1989–90 New York Knicks season

1989–90 New York Knicks season
Head coachStu Jackson
General managerAl Bianchi
OwnersParamount Communications, Inc.
ArenaMadison Square Garden
Results
Record45–37 (.549)
PlaceDivision: 3rd (Atlantic)
Conference: 5th (Eastern)
Playoff finishConference semifinals
(lost to Pistons 1–4)
Stats at Basketball Reference
Local media
TelevisionMSG Network
(Marv Albert, John Andariese)[1]
RadioWFAN
(Jim Karvellas, Walt Frazier)[2]

The 1989–90 New York Knicks season was the 44th season for the Knicks in the National Basketball Association.[3] Before the season, owners Gulf+Western reorganized and became Paramount Communications, renaming themselves after the Paramount Pictures film studio.[4][5]

During the off-season, the Knicks hired Stu Jackson as their new head coach; Jackson previously worked as an assistant coach for the Knicks.[6][7][8] The team got off to a solid start, winning 20 of their first 27 games of the regular season, while posting a nine-game winning streak,[9] and holding a 32–16 record at the All-Star break.[10] At mid-season, the Knicks traded second-year guard Rod Strickland to the San Antonio Spurs in exchange for All-Star guard Maurice Cheeks.[11][12][13] However, as the team stood at a 39–22 record, they struggled and lost 15 of their final 21 games.[9] The Knicks finished in third place in the Atlantic Division with a 45–37 record,[14] which earned them the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference, as they qualified for the NBA playoffs for the third consecutive year.[3][14]

Patrick Ewing averaged 28.6 points, 10.9 rebounds and 4.0 blocks per game,[15] and was named to the All-NBA First Team.[14] In addition, Charles Oakley averaged 14.6 points and 11.9 rebounds per game, while Gerald Wilkins provided the team with 14.5 points and 4.0 assists per game, and Johnny Newman contributed 12.9 points per game.[15] Meanwhile, Kiki Vandeweghe provided the Knicks with 11.7 points per game in only 22 games, and Mark Jackson averaged 9.9 points, 7.4 assists and 1.3 steals per game.[15] Off the bench, three-point specialist Trent Tucker contributed 8.2 points per game, and Kenny Walker averaged 7.9 points and 5.0 rebounds per game.[15]

During the NBA All-Star weekend at the Miami Arena in Miami, Florida, Ewing was selected for the 1990 NBA All-Star Game, as a member of the Eastern Conference All-Star team,[16][17][18] while Walker participated in the NBA Slam Dunk Contest for the second consecutive year; Walker won the Slam Dunk Contest the previous year.[19][20] Ewing finished in fifth place in Most Valuable Player voting,[21] and also finished tied in fifth place in Defensive Player of the Year voting.[21]

In the Eastern Conference First Round of the 1990 NBA playoffs, the Knicks trailed 0–2 to Larry Bird and the 4th-seeded Boston Celtics, suffering a 157–128 road loss in Game 2 at the Boston Garden,[22][23][24] but managed to win the next three games, thus winning the series in five games.[25][26][27] The Knicks were then eliminated in the Eastern Conference Semi-finals by the defending NBA champion Detroit Pistons in five games.[28][29][30] The Pistons would go on to defeat the Portland Trail Blazers in five games in the 1990 NBA Finals, winning their second consecutive NBA championship.[31][32][33]

The Knicks finished fifth in the NBA in home-game attendance, with an attendance of 730,432 at Madison Square Garden during the regular season.[14][15] Following the season, Newman signed as a free agent with the Charlotte Hornets.[34][35][36]

For the season, the Knicks slightly changed their primary logo, changing the color of the basketball under the team name from brown to orange; the logo would remain in use until 1992.[37]

Draft picks

Main article: 1989 NBA draft
Round Pick Player Position Nationality School/Club team
2 50 Brian Quinnett SF  United States Washington State

