After both sides failed to reach an agreement, the owners called for a lockout, which began on July 1, 1998, putting a hold on all team trades, free agent signings and training camp workouts, and cancelling many NBA regular season and preseason games.
[2][3][4][5][6] Due to the lockout, the NBA All-Star Game, which was scheduled to be played in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on February 14, 1999, was also cancelled.
[7][8][9][10][11] However, on January 6, 1999, NBA commissioner David Stern, and NBPA director Billy Hunter finally reached an agreement to end the lockout.
To give All-Star center Patrick Ewing more help offensively and defensively, the Knicks acquired controversial All-Star guard Latrell Sprewell from the Golden State Warriors,[17][18][19][20][21] acquired Marcus Camby from the Toronto Raptors,[22][23][24][25] and signed free agents Kurt Thomas,[26][27][28] and three-point specialist Dennis Scott during the off-season.
[32][33][34] Because of the lockout shortened season, and injuries to Sprewell, who missed 13 games due to a stress fracture in his right heel,[35][36][37] and Ewing, who missed 12 games with a knee injury,[38][39][40] the Knicks had to build chemistry on the fly, and barely made the playoffs with a 27–23 record, fourth in the Atlantic Division.
[57] However, the Knicks would lose Ewing after Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals, which the Knicks lost to the Pacers on the road, 88–86; Ewing had been battling through an Achilles injury, but it was learned that the tendon (which he had played on in Game 2) was partially torn, and he would be forced to miss the rest of the playoffs.
[62][63][64][65] The Knicks would then stamp their ticket to the NBA finals with a 90–82 home win in Game 6, despite losing Johnson to a knee injury in the first half.
Completely overmatched by the Spurs' height with Tim Duncan and David Robinson, the Knicks lost at home with a 78–77 loss in Game 5 despite Sprewell's 35 points.