For the first time since 1973, the New York Knicks are opening their season as defending NBA champions. And as the team prepares to tip off its title defense, Midtown businesses are hoping for another boost from Knicks fever.

At American Whiskey, a sports bar on West 30th Street and Seventh Avenue, last season’s playoff run brought packed crowds for 19 nights.

“Every moment when that shot goes in the air, we’re on pins and needles like you, but it’s really about the survival of our business and the businesses around here,” said Kevin Hooshangi, the bar’s owner.

With American Whiskey just a block from Madison Square Garden, Hooshangi hopes the Knicks make another deep playoff run, starting with Tuesday’s season opener against the Philadelphia 76ers.

“We had busy night after busy night after busy night in June, we’ve never seen anything like that before, and we needed it,” he said. “What that did for this particular business, it had to be 10 times what we normally would do.”

Caleb Vasquez, a social media manager with Latino Sports, helped organize watch parties at American Whiskey during the playoffs.

“This place was through the roof, this place was absolutely electric,” Vasquez said. “We were able to meet so many cool people, obviously other fellow Knicks fans and to pretty much grow a family here. And it was just that vibe in here, it was all love, there were no issues – it was just love, the vibes were through the roof, and the Knicks did what they did by winning the Chip.”

Vasquez said he hopes the Knicks can win back-to-back championships, provided the starting five stays healthy.

“We should run it back, we can and we should run it back,” he said.

Hooshangi said another successful season could bring both financial benefits and a morale boost for neighborhood businesses.

“It’s time to get greedy now, and it’s time to really try to go on multiple runs, and you know win championships, but if they don’t win championships, just keep going far, keep bringing that excitement, keep bringing that energy,” Hooshangi said. “We needed every bit of that business that came in, and not just from a financial point of view, from a morale point of view, from an excitement point of view.”

The Knicks open their title defense Tuesday at 7 p.m. against the 76ers at Madison Square Garden.