Roster

1989–90 New York Knicks roster
Players Coaches
Pos. No. Player Height Weight DOB From
C 54 Greg Butler 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) 240 lb (109 kg) 1966–03–11 Stanford
G 1 Maurice Cheeks 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 180 lb (82 kg) 1956–09–08 West Texas A&M
C 33 Patrick Ewing 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) 240 lb (109 kg) 1962–08–05 Georgetown
C 40 Stuart Gray 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) 235 lb (107 kg) 1963–05–27 UCLA
G 13 Mark Jackson 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 180 lb (82 kg) 1965–04–01 St. John's
F 4 Johnny Newman 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 190 lb (86 kg) 1963–11–28 Richmond
F 34 Charles Oakley 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 225 lb (102 kg) 1963–12–18 Virginia Union
G 23 Brian Quinnett 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 235 lb (107 kg) 1966–05–30 Washington State
G 6 Trent Tucker 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 193 lb (88 kg) 1959–12–20 Minnesota
F 55 Kiki Vandeweghe 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 220 lb (100 kg) 1958–08–01 UCLA
F 7 Kenny Walker 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 210 lb (95 kg) 1964–08–18 Kentucky
C 45 Eddie Lee Wilkins 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 220 lb (100 kg) 1962–05–07 Gardner–Webb
G 21 Gerald Wilkins 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 185 lb (84 kg) 1963–09–11 Chattanooga
Head coach
Assistant(s)
Legend
  • (DP) Unsigned draft pick
  • (FA) Free agent
  • (S) Suspended
  • Injured

Regular season

Season standings

Atlantic Division
 W L PCT GB Home Road Div
y-Philadelphia 76ers 53 29 .646 – 34–7 19–22 19–7
x-Boston Celtics 52 30 .634 1 30–11 22–19 19–7
x-New York Knicks 45 37 .549 8 29–12 16–25 17–9
Washington Bullets 31 51 .378 22 20–21 11–30 10–16
Miami Heat 18 64 .220 35 11–30 7–34 4–22
New Jersey Nets 17 65 .207 36 13–28 4–37 9–17
#
Eastern Conference
Team W L PCT GB
1 c-Detroit Pistons 59 23 .720 –
2 y-Philadelphia 76ers 53 29 .646 6
3 x-Chicago Bulls 55 27 .671 4
4 x-Boston Celtics 52 30 .634 7
5 x-New York Knicks 45 37 .549 14
6 x-Milwaukee Bucks 44 38 .537 15
7 x-Cleveland Cavaliers 42 40 .512 17
8 x-Indiana Pacers 42 40 .512 17
9 Atlanta Hawks 41 41 .500 18
10 Washington Bullets 31 51 .378 28
11 Miami Heat 18 64 .220 41
12 Orlando Magic 18 64 .220 41
13 New Jersey Nets 17 65 .207 42
z – clinched division title
y – clinched division title
x – clinched playoff spot

Game log

1989–90 game log
Total: 45–37 (home: 29–12; road: 16–25)
November: 9–5 (home: 6–0; road: 3–5)
Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location
Attendance		 Record
1 November 3
8:00 p.m. EST 		@ Detroit L 103–106 Ewing (23) Oakley (11) Jackson (9) The Palace of Auburn Hills
21,454 		0–1
6 November 14
10:30 p.m. EST 		@ Portland L 117–118 Ewing (43) Oakley (12) Jackson (7) Memorial Coliseum
12,848 		3–3
December: 11–2 (home: 6–0; road: 5–2)
Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location
Attendance		 Record
January: 7–9 (home: 5–2; road: 2–7)
Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location
Attendance		 Record
30 January 6
7:30 p.m. EST 		@ Detroit L 106–117 Ewing (29) Oakley (12) Jackson (5) The Palace of Auburn Hills
21,454 		21–9
February: 9–3 (home: 6–1; road: 3–2)
Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location
Attendance		 Record
54 February 25
12 Noon EST 		Detroit L 87–98 Ewing (37) Oakley (14) Jackson (8) Madison Square Garden
18,212 		35–19
March: 4–12 (home: 2–7; road: 2–5)
Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location
Attendance		 Record
58 March 6
7:30 p.m. EST 		Portland L 100–112 Ewing (40) Oakley (14) Ewing,
Oakley (5) 		Madison Square Garden
18,212 		37–21
April: 5–7 (home: 4–2; road: 1–5)
Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location
Attendance		 Record
76 April 10
8:00 p.m. EDT 		Detroit L 98–108 Ewing (26) Ewing (9) Cheeks (6) Madison Square Garden
18,032 		43–33
1989–90 schedule

Playoffs

1990 playoff game log
First Round: 3–2 (home: 2–0; road: 1–2)
Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location
Attendance		 Series
1 April 26 @ Boston L 105–116 Patrick Ewing (22) Patrick Ewing (9) Maurice Cheeks (9) Boston Garden
14,890 		0–1
2 April 28 @ Boston L 128–157 Patrick Ewing (28) Charles Oakley (9) Gerald Wilkins (7) Boston Garden
14,890 		0–2
3 May 2 Boston W 102–99 Patrick Ewing (33) Patrick Ewing (19) Maurice Cheeks (11) Madison Square Garden
18,212 		1–2
4 May 4 Boston W 135–108 Patrick Ewing (44) Patrick Ewing (13) Maurice Cheeks (12) Madison Square Garden
18,212 		2–2
5 May 6 @ Boston W 121–114 Patrick Ewing (31) Charles Oakley (17) Patrick Ewing (10) Boston Garden
14,890 		3–2
Conference semifinals: 1–4 (home: 1–1; road: 0–3)
Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location
Attendance		 Series
1 May 8
8:00 p.m. EDT 		@ Detroit L 77–112 Ewing (19) E Wilkins (8) Cheeks (6) The Palace of Auburn Hills
21,454 		0–1
2 May 10
8:00 p.m. EDT 		@ Detroit L 97–104 G Wilkins (24) Oakley (15) Cheeks (8) The Palace of Auburn Hills
21,454 		0–2
3 May 12
1:00 p.m. EDT 		Detroit W 111–103 Ewing (45) Oakley (20) Cheeks (12) Madison Square Garden
18,212 		1–2
4 May 13
3:30 p.m. EDT 		Detroit L 90–102 Ewing (30) Oakley (14) Cheeks,
Jackson (6) 		Madison Square Garden
18,212 		1–3
5 May 15
8:00 p.m. EDT 		@ Detroit L 84–95 Ewing (22) Ewing (14) Cheeks (9) The Palace of Auburn Hills
21,454 		1–4
1990 schedule

Player statistics

Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field-goal percentage  3P%  3-point field-goal percentage  FT%  Free-throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game

Regular season

Player GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
Greg Butler 13 0 2.5 .250 .000 .7 .1 .0 .0 .5
Maurice Cheeks† 31 13 24.3 .579 .429 .877 2.4 4.9 1.4 .2 7.9
Patrick Ewing 82 82 38.6 .551 .250 .775 10.9 2.2 1.0 4.0 28.6
Stuart Gray† 19 0 4.9 .235 .000 .875 .7 .1 .2 .1 .8
Mark Jackson 82 69 29.6 .437 .267 .727 3.9 7.4 1.3 .0 9.9
Pete Myers† 24 0 8.7 .333 .000 .516 1.2 1.5 .6 .1 1.9
Johnny Newman 80 69 28.5 .476 .317 .799 2.4 2.3 1.2 .3 12.9
Charles Oakley 61 61 36.0 .524 .000 .761 11.9 2.4 1.0 .3 14.6
Brian Quinnett 31 0 6.2 .328 .000 .667 .9 .4 .1 .1 1.3
Rod Strickland† 51 0 20.0 .440 .286 .638 2.5 4.3 1.4 .2 8.4
Trent Tucker 81 2 21.3 .417 .388 .767 2.1 2.1 .9 .1 8.2
Kiki VanDeWeghe 22 13 25.6 .442 .526 .917 2.4 1.9 .7 .1 11.7
Kenny Walker 68 21 23.5 .531 .400 .723 5.0 .7 .5 .8 7.9
Eddie Lee Wilkins 79 0 12.3 .455 .000 .605 3.4 .2 .2 .2 4.7
Gerald Wilkins 82 80 31.8 .457 .312 .803 4.5 4.0 1.2 .3 14.5

