Knicks Clinching Scenarios: What's the Earliest a Play-In Berth Can Be Won?
Making the NBA postseason will require a little bit of Magic for the New York Knicks.
The team's passionate fanbase can rest assured: barring an outright hex from the basketball gods, their Knicks should be playing more than 82 games this spring after missing the postseason enitrely last year. With 10 games left on their regular docket, the Knicks (42-30) are closing in on the first stage of playoff contention, a spot in the Eastern Conference Play-In Tournament.
Officially introduced in 2021 after a test run in the Walt Disney World bubble the year before, the NBA's Play-In Tournaments pit the seventh-through-tenth ranked teams in each conference in a battle for the last two playoff spots on the official bracket. By finishing no worse than 10th, the Knicks would guarantee themselves at least some form of postseason play.
Entering this week of action, New York holds a 9.5-game advantage on the first teams out, Indiana and Washington (both 32-39). Therefore, a Play-In berth would clinched through any combination of a Knicks win and losses from both the Pacers and Wizards. The earliest that can happen is Tuesday: New York takes on the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday in Manhattan (7:30 p.m. ET, MSG), tipping off a half-hour after the Pacers' clash with the Charlotte Hornets gets underway (7 p.m. ET, Bally Sports Indiana). If the Knicks and the Pacers lose, eyes then turn to the Wizards' showdown with the Orlando Magic (7 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Washington)
The Knicks are also fully capable of handling business themselves: they'll clinch at least a Play-In spot with two more wins. A speedy Floridian road trip induced by the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournment's arrival begins on Wednesday, as the Knicks head to Miami on Wednesday before facing the aforementioned Magic on Thursday.
Of course, the Knicks likely have larger aspirations than the mere Play-In competition. As it stands, New York enters the week as the East's No. 5 seed, the penultimate placement away from Play-In purgatory. The Knicks are 2.5 games ahead of the Brooklyn Nets for sixth and 3.5 ahead of Play-In leader Miami. They're also 2.5 behind the Cleveland Cavaliers for fourth place and first-round homecourt advantage. The Knicks have one more meeting with the Cavs this season, traveling to The Forest City on Mar. 31.
New York last made the proper postseason in 2021, their last series victory coming eight years before that.
Thus far, the Milwaukee Bucks and Boston Celtics are assured spots on the Eastern playoff bracket. The Philadelphia 76ers can join them with a win over Chicago on Monday.
Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags
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