The 1984-85 New York Knicks season marked a significant period in the franchise’s history, primarily due to drafting Patrick Ewing as the first overall pick. Ewing’s arrival was highly anticipated as he was expected to rejuvenate the struggling team. Despite this fresh hope, Ewing’s rookie season was marred by a knee injury that limited his playing time, although he still managed to average 20 points and 9 rebounds per game when healthy.
Under head coach Hubie Brown, the Knicks struggled to find their footing, finishing with a disappointing 24-58 record. This performance placed them last in the Atlantic Division and out of playoff contention. The season highlighted the team’s ongoing struggles, particularly on the defensive end, where they allowed an average of 110.2 points per game. The Knicks’ lack of depth and experience was evident, as the team struggled to compete against more cohesive and seasoned squads.
Despite the lackluster results, the season was not without its positives. Bernard King, a standout performer, continued to be a bright spot for the Knicks before suffering a severe knee injury that would sideline him for the next two seasons. The 1984-85 season was a transitional period for the Knicks, setting the stage for Ewing’s future development and the eventual rebuilding of the team around him. While the immediate results were underwhelming, the foundation was being laid for a more competitive future.
- Regular Season Record: 24-58
- Playoff Result: Did not make playoffs
New York Knicks Roster and Stats for 1984-85 Season
| Regular Season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | GP | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3P% | GP | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3P% |
| Bernard King | 55 | 32.9 | 5.8 | 3.7 | 1.2 | 0.3 | 10.0 | |||||||
| Pat Cummings | 63 | 15.8 | 8.2 | 1.7 | 0.8 | 0.3 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Darrell Walker | 82 | 13.5 | 3.4 | 5.0 | 2.0 | 0.3 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Louis Orr | 79 | 12.7 | 4.9 | 1.7 | 1.3 | 0.3 | 10.0 | |||||||
| Rory Sparrow | 79 | 9.9 | 2.1 | 7.1 | 1.0 | 0.1 | 21.9 | |||||||
| Trent Tucker | 77 | 8.5 | 2.4 | 2.6 | 1.0 | 0.2 | 40.8 | |||||||
| Butch Carter | 69 | 7.9 | 1.4 | 2.4 | 0.8 | 0.1 | 26.2 | |||||||
| Ken Bannister | 75 | 6.8 | 4.4 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Ernie Grunfeld | 69 | 6.6 | 2.2 | 1.6 | 0.7 | 0.1 | 22.2 | |||||||
| Eddie Lee Wilkins | 54 | 5.5 | 4.9 | 0.3 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 0.0 | |||||||
| James Bailey | 74 | 5.2 | 4.6 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 0.7 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Truck Robinson | 2 | 2.0 | 4.5 | 1.5 | 1.0 | 1.5 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Ron Cavenall | 53 | 1.5 | 3.1 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.8 | 0.0 | |||||||
New York Knicks 1984-85 Regular Season Game Log
Here is the game log for the 1984-85 season for the New York Knicks.
| Date | Opponent | Result | High Scorer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 27, 1984 | vs. Detroit Pistons | W 137-118 | |
| Oct 30, 1984 | @ Utah Jazz | L 117-111 | |
| Nov 01, 1984 | @ Los Angeles Clippers | L 107-105 | |
| Nov 03, 1984 | @ Houston Rockets | L 105-93 | |
| Nov 04, 1984 | @ San Antonio Spurs | L 131-130 | |
| Nov 06, 1984 | @ Dallas Mavericks | L 107-104 | |
| Nov 08, 1984 | vs. Chicago Bulls | L 121-106 | |
| Nov 10, 1984 | vs. Kansas City Kings | W 113-100 | |
| Nov 13, 1984 | vs. Washington Bullets | L 103-92 | |
| Nov 14, 1984 | @ Boston Celtics | L 115-99 | |
| Nov 16, 1984 | @ Washington Bullets | L 118-104 | |
