Bernard was an absolute machine. Zeke was in his zone this game. Amazing basketball.

Isiah always made the game look so fun. Watching Magic/Isiah battle or Isiah/Bird or Isiah/Jordan is as good as it gets to me.

Bernard was unstoppable, Isiah, the second-best PG of all time. Both of them always played with a champion´s desire, like champions.

One of my first memories as a Knicks fan. Joe Louis Arena, no air conditioning, St. Bernard and Isiah going punch for punch. Bernard not only had dislocated middle fingers on both hands, but was also playing with a 101 fever. Thanks for posting this.

One of the greatest playoff games in NBA history. The league was so good in those days and King and Isiash made this one spectacular.

That turn around midrange game of Bernard King was just unstoppable. Boston would put Mchale on him and he would still put up 40.

Isiah tore through the lane like a bolt of lightning. Damn he was good.

I liked how everyone hit the boards and every ran back during a fastbreak. Few NBA players have the desire like Thomas or King.

OMG. I was on the edge of my seat during this series going crazy as a kid. Sweltering Joe Louis arena. Bernard King is still the greatest offensive player the Knicks ever had! and don't bother me with Carmelo Anthony. King was the best game closer, tough as f'n anything. Played with splints on both hands and still kicks ass YOU CAN SEE IT HERE 0:42 SHOOTING FREE THROWS: UNREAL! and he had the flu! Scored 44 pts - look at his hands! .

King's jump shot should have been put in an art gallery. How anyone can go from a frantic horizontal dribble to straight-up and smooth is beyond me.

I've never forgotten it or this entire series. Upcoming were the pistons classics against Dominique, then Jordan, then Boston.And what about early 80's Milwaukee, Philly and Boston? The glory days of the eastern conference.

I agree with so many comments here. Bernard was one of the greatest small forwards of all time and should be in the HOF. This performance was a classic !!!

The Pistons didn't normally play in Joe Louis Arena but the Silverdome was booked for a motorcross event (!) so they had to go downtown instead. I think this court belonged to the University of Detroit, which is why the logos are painted over. The Pistons actually returned to JLA the next winter when a snowstorm caused the Silverdome's roof to collapse, and played there 2-3 months.

This is real basketball!

Man, 16 points in 94 seconds....

What a shootout!

Bernard King should have been on the 50 greatest players of all time list. I mean the man was just unstoppable. Had he gotten some help like Jordan had help, or if he hadn't suffered that horrible acl tear, the Knicks could've won at least 2 or 3 championships. That's with Patrick Ewing mind you.

Bernard was unreal. They tried covering him with Kelly Tripucka, Terry tyler, Kent Benson, Earl Cureton, Cliff Levingston, and just about everybody else on their team. Nobody could handle him. He was just incredible and carried that Knicks team. Unbeliebable

I remember this series like it was yesterday. How could you not? Stuff of legends. And to think that he averaged 28.4ppg at the age of 34 is insane. I think only Jordan averaged more ppg than King at 34. He lost couple of steps after blowing out his knee and he still couldn't be stopped. How is it possible that Bernard King is not in the Hall of Fame? Completely ludicrous.

Great upload.. Amazing end to regulation, especially Isaiah Thomas everywhere... Bernard King should be in 50 greatest in 96 list and he definitely definitely should be in Hall of Fame! His career was ended by bad ACL tear in the 84-85 season

Greatest Game I've ever watched....there isn't a close second.

Bernard King- an epic game. One for the ages!!!

07:25 ".....Lewis went up with the left to King!... what a sensational rebound!" Greatest putback dunk of all time called by the greatest announcer of all time. Thanks for posting the video.

Here is a list of the all time great players in the entire history of the NBA who averaged 40+pts. @ 60+% for an entire playoff series: - Bernard King Last year Lebron made headlines scoring 30+ points @ 60% during a streak of 6 games that many writers called the best basketball of his career. Anyone who thinks Bernard just happened to get hot in these playoffs should know that during the season leading up to the playoffs Bernard averaged 30+ @ 60% over a stretch of 40 games playing alongside Bill Cartwright and 3 cardboard cut-outs shaped like basketball players. He was also leading the league in scoring the following season when he hurt his knee. Michael Jordan is clearly a better all-around player but if you are talking about the most dangerous scorer at peak performance it's Bernard and it's not close.

thomas way ahead of his time...

Bernard King,the greatest scorer most have never heard of. Yes,someone did shoot a post fade before Jordan. The media and stans would hate for folks to know that. But...yea...it was around

thanks for putting this on line. never saw either of these play but know how important they are in the history of the game

Wow... Bernard King lit it up! Why am I just now learning about him? Makes me feel like a young buck. Even though I'm 35. 😂

Those were the days!

That put back slam in OT by Bernard is incredible

Marv's voice NEVER CHANGES

Bernard King was a straight up lethal weapon ...The King of New York Baby !!!

Bernard King was an incredible scorer......if it wasn't for the injury he suffered.....he would've been in the top 5 in scoring points in NBA history or higher. He still was the best in knick history behind Patrick Ewing.

