Thibs, Brunson carryovers from last time Knicks were in the Eastern Conference finals

For conscionable the 2nd clip this century, the New York Knicks are successful the Eastern Conference finals.

The Knicks defeated the Boston Celtics successful Game 5 connected Wednesday, winning the bid 4-1. New York won the archetypal 2 games of the bid and a cardinal Game 4 to acceptable up its decisive victory.

Since the 1999-2000 season, the past clip the Knicks were successful the Conference finals, they've had 3 chances to scope that signifier again -- 2013, 2023 and 2024. Each clip they came up short, including a seven-game bid with the Indiana Pacers past season.

Here's a look backmost astatine what the satellite looked similar the past clip the Knicks were successful the league finals -- May 23, 2000.

Thibodeau, Brunson connected acquainted bench

Since the Knicks hired Tom Thibodeau arsenic caput manager successful 2020, they've reached the postseason 4 times aft missing it for 7 consecutive campaigns.

Thibodeau had anterior acquisition successful New York -- helium was an adjunct manager for the franchise from 1996 to 2003, including erstwhile the Knicks made their past league finals.

A subordinate Thibodeau coached connected that team? Rick Brunson, the begetter of Knicks prima Jalen Brunson. The elder Brunson appeared successful 2 games against Indiana and is presently a Knicks adjunct coach, a presumption helium has been successful since the 2022-23 season. New York signed Jalen successful the anterior offseason.

Carlos Santana dominating charts

Just months removed from his archetypal No. 1 Billboard Hot 100 hit, "Smooth," Carlos Santana followed up with different one. "Maria Maria" spent different week astatine No. 1 arsenic the the Knicks were 4 wins distant from the 2000 NBA Finals.

The way lasted 10 weeks astatine No. 1 and 26 full connected the charts. Featuring hip-hop duo The Product G&B, the opus won champion popular show by a duo oregon radical with vocals astatine the 42nd Grammy Awards.

Other songs successful the apical 10 included "Breathe" by Faith Hill astatine No. 2, "Say My Name" by Destiny's Child astatine No. 7, "Bye Bye Bye" by *NSYNC astatine No. 9 and "Try Again" by Aaliyah astatine No. 10.

'Gladiator' successful midst of epic run

The epic humanities movie "Gladiator" was released May 5, 2000 and went connected to beryllium the second-highest-grossing movie of the twelvemonth worldwide astatine $460,583,960. It was nominated for a whopping 12 Oscars astatine the 73rd Academy Awards.

"Gladiator" took location Oscars for champion picture, champion actor, champion costume design, champion dependable and champion ocular effects.

Lakers nearing miraculous comeback

Though the Knicks fell successful six games to the Pacers, the Western Conference finals betwixt the Los Angeles Lakers and Portland Trail Blazers was a seven-game classic.

Having antecedently been down 3 games to one, the Blazers forced a decisive Game 7 astatine the then-Staples Center.

Portland held a 15-point pb with conscionable 10 minutes remaining, but the Lakers stormed backmost to win, capped disconnected by an iconic alley-oop from Kobe Bryant to Shaquille O'Neal. It gave Los Angeles a six-point pb with 41 seconds near that it ne'er relinquished.