NBA history reveals why New York has great chance to upset Spurs

History hasn’t been kind to the New York Knicks and their dedicated fan base will be first to reminisce on their long journey of suffering and heartbreak. However, Jalen Brunson and this 2026 Knicks’ squad seems like the real deal and for once in the last 50 years, history may be on New York’s side ahead of the NBA Finals against the San Antonio Spurs.

The last Knicks’ NBA Championship came in 1973 and they haven’t been to the NBA Finals since 1999. Fans are piling outside of Madison Square Garden in droves and the Manhattan Transit Authority (MTA) recently got involved by painting the NYC subway stop outside of MSG in Knicks’ blue and orange.

For a franchise that’s been on the doorstep of greatness multiple times, it’s been tough to see the Knicks’ playoff legacy marred by first-round exits and blown leads. Even after winning 11-straight games during this postseason and sweeping their last two opponents, New York still comes in the underdog against San Antonio according to sportsbooks.

Is history on the Knicks’ side this NBA Finals?

Teams coming off a sweep against teams coming off a 7-game series are 20-4 in NBA history pic.twitter.com/gHQmls5ia4

— NBA Base (@TheNBABase) June 2, 2026

As the statistic reads, teams coming into a seven-game series after sweeping their last opponent are 20-4 in their following series during the playoffs. Furthermore, the Spurs just battled for seven games against the defending champion OKC Thunder and completely expended themselves emotionally in winning the Western Conference.

Experts around the league, including ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, are surprised the Knicks come into the series as the underdogs. Windhorst noted, “You know the more and more people I’ve talked to around the league, scouts and other coaches, they’re really surprised that the Spurs are favored by as much as they are. They get with Wembanyama and how tough the West playoffs were, but they really believe that the Knicks have some advantages in the series and that this thing could absolutely go New York’s way.”

This could finally be the year that New York finally ends its championship drought. While it would be almost too typical in Knicks’ fashion for them to make it this far and fall short, history suggests this could be the year all their suffering ends.

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