The Knicks are earning their first streak of six-game wins since the eight-game race in 2014, suddenly putting them in a better position to potentially avoid NBA playoff playoff scenarios.
The increase, which the Knicks will try to extend with another home game Tuesday night against the Hornets in the field, has made them the coveted 6th-place seed in the Eastern Conference. The Knicks (31-27) were 1 ½ games away from the Heat’s seventh-place finish before Miami’s Monday night game against Houston, and only halfway through the Hawks and Celtics, tied for fourth.
The top six teams in each conference automatically qualify for the playoffs, and teams finish seventh to 10th in the east and west that require additional games to win the last two beds.
The standings have focused more on the Tom Thibodeau and Knicks standings, a franchise that has lost the playoffs 14 times in the previous 18 seasons and every year since its last appearance in 2013.
The last 14 games in the schedule still include a discouraging collection of opponents for the Knicks. Only his May 2 game in Houston means an opponent will not compete for at least tenth place in either conference.
The play-in tournament will favor teams finishing seventh and eighth, and each will have to win an additional game after the end of the regular season to qualify for the postseason.
These two teams will face at home to the club ranked seventh, and the winner will advance as the No. 7 playoff team. The loser will face the winner of the match between the teams finishing ninth and tenth for the top series number 8, with the playoffs of 16 teams scheduled to begin on May 22nd.
Although Mavericks owner Mark Cuban faced the play-in format last week after pressuring him during the offseason, Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau believes there is “ many advantages ”in the configuration, which was designed to keep more teams in late contention. to the season.
“I guess it depends on what perspective you’re looking at,” Thibodeau said last week. “I thought Mark articulated it very well. He initially spoke of his vote, of all the advantages. And we saw that I think everyone felt the same.
“I think we have to let him play first and then re-evaluate him. But I think a lot of teams play in important games, I think it’s good for the league. “
Veterans Derrick Rose and Taj Gibson are the only Knicks roster players to appear in at least 20 playoff games in their career, appearing in 45 and 66, respectively. Top scorer Julius Randle has zero appearances in his playoffs for seven NBA seasons.
“I choose my points, brother. I just came to the team, being a newcomer and feeling for everyone, ”Rose said recently. “Thibs, he’s going to do all the talks, so he makes sure all the guys are aware of what’s going on and give us really good details on what we have to do and they prologue every game. So I let him worry about that. ”.
Still, Thibodeau said Rose, 32, took on a vocal leadership role during her second stint in New York. Rose and Gibson also previously played with Thibodeau in Chicago and Minnesota.
“Whenever I feel like I have to express my opinion or be vocal, I trio and trio when I have to do this,” Rose said. “I don’t want them to look like I’m here in BS or anything like that. I just want to win. … So we have to go out and make sure we take care of business, play as much as we can and see if we get as many wins as possible. ”