Knicks G League Team Clinches Playoff Berth

The New York Knicks' G League club clinched a playoff berth behind a career-best effort from their latest first-round pick.

Oct 28, 2024; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks guard Pacome Dadiet (4) during a game against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images | John Jones-Imagn Images

One branch of New York Knicks managed to clinch a playoff spot on Wednesday night.

The Westchester Knicks, the Knicks' G League club in White Plains, clinched a postseason playoff spot with a 121-113 win over the Maine Celtics in front of a home crowd at Westchester County Center.

Pacome Dadiet, the Knicks' most recent first-round pick, put in a career-best 25 points in the come from-behind victory, all but seven coming in the second half. The 19-year-old and 25th overall pick of June's draft was 6-of-7 from deep in the second half and gave Westchester a permanent lead with three straight triples that put them up six with 2:41 remaining.

The come-from-behind win, which saw Maine lead by as much as 20 in the second half, also featured another pair of double decades from Moses Brown (21 rebounds, 20 points) while Chuma Okeke had 20 tallies and 13 boards off the bench upon his return from a brief NBA stint with the Philadelphia 76ers. Though he was 3-of-14 from the field, Dadiet's fellow draft pick Kevin McCullar Jr. had 10 points after earning his first NBA minutes and tallies in Manhattan on Tuesday.

Winners of five in a row, Westchester (20-12) is going to the G League's postseason tournament for the first time since 2019. They previously successfully defended their in-season title at Orlando's G League Winter Showcase back in December. Combined with the 13 victories they earned in the Winter Showcase slate, Westchester has won a franchise record 33 games this season under the watch of 2001 NBA first-round pick DeSagana Diop.

Now engaged in a three-way tie atop the G League's Eastern Conference, Westchester can secure the top seed in the East with a sweep over Washington's affiliate, Capital City Go-Go, in a season-closing doubleheader in the nation's capital (they have the tiebreaker over the Osceola Magic). The first portion is slated for Friday night (7 p.m. ET, NBAGLeague.com).

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