The New York Knicks couldn’t secure a playoff spot with a win, but with the Atlanta Hawks losing on New York’s off day, they officially clinched a spot in the playoffs for the third consecutive season and will avoid the play-in tournament.
Knicks officially clinch a spot in the playoffs
The Knicks are currently the third seed in the Eastern Conference with a 45-27 record and are on pace to win over 50 games for the second straight season. Making the postseason almost felt like a given when considering the immense talent of the roster, and despite not having Jalen Brunson for most of this month, they have been able to stay afloat.
Despite the Knicks’ highly successful season thus far, they will likely have to get through either the Cleveland Cavaliers or Boston Celtics to get far in the playoffs. New York has struggled mightily against those two this season, and they have two more games against the Cavaliers and one more against the Celtics in the regular season.
The Knicks need to make a statement in those games and prove that they belong in the title contention conversation. It is still unclear if Brunson will be back for any of those games, but there is optimism that his return from an ankle sprain is not far off.
The Knicks are likely to grab the No. 3 seed
New York is fairly close to clinching the No. 3 in the East as well, as they are 2.5 games up on the Indiana Pacers and own the tiebreaker. If the season ended today, they would be facing the No. 6 seed Milwaukee Bucks in the first round.
There have been fans suggesting that falling to the fourth seed would be better for the Knicks, as that would ensure that they wouldn’t deal with the reigning champion Celtics in the second round. However, the Knicks aren’t going to throw games for the sake of seeding, and they still have big issues that need to be addressed before the postseason, particularly on the defensive side.
The Knicks have their next game on Friday against the Milwaukee Bucks on the road. The game serves as a potential playoff preview, though Milwaukee will be without Damian Lillard due to a blood clot.