I remember watching series like this when I was a kid and when I go back as an adult and watch these types of videos it is truly remarkable to realize how good the modern players are compared to these times. The worst NBA team of 2024 would annihilate the best NBA team of 1984 and it would not even be close.

This was a great game! I believe the next year Rodman and Salley joined the team, instance defense with those 2, took detroit to another level!

BK was so clutch. Isiah was incredible. Classic.

Bernard King rules!!!!

I bet this was so much fun to watch in person.

@auerod I agree 110% I saw BK live while he was with the Warriors and Saw Barry & Mully too. They're both HOF players now. King has got to be there too. Who did he piss off to be left out? Please don't use the race card King wouldn't. Hell Mully is played like he's black; no what I mean? BK was un-stoppable until age got him. At 6'4" him and AD & Barkley are the most exciting men to watch EVER

True that, man. King is one of the greatest players of all time. That he isn't already in the hall of fame shows just how much of a joke the selection process has become.

This was in a time they could actually still play ball all NBA is now just a three point shooting contest

Bernard had a vast array of moves. Maybe he wasn't the ball handler Thomas was but he could do things inside that Isiah could only watch with envy and he could score at will against anyone

I like how the defender didnt even try to close out Isaiah when he was shooting a tying 3, as if it was impossible to hit

@ChrisnSnoop Agreed. Lethal mid-range game. good arsenal of skills and quite physical and strong for that time. This is against handchecks, bodily contact and more physical players.

Isaiah was a one of a kind player, super good.

I remember this game as part of the old school VHS tape: NBA's Awesome Endings

Bernard King should be in the Hall Of Fame. Bernard missed two years of his prime. Al Bianchi did a bad job not signing King and then trying to ruin Mark Jackson's career. Interesting about this game. Marvin Webster made every shot he took in this game. 3-3 from the floor and 4-4 from the line. Cartwright also had his career playoff high in this game.

Bernard was basically for the dunk or the 6 foot jumper. I know, of course, he was a big man with the size to get to the basket. But Isiah obviously hit the more difficult and also the more further out shots and did so over taller players and through double teams. And Isiah made the brilliant passes. I could never credit Bernard with being as skilled. And few argue with me on that. It took decades of argument and debate among even the experts to get Bernard into the hall of fame.

Isiah Legend Thomas

The game before this, Isiah Thomas with 24 points and 16 assists in the MSG win

5:26 old skool cross overs

He should have been in for this series alone.

Well, I've never really delved into Isiah's home and street life. But I know that he played great basketball and that many players such as Bernard had to retire all hopes of winning NBA championships over him. And I know that it was immediately that the league admitted him into the hall of fame. Why, he was elected to play and start at his position every time there was an all-star game! What makes YOU say we've got oranges with apples in a bowl containing only one of these fruits allowed in?

:52 seconds Bernard King was very fast for a small forward. Most of the small forwards in the league could run during this time. Larry Bird was considered one of the slower runners, and he had good speed!

awesome

He just got elected this year but he was long overdue.

Lets go bernard

Knicks took the eventual champion Celts to 7 games in 84. Just couldn't win a game in Beantown.

I've seen the Knicks telecast of this game (MSG Network) and the Pistons telecast. Was this game televised nationally? If so, what network had the national telecast? I find it hard to believe a do-or-die game 5 between King and Isiah would not be available to watch around the country, even in 1984.

I believe Bernard was better. More concerned with the bucket than the way the ball got there. I love players like King. Alex English was the same to me. And McHale/Walton/Bird (coincidence they played together, I'm not sure what to think about K.Love. Help me out. Do you think he's a fundamentalist? As a Kiwi, I don't get to see as much ball as I'd like to. Unless I pay for NBATV. Which I'm considering. So what modern players do you think are true fundamentalists?

@sonof3m Yes.

Well, I'm not exactly sure if Bernard could do one hand shots off of fast 360% spins or mid-air switch-hand leaners as Isiah could. But the big guy was good at charging through for dunks and some other stuff.

This was back when players weren't built like NFL linebackers and actually had some skills. I miss those days.

0:51 Bernard King was SUPER fast

yoooo! at 4:40 or so the announcer say that could have been the "Black Breaker" instead of back breaker.....wow...that was funny, but i know at the time it was probably an honest mistake :)

You have to remember that the Knicks was a bad team except for Bernard. Bernard carried that team. Bill Cartwright was being called Invisi-Bill. Rory Sparrow, uhh. But, watching Bernard was worth every second of a Knicks game.

Bernard King wasn’t 100 percent during this game. He played this game with two dislocated middle fingers & the flu. What he did here was amazing.

yes he is. his # 30 should be retired @ MSG. **** he should of stayed with new york. ****

I agree, I think he is not right now because he took coke, and that was public knowledge

Zeke had real range. 30 footers......swish!

alot of those and ones for thomas were weak

Phantom fouls. lol

bernard a monster get 0 press ! isaih most overraed ever

tons of calls going detroit way lol such bs

joe louis arena, downtown detroit, that was like IRAQ, hahaha

031 isaiah fouls shit outa him, isaih most everrated ever media darling but shitty brik layer detroit woulda been way btter without