NBA Power Rankings: Knicks' Loss to Nuggets Looms Large

A loss to the defending champion Denver Nuggets prevented the otherwise surging New York Knicks from making any headway in the latest NBA power rankings.

The New York Knicks are fighting for a top spot in the Eastern Conference and they're trending in the right direction when it comes to that goal: by going 3-1 over the past seven days, the Knicks (43-28) have won six of their past seven, including a 124-99 blowout over the Detroit Pistons on Monday. Entering Tuesday night, New York has sole possession of fourth place in the East and sits a half-game behind Cleveland for third.

Despite their successful week, the lone loss in that span, a 113-100 decision against the defending champion Denver Nuggets, was enough to warrant a minor setback in CBS Sports' latest power rankings, where the Knicks now place seventh after ranking sixth last week.

New York Knicks v Detroit Pistons - NBA

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"Even the red-hot Knicks couldn't muster enough for a win in Denver, but they beat up on the Nets and Pistons to keep the train rolling," CBS Sports' Colin Ward-Henninger wrote. "The Knicks now have the NBA's third-best net rating since acquiring OG Anunoby, as they continue to fight for a top-three seed -- which would crucially avoid a potential second-round matchup with the Celtics."

Entering the new week, the Knicks' magic number to clinch an automatic playoff spot is 7. New York hasn't held homecourt advantage in a first-round playoff series since 2013, when they ranked second and topped the Boston Celtics in six games.

The week ahead will afford the Knicks a decent opportunity to inch closer to securing a top four spot: they'll face a Toronto Raptors group stuck in an 11-game losing streak on Wednesday (7:30 p.m. ET, MSG) before visiting the San Antonio Spurs two nights later. A formidable challenge awaits the Knicks on Easter Sunday, as the current Western Conference runners-up from Oklahoma City complete their yearly set with New York.