The Knicks jostle for high seeding at the close of the regular season
Will the Knicks be a No. 3 or No. 6 seed when the NBA playoffs begin on April 20?
With three regular season games remaining, including tonight on the road versus the Boston Celtics and games at Madison Square Garden versus the Brooklyn Nets and Chicago Bulls on Friday and Sunday, respectively, the Knicks’ positioning in the Eastern Conference playoff seeding battle remains fluid. Their 128-117 road victory over the Chicago Bulls on Tuesday lifted by Jalen Brunson’s 45 points moved them up to the No. 3 seed when last night’s slate of league games tipped off.
The Knicks were 47-32 and tenuously holding on to the spot, looking at the Orlando Magic and Cleveland Cavaliers bearing down on them, who are only one game behind at 46-33. The Magic played at Milwaukee last night against the No.2 seed Bucks, who were without Giannis Antetokounmpo. The perennial league MVP candidate strained his left calf on Tuesday night in the third quarter and limped to the locker room as his team went on to defeat the No. 1 seed Boston Celtics 104-91. Antetokounmpo is expected to be out until at least the start of the playoffs.
That benefits the Magic, who end the regular season on Sunday at home facing the Bucks again. They also play the current No. 7 seed Philadelphia 76ers tomorrow, who are in the mix for a higher seed as they are closely behind the Knicks, Magic, and Cavaliers at 45-35. Right in front of the 76ers are the 46-34, No. 6 seed Indiana Pacers, sitting only a game and a half behind the Knicks and heading into last night’s schedule, a minuscule one-half game below the Magic and Cavaliers.
Are you following?
To paraphrase the late, great Biggie Smalls, if you didn’t know, now you know why the Eastern Conference playoff scenario won’t be decided until Sunday’s games are over and why the Knicks’ remaining two games are extremely consequential.
Center Isaiah Hartenstein encapsulated the Knicks’ collective mindset in the midst of the playoff race after they overcame a 21-point deficit to defeat the Sacramento Kings by 120-109 last week at the Garden.
“You pay attention to it a little bit, but you can’t get too far ahead of yourself. You really have to take it day-by-day. I think sometimes when you get too ahead of yourself, like some games, you’re not as focused,” said Hartenstein.
“So that’s our kind of approach, Thib’s [head coach Tom Thibodeau’s] approach all year that we don’t get too ahead of ourselves. We focus day-to-day, who we have at that moment, and I think that’s been helping us out a lot.”
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