# 1986–87 New York Knicks season

The 1986–87 NBA season was the Knicks' 41st season in the NBA and the last time they would miss the playoffs until their 2001–02 season.
With second-year center Patrick Ewing still struggling with injuries and after starting the season 4–12, head coach Hubie Brown was fired and Bob Hill took over for the rest of the season. Brown returned to coach the Memphis Grizzlies in the 2002–03 season. Bernard King, only able to play six games this year, was released at the end of the season, signing as a free agent with the Washington Bullets.

## Draft picks

| Round | Pick | Player | Position | Nationality | School/Club Team |
| 1 | 5 | Kenny Walker | SF | United States | Kentucky |
| 2 | 47 | Michael Jackson | PG | United States | Georgetown |
| 4 | 71 | Calvin Thompson | | United States | Kansas |
| 5 | 94 | Jerome Mincey | | United States | Alabama-Birmingham |
| 6 | 117 | Butch Wade | | United States | Michigan |
| 7 | 140 | Duane Kendall | | United States | South Carolina |

## Regular season
### Season standings

| Atlantic Divisionvte | W | L | PCT | GB | Home | Road | Div |
| y-Boston Celtics | 59 | 23 | .720 | – | 39–2 | 20–21 | 15–9 |
| x-Philadelphia 76ers | 45 | 37 | .549 | 14 | 28–13 | 17–24 | 12–12 |
| x-Washington Bullets | 42 | 40 | .512 | 17 | 27–14 | 15–26 | 13–11 |
| New Jersey Nets | 24 | 58 | .293 | 35 | 19–22 | 5–36 | 12–12 |
| New York Knicks | 24 | 58 | .293 | 35 | 18–23 | 6–35 | 8–16 |
| # | Eastern Conferencevte | Eastern Conferencevte | Eastern Conferencevte | Eastern Conferencevte | Eastern Conferencevte |
| # | Team | W | L | PCT | GB |
| 1 | c-Boston Celtics | 59 | 23 | .720 | – |
| 2 | y-Atlanta Hawks | 57 | 25 | .695 | 2 |
| 3 | x-Detroit Pistons | 52 | 30 | .634 | 7 |
| 4 | x-Milwaukee Bucks | 50 | 32 | .610 | 9 |
| 5 | x-Philadelphia 76ers | 45 | 37 | .549 | 14 |
| 6 | x-Washington Bullets | 42 | 40 | .512 | 17 |
| 7 | x-Indiana Pacers | 41 | 41 | .500 | 18 |
| 8 | x-Chicago Bulls | 40 | 42 | .488 | 19 |
| 9 | Cleveland Cavaliers | 31 | 51 | .378 | 28 |
| 10 | New Jersey Nets | 24 | 58 | .293 | 35 |
| 11 | New York Knicks | 24 | 58 | .293 | 35 |
    z - clinched division title
    y - clinched division title
    x - clinched playoff spot