Playoffs

Player GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
Maurice Cheeks 10 10 38.8 .481 .000 .903 3.9 8.5 1.7 .2 12.8
Patrick Ewing 10 10 39.5 .521 .500 .823 10.5 3.1 1.3 2.0 29.4
Stuart Gray 4 0 3.0 .400 2.0 .0 .3 .0 1.0
Mark Jackson 9 0 9.0 .419 .000 .727 .6 2.3 .2 .0 3.8
Johnny Newman 10 0 23.1 .447 .400 .755 2.1 1.0 .9 .3 11.7
Charles Oakley 10 8 33.6 .512 1.000 .654 11.0 2.7 1.1 .2 12.1
Brian Quinnett 3 0 5.3 .500 1.000 2.7 .7 .0 .0 1.7
Trent Tucker 10 0 17.8 .400 .370 1.000 1.4 2.0 1.0 .0 6.0
Kiki VanDeWeghe 10 10 23.6 .419 .462 .800 1.2 1.4 .5 .2 7.6
Kenny Walker 10 2 15.4 .552 .000 .643 2.5 .6 .0 .4 4.1
Eddie Lee Wilkins 7 0 7.7 .500 .545 1.6 .0 .3 .0 3.4
Gerald Wilkins 10 10 31.9 .460 .250 .818 3.6 5.2 1.4 .1 14.6
  • † Denotes player spent time with another team in the season. Stats reflect time with the Knicks only.

Source:[15]