| Nov 17, 1984 | vs. Cleveland Cavaliers | W 112-88 | |
| Nov 20, 1984 | vs. Golden State Warriors | W 106-101 | |
| Nov 21, 1984 | @ Cleveland Cavaliers | W 109-101 | |
| Nov 23, 1984 | @ Detroit Pistons | W 120-97 | |
| Nov 24, 1984 | vs. Indiana Pacers | W 119-100 | |
| Nov 27, 1984 | vs. Atlanta Hawks | W 97-96 | |
| Nov 28, 1984 | @ New Jersey Nets | L 111-96 | |
| Nov 30, 1984 | @ Milwaukee Bucks | L 118-100 | |
| Dec 01, 1984 | vs. Portland Trail Blazers | L 115-93 | |
| Dec 04, 1984 | vs. Denver Nuggets | W 100-98 | |
| Dec 06, 1984 | vs. Dallas Mavericks | L 112-83 | |
| Dec 07, 1984 | @ Chicago Bulls | L 95-93 | |
| Dec 09, 1984 | @ Philadelphia 76ers | L 110-94 | |
| Dec 11, 1984 | vs. Philadelphia 76ers | W 110-106 | |
| Dec 13, 1984 | vs. Utah Jazz | W 119-115 | |
| Dec 15, 1984 | @ Cleveland Cavaliers | L 102-97 | |
| Dec 18, 1984 | vs. Boston Celtics | L 126-108 | |
| Dec 20, 1984 | vs. Cleveland Cavaliers | W 112-97 | |
| Dec 21, 1984 | @ Washington Bullets | L 125-111 | |
| Dec 25, 1984 | vs. New Jersey Nets | L 120-114 | |
| Dec 26, 1984 | @ Atlanta Hawks | L 117-105 | |
| Dec 28, 1984 | @ New Jersey Nets | L 100-97 | |
| Dec 29, 1984 | vs. Washington Bullets | L 116-108 | |
| Jan 04, 1985 | @ Boston Celtics | L 105-94 | |
| Jan 05, 1985 | vs. Chicago Bulls | W 119-113 | |
| Jan 07, 1985 | vs. Boston Celtics | L 108-97 | |
| Jan 09, 1985 | @ Denver Nuggets | L 100-95 | |
| Jan 11, 1985 | @ Chicago Bulls | L 113-97 | |
| Jan 12, 1985 | @ Indiana Pacers | L 100-95 | |
| Jan 15, 1985 | vs. Philadelphia 76ers | L 93-82 | |
| Jan 17, 1985 | vs. Detroit Pistons | L 105-89 | |
| Jan 19, 1985 | vs. Atlanta Hawks | W 88-86 | |
| Jan 22, 1985 | vs. Seattle SuperSonics | W 92-90 | |
| Jan 26, 1985 | vs. Indiana Pacers | W 109-106 | |
| Jan 28, 1985 | vs. Los Angeles Clippers | W 117-91 | |
| Jan 30, 1985 | @ Phoenix Suns | L 110-93 | |
| Feb 01, 1985 | @ Los Angeles Lakers | L 105-104 | |
| Feb 02, 1985 | @ Golden State Warriors | L 114-98 | |
| Feb 05, 1985 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | W 110-108 | |
| Feb 07, 1985 | @ Portland Trail Blazers | L 133-122 | |
| Feb 13, 1985 | @ Philadelphia 76ers | L 131-129 | |
| Feb 14, 1985 | vs. Houston Rockets | L 113-105 | |
| Feb 16, 1985 | vs. New Jersey Nets | L 126-117 | |
| Feb 19, 1985 | vs. Milwaukee Bucks | L 129-118 | |
| Feb 22, 1985 | @ Atlanta Hawks | W 113-105 | |
| Feb 24, 1985 | vs. Los Angeles Lakers | L 119-114 | |
| Feb 26, 1985 | vs. San Antonio Spurs | W 129-122 | |
| Feb 27, 1985 | @ Indiana Pacers | L 108-106 | |
| Mar 01, 1985 | @ Chicago Bulls | L 109-104 | |
| Mar 02, 1985 | vs. Washington Bullets | L 109-97 | |
| Mar 05, 1985 | vs. Boston Celtics | L 110-102 | |
| Mar 06, 1985 | @ Detroit Pistons | L 114-90 | |
| Mar 09, 1985 | vs. Philadelphia 76ers | W 131-129 | |
| Mar 12, 1985 | vs. Phoenix Suns | L 123-119 | |
| Mar 14, 1985 | vs. Chicago Bulls | W 106-97 | |
| Mar 15, 1985 | @ Philadelphia 76ers | L 119-110 | |
| Mar 16, 1985 | vs. Indiana Pacers | W 116-114 | |
| Mar 20, 1985 | @ Washington Bullets | L 105-102 | |
| Mar 22, 1985 | @ Indiana Pacers | W 118-113 | |
| Mar 23, 1985 | @ Kansas City Kings | L 113-105 | |
| Mar 25, 1985 | @ Milwaukee Bucks | L 126-106 | |
| Mar 26, 1985 | @ Cleveland Cavaliers | L 112-98 | |
| Mar 28, 1985 | vs. Milwaukee Bucks | L 121-116 | |
| Mar 30, 1985 | vs. New Jersey Nets | L 123-114 | |
| Apr 03, 1985 | @ New Jersey Nets | L 113-100 | |
| Apr 04, 1985 | vs. Atlanta Hawks | L 100-79 | |
| Apr 07, 1985 | @ Boston Celtics | L 114-102 | |
| Apr 09, 1985 | vs. Detroit Pistons | L 107-97 | |
| Apr 10, 1985 | @ Atlanta Hawks | L 98-94 | |
| Apr 12, 1985 | vs. Cleveland Cavaliers | L 109-108 | |
| Apr 13, 1985 | @ Milwaukee Bucks | L 88-84 |