The results were impressive. In Riley's four seasons with the Knicks (1991-1995), the team never won fewer than 51 games. They reached the Eastern Conference Finals three times and made it to the NBA Finals in 1994, where they lost a hard-fought seven-game series to the Houston Rockets.

Riley's tenure in New York further cemented his reputation as one of the game's premier coaches. He showed his versatility by succeeding with a style of play diametrically opposed to what he had run in Los Angeles. His Knicks teams were not always pretty to watch, but they were undeniably effective, and they reflected the tough, resilient nature of New York City itself.