New York Knicks Seeking 'Special' Homecourt Advantage at Madison Square Garden

The New York Knicks know just how meaningful homecourt advantage can be in the NBA playoffs.

Jeremy Brener | Apr 6, 2024

Apr 4, 2024; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) drives to the basket / Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

In this story:

New York Knicks

The New York Knicks are looking to come home for the basketball holiday.

New York (45-32) hasn't held homecourt advantage in a first-round playoff series since 2013. The Knicks are currently in the tick of the chase for homecourt with five games left on their docket: entering Saturday play, they're on the wrong end of a tiebreaker with the Orlando Magic for fourth place, one game behind Cleveland for third, and even have an outside shot for second, as they're two behind Milwaukee.

At 25-14, the Knicks have the fourth-best home record in the Eastern Conference. Though they're a respectable 20-18 away from Manhattan, there's no denying that the Madison Square Garden volume can serve as a sixth man. The latest example of MSG magic came on Thursday, when the Knicks erased a 21-point deficit to earn a 120-109 victory over the Sacramento Kings.

Apr 4, 2024; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) controls the ball / Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

"To call this place home, to feed off (the fans') energy is special, especially in the second half, the fourth quarter, whatever that was," Jalen Brunson said after Thursday's win over the Kings, in video from SNY. "It's really fun to feel better here."

Homecourt advantage played a role in last year's postseason run: the Knicks went 4-1 in five MSG games but that one loss, Game 1 of the second-round set against Miami, proved to be costly, as New York never recovered from the home loss and dropped the series in six.

The Knicks won't return to MSG until Friday against the Brooklyn Nets, but they are back in action on Sunday against the Milwaukee Bucks (7 p.m. ET, MSG/NBA TV).

Published Apr 6, 2024

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.