New York Knicks Clinch Playoff Spot: Homecourt Next?

The New York Knicks are going back to the NBA Playoffs, but now they have their sights set on something bigger.

There's officially at least three Madison Square Garden parties scheduled for this spring.

The Miami Heat's Wednesday night loss to Dallas officially clinched the New York Knicks a spot among the top six automatic Eastern Conference playoff qualifiers. Entering Thursday night play, the Knicks sit in third place on the bracket and have an outside shot at getting the No. 2 slot (1.5 games behind Milwaukee with three left on their docket). The Knicks are set to make consecutive playoff trips for the first time since 2011-13.

Safe from the Play-In Tournament again, the Knicks (47-32) can officially set their sights on larger goals. New York will now look to host a first-round playoff series, a privilege they haven't earned in 11 years. The Knicks have three games left, starting with Thursday's visit to Boston as the finale to a late four-game road trip (7:30 p.m. ET, TNT). Thursday will mark the Knicks' final road game of the season before they host Brooklyn and Chicago on Friday and Sunday respectively.

Apr 9, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) reacts after making a

David Banks-USA TODAY Sports

If the Knicks win each of their last three, they'll finish no worse than their current standing of third. Though they've beaten the Milwaukee Bucks in each of their last two meetings (including a big one on Sunday), the Knicks miss out on a tiebreaker after losing the first three get-togethers. New York also has a disadvantage on fifth-place Orlando (1-3 in four meetings) but they're 1.5 games up on the Magic with a game in hand, giving them a strong shot at that elusive homecourt right. The Indiana Pacers also have a head-to-head advantage over the Knicks but they're backed up in sixth-place, also 1.5 away.

Winning the final three would also offer the Knicks a 50-victory landmark, which, again, hasn't been reached since 2013.

Wnning two of three would also secure the Knicks homecourt advantage in round one, as they would finish no worse than fourth regardless of other happenings in such a scenario. Dealing with the Cleveland Cavaliers (4th place, 47-33) won't be an issue, as the Knicks own that tiebreaker. Going 1-2, or even 0-3, over the final trio would force the Knicks to rely on a little help from their friends, as the packed race in the East offers little, if any, mercy.

Fortunately for New York, the Knicks should be well-favored on paper in at least two of three: while Boston should present an obvious challenge despite the league-leading Celtics not having anything to gain or lose, the Knicks will also face a beleaguered Brooklyn Nets group merely playing out its final hours. The visiting Bulls are also set to rest players, as they're locked into a Play-In date with the Atlanta Hawks and could well have homecourt advantage secured for that game by Sunday.

In either case, the Knicks do have something to play for in the final hours, effectively putting them in playoff mode before the tournament officially gets underway.