and adding to his story. The Thunder losing, too, could possibly push them to get more aggressive in the offseason in trying to take back the Western Conference.

This trio of Knicks, Spurs and Thunder is amongst the very best collection of finalists the league has ever had. It still seems like most people think whoever comes out of the Western Conference will automatically win the title. But that notion highlights a fundamental misunderstanding of what level of team these Knicks are.

During the regular season, the Knicks won the Wemby minutes in two of the three games. The seven-foot-four Frenchman was a -18, +17 and -15. The games in which New York won his minutes, they had both Karl-Anthony Towns and Mitchell Robinson available. In the game they lost his minutes, Robinson didn't play.

Since Jan. 20, the Knicks are 40-13 while San Antonio is 42-12. Certainly, the Spurs would be a step up in competition for coach Mike Brown's group. But count this Knicks team out at your own peril.

New York just became the first team in NBA history to complete the NBA Cup Double by securing the NBA Cup Championship and the Eastern Conference Crown. The sights are now set on the Larry O'Brien trophy and what better way to do it than avenging their most recent Finals loss.

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