New York had three first-round picks in the1979 NBA draft, and selected Cartwright,Larry Demic, andSly Williams.[4] At the end of the season, the Knicks lost five of their last six games; they followed a three-game losing streak with a win against theCleveland Cavaliers,[5] but then lost to theBoston Celtics andPhiladelphia 76ers.[6][7] In the game against the 76ers,Julius Erving made the winning basket with one second remaining, after the Knicks had committed a turnover on an inbounds pass five seconds earlier with the score tied at 101–101.[7] TheWashington Bullets gained the last playoff berth in theEastern Conference over the Knicks because of a better record against other teams in the conference; the teams' overall win–loss records were identical.[8] The 1979–80 Knicks were the first team in NBA history to feature a roster made up entirely of black players,[9] which led to racially charged nicknames for the team.[10]
^The Fourth Estate(PDF). New York Knicks. 2003. p. 331. RetrievedNovember 5, 2017.
^The Fourth Estate(PDF). New York Knicks. 2003. p. 330. RetrievedNovember 5, 2017.
^Carter, Craig; Hareas, John (2001).The Sporting News 2001–2002 Official NBA Guide. St. Louis, Missouri. pp. 517–526.ISBN0-89204-656-2.{{cite book}}:|work= ignored (help)CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
