2000–01 New York Knicks season
| 2000–01 New York Knicks season | |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Jeff Van Gundy |
| General manager | Scott Layden |
| Owners | Cablevision |
| Arena | Madison Square Garden |
| Results | |
| Record | 48–34 (.585) |
| Place | Division: 3rd (Atlantic) Conference: 4th (Eastern) |
| Playoff finish | First round (lost to Raptors 2–3) |
Stats at Basketball Reference | |
| Local media | |
| Television | MSG Network |
| Radio | WFAN |
The 2000–01 New York Knicks season was the 54th season for the New York Knicks in the National Basketball Association. During the off-season, the Knicks acquired All-Star forward Glen Rice from the Los Angeles Lakers, acquired Erick Strickland from the Dallas Mavericks, and acquired Luc Longley from the Phoenix Suns; Longley won three NBA championships with the Chicago Bulls during their second three-peat in the 1990s.
In their first season without Patrick Ewing since the 1984–85 season, the Knicks remained a perennial playoff contender, holding a 29–18 record at the All-Star break. At mid-season, the team traded Chris Childs to the Toronto Raptors in exchange for former Knicks guard Mark Jackson and Muggsy Bogues, who never played for the Knicks due to a knee injury, while Strickland was dealt to the Vancouver Grizzlies in exchange for Othella Harrington. The Knicks finished in third place in the Atlantic Division with a 48–34 record, earning the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference, and qualifying for the NBA playoffs for the 14th consecutive year.
Allan Houston led the Knicks in scoring with 18.7 points per game, while Latrell Sprewell averaged 17.7 points and 1.4 steals per game, and Rice contributed 12.0 points per game. In addition, Marcus Camby provided the team with 12.0 points, 11.5 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game, while Kurt Thomas averaged 10.4 points and 6.7 rebounds per game, Larry Johnson provided with 9.9 points and 5.6 rebounds per game, and Charlie Ward contributed 7.1 points and 4.5 assists per game.
During the NBA All-Star weekend at the MCI Center in Washington, D.C., Houston and Sprewell were both selected for the 2001 NBA All-Star Game, as members of the Eastern Conference All-Star team; it was the final All-Star appearance for both players. In addition, Houston also participated in the NBA Three-Point Shootout.
In the Eastern Conference First Round of the 2001 NBA playoffs, and for the second consecutive year, the Knicks faced off against the 5th–seeded Raptors, a team that featured All-Star guard Vince Carter, All-Star center Antonio Davis, and former Knicks forward Charles Oakley. The Knicks took a 2–1 series lead, winning Game 3 over the Raptors on the road, 97–89 at the Air Canada Centre. However, the Knicks lost the next two games to the Raptors, including a Game 5 home loss at Madison Square Garden, 93–89, thus losing in a full five-game series; it was the first time that the Knicks lost in the opening round of the NBA playoffs since the 1990–91 season.
The Knicks finished fourth in the NBA in home-game attendance, with an attendance of 810,283 at Madison Square Garden during the regular season. Following the season, Rice was traded to the Houston Rockets after only one season in New York. Also following the season, due to lingering injuries, Johnson, Longley and Bogues all retired.
The Knicks would not return to the NBA playoffs again until the 2003–04 season.