### Record vs. opponents

1986-87 NBA Records :
| Team | ATL | BOS | CHI | CLE | DAL | DEN | DET | GSW | HOU | IND | LAC | LAL | MIL | NJN | NYK | PHI | PHO | POR | SAC | SAS | SEA | UTA | WAS |
| Atlanta | — | 3–3 | 4–2 | 4–2 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 3–3 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 3–3 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 3–3 | 5–0 | 5–1 | 3–3 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 5–0 |
| Boston | 3–3 | — | 6–0 | 3–2 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 3–2 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 5–1 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 3–3 | 4–2 | 4–2 | 3–3 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 4–2 |
| Chicago | 2–4 | 0–6 | — | 5–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 3–3 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 3–2 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 4–2 | 3–2 | 4–2 | 3–3 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 3–3 |
| Cleveland | 2–4 | 2–3 | 1–5 | — | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–5 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 3–3 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 1–5 | 4–2 | 4–1 | 2–4 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 2–4 |
| Dallas | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 2–0 | — | 4–2 | 1–1 | 5–0 | 3–3 | 0–2 | 5–0 | 3–2 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 3–2 | 2–3 | 5–1 | 4–2 | 5–0 | 3–3 | 1–1 |
| Denver | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–4 | — | 0–2 | 4–1 | 3–3 | 1–1 | 2–3 | 0–5 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 3–2 | 3–2 | 2–4 | 5–1 | 2–3 | 2–4 | 1–1 |
| Detroit | 3–3 | 2–3 | 3–3 | 5–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | — | 1–1 | 1–1 | 3–3 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 3–3 | 5–1 | 6–0 | 5–0 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 3–3 |
| Golden State | 1–1 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 0–5 | 1–4 | 1–1 | — | 4–1 | 0–2 | 6–0 | 2–4 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–5 | 4–2 | 4–1 | 4–1 | 4–2 | 2–3 | 0–2 |
| Houston | 1–1 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 3–3 | 3–3 | 1–1 | 1–4 | — | 2–0 | 4–1 | 1–4 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 3–2 | 2–3 | 5–1 | 5–1 | 1–4 | 3–3 | 1–1 |
| Indiana | 3–3 | 1–5 | 2–3 | 3–3 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 3–3 | 2–0 | 0–2 | — | 2–0 | 0–2 | 2–4 | 5–1 | 3–2 | 2–4 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 4–2 |
| L.A. Clippers | 0–2 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 0–5 | 3–2 | 0–2 | 0–6 | 1–4 | 0–2 | — | 0–6 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–5 | 0–6 | 1–4 | 1–4 | 2–4 | 2–3 | 0–2 |
| L.A. Lakers | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2–3 | 5–0 | 1–1 | 4–2 | 4–1 | 2–0 | 6–0 | — | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 5–1 | 5–1 | 5–0 | 4–1 | 4–2 | 3–2 | 1–1 |
| Milwaukee | 3–3 | 3–3 | 2–4 | 5–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 3–3 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 4–2 | 2–0 | 1–1 | — | 4–2 | 4–2 | 2–3 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 4–1 |
| New Jersey | 0–5 | 2–4 | 2–3 | 2–4 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–5 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–5 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 2–4 | — | 5–1 | 3–3 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 2–4 |
| New York | 1–5 | 2–4 | 2–4 | 1–4 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 0–6 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 2–3 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 2–4 | 1–5 | — | 3–3 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 2–4 |
| Philadelphia | 3–3 | 3–3 | 3–3 | 4–2 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 0–5 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 4–2 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 3–2 | 3–3 | 3–3 | — | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 3–3 |
| Phoenix | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–3 | 2–3 | 1–1 | 5–1 | 2–3 | 1–1 | 5–1 | 1–5 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | — | 2–4 | 2–3 | 2–3 | 1–5 | 4–1 | 0–2 |
| Portland | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 3–2 | 2–3 | 2–0 | 2–4 | 3–2 | 2–0 | 6–0 | 1–5 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 4–2 | — | 3–2 | 4–1 | 4–2 | 3–2 | 1–1 |
| Sacramento | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–5 | 4–2 | 1–1 | 1–4 | 1–5 | 1–1 | 4–1 | 0–5 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 3–2 | 2–3 | — | 3–3 | 2–3 | 1–5 | 1–1 |
| San Antonio | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–4 | 1–5 | 1–1 | 1–4 | 1–5 | 0–2 | 4–1 | 1–4 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 3–2 | 1–4 | 3–3 | — | 1–4 | 2–4 | 0–2 |
| Seattle | 0–2 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 0–5 | 3–2 | 0–2 | 2–4 | 4–1 | 1–1 | 4–2 | 2–4 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 5–1 | 2–4 | 3–2 | 4–1 | — | 3–2 | 1–1 |
| Utah | 0–2 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 3–3 | 4–2 | 1–1 | 3–2 | 3–3 | 1–1 | 3–2 | 2–3 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–4 | 2–3 | 5–1 | 4–2 | 2–3 | — | 1–1 |
| Washington | 0–5 | 2–4 | 3–3 | 4–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 3–3 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 2–4 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–4 | 4–2 | 4–2 | 3–3 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | — |