Injuries Force Knicks Into 'Uphill' Playoff Fight

The New York Knicks have a dozen games left on their schedule as they jockey for playoff positioning in the crowded middle of the Eastern Conference standings.

With a little less than three weeks on the schedule, the Knicks (42-28) trail the Cleveland Cavaliers by a half-game for third place on the Eastern bracket. They're the current holders of fourth by the same margin over the Orlando Magic, who own a tiebreaker over the Knicks thanks to a 3-1 advantage in their regular season set.

New York Knicks v Brooklyn Nets - NBA | Anadolu/GettyImages

That means every game left is meaningful, especially those against lesser competition like the Detroit Pistons on Monday night (7:30 p.m. ET, MSG). Of course, that won't be easy considering the injury report that resembles a starting lineup: New York will continue to be without OG Anunoby (elbow), Julius Randle (shoulder), and Mitchell Robinson (ankle), all of whom continue to battle lasting injuries.

"The Knicks will hopefully get healthy at some point, but it isn't clear when any of Anunoby (elbow), Randle (shoulder) or Robinson (ankle) will return to action. And who knows how they'll look after lengthy layoffs (or, in Anunoby's case, a prolonged absence followed by a brief return followed by another sideline stint)," Bleacher Report's Zach Buckley wrote in calling the Knicks a team "trending the wrong w at the wrong time. "Hope isn't entirely lost for this team, but its uphill climb toward championship contention has no doubt steepened in this stretch."

Over their final 12, the Knicks face five teams with losing records, including Monday's visit from Detroit. The margin for error is incredibly thin and the Knicks would hope for their best lineup to be out there as they try to get the best seeding possible.