The Knicks have been on yet another streak as of late, winning 6 straight games to improve their overall record to 31-27 on the year. This is the latest point in a season that New York has had a winning record since the 2012-13 year in which they recorded 54 wins.
Most importantly, the Knicks are currently the 6th seed in the Eastern Conference. This is an extremely crucial development, as they might be able to skip over the NBA’s new Play-In sequence.
The Play-In games are a short elimination-style tournament between the 7-10 seeds to see who gets the final two playoff spots in each conference.
How the Play-In Tournament would look entering tonight 👀 pic.twitter.com/l07cmmmLGY
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) April 17, 2021
At the beginning of the season, many fans dreamt about the possibility of playing in the tournament as a lower seed and stealing a playoff berth. Now, New York has the chance to skip the tournament entirely.
Could the New York Knicks finish higher than 7th in the Eastern Conference?
This would be huge, as they would get some extra rest before their eventual first round series. It would also mean that they could avoid the two major powerhouses in the Eastern Conference, the Philadelphia 76ers and Brooklyn Nets.
The Knicks have been on a roll as of late due to the All-NBA caliber play of Julius Randle, the 4th quarter heroics of RJ Barrett, and the stifling defense from role players such as Nerlens Noel and Reggie Bullock. Many were wary after the team suffered a heartbreaking streak of close losses, but the unit was not deterred and bounced back in a massive way.
If they continue to finish strong, they might be able to skip over the extra play-in games and get right into the first round of the playoffs for the first time in eight years. Here’s how.