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Spurs left reeling as Charles Barkley hints Knicks run could enter all-time playoff history

Spurs left reeling as Charles Barkley hints Knicks run could enter all-time playoff history originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The New York Knicks' dominant postseason run is still very much alive. Their 105-104 thriller in Game 2 extended their playoff win streak to 13 consecutive games, handed the Spurs a second straight heartbreak in their home arena and put Mike Brown’s squad two wins from their first championship since 1973.

Experts are already making their opinion crystal clear about their staggering numbers. New York has outscored opponents by 272 points across their 12-game winning streak, the best such mark ever recorded over any 12-game span in NBA history, regular season or playoffs. They won 11 of those 12 games by double digits, with four coming by at least 30 points. That’s less of a hot streak and more of a wrecking ball.

Which is exactly what caught Charles Barkley's attention on Inside the NBA. The Hall of Famer and 11-time All-Star stopped short of crowning New York the greatest team ever, but put them on notice for playoff immortality.

"I'm not saying this is the greatest team ever," Barkley said. "If they win these next two games, this is one of the greatest runs in playoff history. It's one of the greatest runs. You have to give them their props."

Barkley's praise is specifically for this postseason run, not the team's run in the entire season. The only thing keeping them from a clean "greatest playoff run ever" claim is that the 2017 Golden State Warriors, who went 15-1 through the postseason, remain the gold standard.

A sweep of the Spurs would put New York at 15 consecutive playoff wins, tying the 2017 Warriors for the longest postseason win streak in NBA history. However, since the Knicks lost earlier in the playoffs, a sweep would finish their postseason at 15-2 or 15-3 overall—technically a slightly lower overall win percentage than Golden State's nearly flawless 16-1 championship run.

Still, the case for this being an all-time run is real. Beating the powerhouse Spurs four times would carry serious weight in any historical conversation.