NEW YORK, Jan. 28, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- MSG Networks (NYSE:MSGN) continue the special 20-part television event “The Garden’s Defining Moments” presented by SAP with a new episode - “Knicks vs. Celtics 1973 Eastern Conference Finals.” The dramatic win by the Knicks on April 22, 1973 lead them to the NBA Finals where they eventually went on to beat the Los Angeles Lakers for their second NBA title. “The Garden’s Defining Moments: Knicks vs. Celtics 1973 Eastern Conference Finals,” narrated by Ben Stiller, premieres Friday, January 29 at 11:00 pm on MSG Network, following MSG’s telecast of the Knicks / Suns game. Interview subjects include Walt Frazier, Willis Reed, Phil Jackson, Earl Monroe, Bill Bradley, Dick Barnett and more.
Game Four of the 1973 Eastern Conference Finals was an Easter Sunday classic, a 117-110 double-overtime Knicks victory over the Boston Celtics. New York got 37 points from Walt Frazier and 22 from Dave DeBusschere, mounting a comeback from 16 down with under 10 minutes left in regulation. With five players fouled out, it took New York’s off-the-bench heroes --- John Gianelli, Phil Jackson and Henry Bibby --- to pull the Knicks to victory. New York took a 3-1 lead on their way to defeating the Celtics in seven games, a pivotal chapter in their march to the 1973 NBA Championship.
Quotes:
Walt Frazier on the road to a championship going through Boston:
“We knew that a championship would probably go through Boston. We were galvanized, we wanted that challenge, we accepted that challenge. Everybody was healthy and we were winning so we thought we were ready.”
Walt Frazier on the Boston Celtics:
“We hated the Celtics. I hate green. Even today, I don’t eat New England clam chowder. Come on, it’s the Celtics.”
Walt Frazier on Earl Monroe adjusting his game:
“I always give him credit because I never changed my game. I played my same game, Earl was the guy who had to conform to the Knicks philosophy of playing and he did.”
Willis Reed on Game Four:
“I always think that all twelve players on a team are there for a reason. Some guys, given the right play, right situation, right moment, they can come in and contribute, and this was one of those games.”
Phil Jackson on the acquisition of Earl Monroe:
“He had a type of temperament where he was not a loud guy, he was not a demanding guy, just about every time we needed something extra Earl stepped in.”
Phil Jackson on the team’s legacy:
“For our fans that had been so devoted, this was a team that was going to come back and redeem a championship.”
Earl Monroe on where he wanted to be traded to:
“There was three places I wanted to be traded to; LA, Chicago, which was a big market as well, and Philadelphia, which was my home. Those were the three teams that we gave to the management of the Bullets. I was very surprised when they came back and said the Knicks wanted to trade for me. I decided that when I came into the team I would take a back seat and see what was going on and not try to impose myself on the team.”
Bill Bradley on Monroe and Frazier playing together:
“People said that you have to have two basketballs, you are going to have Frazier and Monroe in the backcourt, which just wasn’t true. These guys were unselfish and they knew that if they played together they could win, that was the important thing.”
Bill Bradley on the Knicks / Celtics Rivalry:
“The rivalry between the Knicks and the Celtics was intense. It would float not only between the teams and players but also the organizations because Red Auerbach and Red Holzman had their competitive instincts going just as well as John Havlicek and me.”
Dick Barnett on the 1972-1973 team:
“Everybody on our team looked to fit their abilities into a symphony that could help each other, with Red being the orchestrator of pulling those strings together.”
About MSG Networks Inc.
MSG Networks Inc. is an industry leader with two award-winning regional sports and entertainment networks, MSG Network (MSG) and MSG+, as well as the live streaming and video on demand platform, MSG GO. The networks are home to nine professional sports teams, delivering live games of the New York Knicks; New York Rangers; New York Liberty; New York Islanders; New Jersey Devils; Buffalo Sabres; Major League Soccer’s Red Bulls and the Westchester Knicks, and exclusive non-game coverage of the New York Giants. Each year, the networks collectively telecast approximately 700 live sporting events - which also include college football and college basketball from top conferences - along with a full schedule of critically-acclaimed original programming. The gold standard for regional broadcasting, MSG Networks has won 129 New York Emmy Awards over the past eight years. More information is available at www.msgnetworks.com.
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