Knicks' Playoff Path Fortunes Starting to Look Up in a Big Way

Knicks forward OG Anunoby reacts after a bucket. | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

The New York Knicks knew the dangers when they sped headfirst towards the Eastern Conference's No. 3 seed to close the 2025-26 NBA regular season. Instead of securing a more favorable matchup, the Knicks ended up with the Atlanta Hawks, who showed their upset potential early in the opening-round series.

Finishing third in the standings also set up the No. 2 Boston Celtics as a likely second-round opponent. The Celtics also drew an easier team to kick things off, allowing the C's to nab a rest advantage if they wrapped things up quickly.

Throughout most of the first round, all the downsides to the Knicks' seeding situation were on full display. But things are starting to turn around as the east side of the bracket gets more clarity.

Knicks' path to NBA Finals getting easier to see as first round ends

New York's brighter outlook begins with its own series being flipped on its head again. After Game 3, the Knicks were in an extremely vulnerable position, as self-inflicted mistakes on offense and with their rotations allowed the Hawks to somehow take a 2-1 lead.

Fortunately, New York head coach Mike Brown has dug deep and made changes to the glaring issues. The result? Two straight blowout wins where New York looks every bit the contender it was positioned to be following the regular season.

New York Knicks head coach Mike Brown has made the correct adjustments to get his team back into the series. | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

The Knicks being willing to make significant changes and execute them at a high level boosts their chances of making this a long playoff run. It also clears the way for the Hawks to be put away with ease in Game 6, allowing the team to turn its attention to the larger task at hand.

Celtics have left room for doubt, Knicks could capitalize

Of course, the next item on the agenda is taking down the Celtics. Yet, in a big first-round surprise, Boston hasn't officially advanced through five games. The Philadelphia 76ers punched the C's in the mouth in Game 2, then staved off elimination on Tuesday with another dominant win.

It's not just that the Celtics may have taken their foot off the gas; they're showing some flaws that could impact an Eastern Conference Finals appearance. Their offense (110.6 PPG) has taken a step back from the regular season (114.9), with their three-point (36.1% in postseason) and free-throw shooting (75.0%) particularly unimpressive.

Outside of Boston's two star forwards, Payton Pritchard is the only other scorer averaging double figures. Meanwhile, starters Sam Hauser and Neemias Queta haven't been as effective. And that's not even to mention Derrick White, who's gone from 16 PPG during the campaign to 8.2 in the playoffs while putting up an abominable 21.2% from deep with 6.6 three-point attempts a night.

Boston Celtics guard Derrick White's three-point shooting hasn't been up to snuff this postseason. | David Butler II-Imagn Images

The lack of an impactful center, with neither Queta nor Nikola Vucevic being particularly good to begin the postseason, certainly should have the Knicks' attention. So should White's sudden demise, considering how big he was for the Celtics when these teams met last postseason (and the role he played in Boston's most recent championship).

The C's making quick work of the 76ers would've given them a head start on prepping for the Knicks and diagnosing any internal weak spots. Instead, they might not have any rest or prep advantage, considering they've allowed their series to drag on. That allows New York to enter any potential matchup in a similar place, which is quietly huge for tilting the odds in its favor with the talent it has on hand.

New York's outlook is promising even beyond Round 2

Looking even further down the line, there are positive developments for the Knicks as well if they get to the Eastern Conference Finals. The biggest story of the postseason is the 1-seed Detroit Pistons completely imploding, and the Orlando Magic could send Detroit home as early as Wednesday night.

Meanwhile, the Cleveland Cavaliers and Toronto Raptors are in the thick of a slugfest that doesn't paint either side as a super worrisome threat. The Cavs put up points at home to take two games, then the Raptors leaned into their defensive style to knot things up 2-2. Considering New York excels at both aspects, these more one-dimensional squads don't set off the panic meter.

No matter the opponent, every team can pose a challenge, as the Hawks, 7-seed Philly and 8-seed Orlando are proving. That said, the East isn't quite looking like the gauntlet it could be if the top squads were at their best. This provides serious hope for the Knicks, who've found their footing again after stumbling out of the gate.