NY Knicks: Can they go further than the Brooklyn Nets?

The NY Knicks are making the playoffs.  With seven games left in the regular season, they’ve clinched a winning record and a playoff berth. They sit 1.5 games above the Atlanta Hawks for the number four seed in the Eastern Conference. They’re 3.5 games behind the Milwaukee Bucks and 6 games behind the Brooklyn Nets.

As New York’s stock has risen, so have their expectations. While James Harden, Kevin Durant, and Kyrie Irving tower over Julius Randle and RJ Barrett on the latest cover of the New Yorker – it’s worth wondering if the Knicks can end up victorious over the Nets in the playoffs.

The Nets have played shorthanded all season. Kevin Durant’s name is carved in stone on the injury report, Kyrie Irving has continuously missed time throughout the season for one reason or another, and the typically durable James Harden suffered a setback while rehabbing his hamstring injury.

They may also face tough luck with the play-in tournament, as they could run into the red hot Washington Wizards. Washington is 13-3 in their last 16 games and has the star power to battle the Nets. Russell Westbrook has been on an absolute tear – averaging 21.8 PPG, 11.3 RPG, and 11.2 APG. Bradley Beal is competing with Steph Curry for the scoring title, putting up 30.9 PPG. While Washington had a slow start to the season, they’ve been as dangerous as any team in the NBA.

Against the Nets this season, the Wizards have won 2 out of 3. They can match up well with Brooklyn’s roster.

If the season ended today, the NY Knicks would have home court advantage against the Atlanta Hawks. New York has swept the season series against the Hawks, highlighted by their April 22nd overtime win, at the team keeping their win alive at eight. While Atlanta has turned their season around, the Knicks have their number.

Should the Knicks maintain the four seed and the Nets move up to the one seed, we may see the two teams face off in the Eastern Conference semi-finals. The NY Knicks have come up short against the Nets this season in three hard-fought games. They will be itching to show that they hang with them. They may have built up the momentum to put them over the edge.

Regardless of the outcome this season – the Knicks will continue to own New York. It may so happen that the playoffs reflect that as well.