Awards and records

Transactions

References

  1. ^ The Fourth Estate (PDF). New York Knicks. 2003. p. 331. Retrieved November 18, 2017.
  2. ^ The Fourth Estate (PDF). New York Knicks. 2003. p. 330. Retrieved November 18, 2017.
  3. ^ a b "New York Knickerbockers Franchise Index". Basketball-Reference. Archived from the original on May 23, 2010. Retrieved May 15, 2010.
  4. ^ "Gulf and Western plans to sell off its financial services". New Straits Times. Reuters. April 11, 1989. p. 16. Retrieved July 13, 2011.
  5. ^ Fabrikant, Geraldine (April 10, 1989). "Divestiture Is Planned By G.&W". The New York Times. Retrieved July 13, 2011.
  6. ^ "Knicks Expected to Hire Jackson". United Press International. July 9, 1989. Retrieved February 25, 2017.
  7. ^ Goldaper, Sam (July 11, 1989). "Jackson, the Knicks' New Coach, Contends He Has All the N.B.A. Experience He Needs". The New York Times. Retrieved December 31, 2022.
  8. ^ Brown, Clifton (September 13, 1989). "No Timeout for Knicks' Coach". The New York Times. Retrieved December 31, 2022.
  9. ^ a b "1989–90 New York Knicks Schedule and Results". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved February 25, 2017.
  10. ^ "NBA Games Played on February 8, 1990". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved November 23, 2022.
  11. ^ Goldaper, Sam (February 22, 1990). "Knicks Trade Strickland to Spurs for Cheeks". The New York Times. Retrieved November 23, 2022.
  12. ^ "Spurs Deal Cheeks to Knicks for Strickland". St. Petersburg Times. February 22, 1990. Retrieved June 22, 2023.
  13. ^ McManis, Sam (February 27, 1990). "The NBA: A Trade They Both Felt They Had to Make". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 26, 2017.
  14. ^ a b c d "1989–90 NBA Season Summary". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved December 14, 2024.
  15. ^ a b c d e f "1989–90 New York Knicks Roster and Stats". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved January 7, 2022.
  16. ^ Howard-Cooper, Scott (February 11, 1990). "NBA All-Star Game: Entire Family Is Back Together—Almost". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 23, 2022.
  17. ^ "1990 NBA All-Star recap". NBA.com. NBA.com Staff. September 13, 2021. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
  18. ^ "1990 NBA All-Star Game: East 130, West 113". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved December 9, 2021.
  19. ^ "NBA All-Star Weekend". The Hour. February 9, 1990. p. 32. Retrieved October 12, 2025.
  20. ^ "NBA & ABA All-Star Game Contest Winners". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved October 12, 2025.
  21. ^ a b "1989–90 NBA Awards Voting". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved February 4, 2022.
  22. ^ Goldaper, Sam (April 29, 1990). "Boston Massacre: Knicks Lose Historically". The New York Times. Retrieved September 20, 2022.
  23. ^ Hafner, Dan (April 29, 1990). "NBA Roundup: Celtics Run Knicks Out of Town, 157-128". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 23, 2022.
  24. ^ "1990 NBA Eastern Conference First Round Game 2: New York Knicks at Boston Celtics Box Score, April 28, 1990". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved April 9, 2023.
  25. ^ Goldaper, Sam (May 7, 1990). "Breakthrough in Boston: Knicks Roll, 121–114". The New York Times. Retrieved December 9, 2021.
  26. ^ Aldridge, David (May 7, 1990). "Knicks Nix Jinx, Celtics in Game 5". The Washington Post. Retrieved September 20, 2022.
  27. ^ "1990 NBA Eastern Conference First Round: Knicks vs. Celtics". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved April 9, 2023.
  28. ^ Goldaper, Sam (May 16, 1990). "Pistons' Defense Leaves Knicks Out in Cold". The New York Times. Retrieved December 7, 2021.
  29. ^ "Detroit Eliminates New York, 95-84: Eastern Conference: Mark Aguirre Comes Off the Bench to Scores 25 Points. Pistons Make Their Fourth Consecutive Trip to the conference finals". Los Angeles Times. Associated Press. May 16, 1990. Retrieved December 31, 2022.
  30. ^ "1990 NBA Eastern Conference Semifinals: Knicks vs. Pistons". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved April 9, 2023.
  31. ^ Brown, Clifton (June 15, 1990). "Pistons Rally to Repeat as N.B.A. Champions". The New York Times. Retrieved September 22, 2022.
  32. ^ McManis, Sam (June 15, 1990). "Vinnie, Vidi, Vici: Pistons Repeat Feat: NBA Finals: Johnson Hits Game-Winner in Last Second as Detroit Rallies from Seven-Point Deficit for a 92–90 Victory. Thomas Is the Unanimous Choice as MVP". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 22, 2022.
  33. ^ "1990 NBA Finals: Trail Blazers vs. Pistons". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved April 9, 2023.
  34. ^ Preston, June (July 13, 1990). "Hornets Woo Knicks Forward". United Press International. Retrieved July 5, 2025.
  35. ^ "Newman Signs Hornet Offer Sheet, Leaving Next Move to Knicks". The New York Times. July 14, 1990. Retrieved November 25, 2022.
  36. ^ "Pro Basketball; Knicks Won't Match Newman's Hornet Deal". The New York Times. July 29, 1990. Retrieved November 25, 2022.
  37. ^ "New York Knicks Logo". Chris Creamer's Sports Logos Page – SportsLogos.Net. Retrieved November 25, 2021.
  38. ^ "All-NBA & All-ABA Teams". Basketball-Reference. Retrieved October 26, 2013.
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