Knicks' Potential First-Round Opponent Hinges on Sunday's Results

The New York Knicks officially wrapped up the third seed in the Eastern Conference with Friday's 112-95 victory over the Toronto Raptors. Head coach Mike Brown's group will find out later Sunday if the Knicks will be seeing the Raptors again next weekend in the first-round of the NBA postseason, which seems to be the most likely outcome.

The Knicks swept all five meetings with the Raptors during the regular season, including an NBA Cup matchup, meaning they have a 13-game winning streak against the team from north of the border. They outscored the Raptors by 98 points in total and by 19.6 on average during that stretch.

New York's opening act of its playoff journey will be decided by a few different scenarios. Either way, the Knicks' outlook will clear up by the end of the weekend.

Knicks Playoff Path Is Becoming Clear

If the Raptors, who are 23.5-point favorites against the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday (FanDuel Sportsbook), and Orlando Magic, who are favored to win against a Boston Celtics team with nothing to play for, win, the Atlanta Hawks' result does not matter. The Magic and Philadelphia 76ers still have an outside shot at sixth seed, too.

The Hawks will finish as the fifth seed unless they lose to the Miami Heat later, Toronto beats Brooklyn and Orlando loses to Boston. Atlanta is listing nearly all of its rotational regulars as questionable for Sunday's clash, which could indicate that they'd prefer playing the Knicks instead of the Cavaliers. Based on the possibilities, however, the Hawks incentive to prioritize rest and health, especially if they don’t view the sixth seed as a massive drop

The Knicks should want to play the Raptors in the first round, especially based on this season's success.

Some will argue that Atlanta and even Orlando is a tougher foe. However, the Hawks are far from some juggernaut and the Knicks will still hold a heavy advantage across the board, going 5-1 in the last six meetings. Atlanta would also have to deal with Knicks fans that travel well and will regularly pack out opposing arenas after Monday's 108-105 win at State Farm Arena felt more like a home game for New York. .

Meanwhile, the Knicks are 6-3 in their last nine collisions with the Magic, which includes winning the last two meetings this season by an average of nine points.

Apr 10, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) reacts after a dunk against the Toronto Raptors during the second half at Madison Square Garden. | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

With nothing to play for, the Knicks are sitting almost everybody in Sunday's game against the Charlotte Hornets, who can lock up the ninth seed and home court against Miami in the NBA Play-In Tournament with a victory. Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, OG Anunoby, Josh Hart and Mitchell Robinson are listed as out. Mikal Bridges, who played the opening six seconds of the final game last season, will likely do the same again to keep his ironman streak at 638-games and counting.

The Knicks have fossilized the Raptors all season long and that would be an ideal first-round matchup, regardless of who's available. Barring anything unexpected, New York will likely have to get its passports ready.

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