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4 Eastern Conference rivals Knicks should finish over in standings

By Jordanna Clark

NEW YORK, NY - FEBRUARY 11: Josh Hart #3 and RJ Barrett #9 of the New York Knicks high five during the fourth quarter against the Utah Jazz at Madison Square Garden on February 11, 2023 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Evan Yu/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - FEBRUARY 11: Josh Hart #3 and RJ Barrett #9 of the New York Knicks high five during the fourth quarter against the Utah Jazz at Madison Square Garden on February 11, 2023 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Evan Yu/Getty Images) /
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After winning three straight games heading into the All-Star break, the New York Knicks are No. 6 in the Eastern Conference with a 33-27 record. With 22 games left to play in the 2022-23 season, there’s a chance that the Knicks could bypass the play-in tournament altogether.

Expectations weren’t high for New York entering the season, but the addition of Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle playing at an All-NBA level again has turned the Knicks into a legitimate conference threat. The Knicks are rarely viewed in a positive light by the media, but even they can’t deny what’s been unfolding in NYC.

Unsurprisingly, the Celtics (42-17) and Bucks (41-17) sit atop the Eastern Conference, but there are other teams like the Raptors and Bulls that have severely underperformed. The Knicks are in a good spot for the final stretch of the season that will prove whether or not this team will make it back to the playoffs for the second time in three seasons.

Looking ahead, here are four teams that New York should manage to finish above in the Eastern Conference standings to close out the regular season.

4 Eastern Conference opponents Knicks should outperform in standings

4: Toronto Raptors

New York’s Atlantic Divison rival has struggled all season long. Toronto was expected to make a series of moves leading up to the trade deadline, but instead, the only trade that Masai Ujiri made was acquiring Jakob Poeltl from San Antonio. The Raptors weren’t buyers as they kept OG Anunoby, Gary Trent Jr., Fred VanVleet, and Pascal Siakam.

Ujiri opted to keep Toronto’s core together for the remainder of the season, which ended up being good news for New York. The Knicks were one of the teams that expressed interest in Anunoby, but he could become available during the offseason. In the meantime, the Raptors should continue to underperform.

Toronto finished the 2021-22 season No. 5 in the East, but the team won’t come close to doing the same this season. The Raptors are currently No. 10 in the conference with a 28-31 record, so they’ll be fighting to remain in play-in contention. They entered the break with two consecutive wins, but they came against the two worst teams in the conference (the Pistons and Magic). Toronto will come back to a tough slate that features games against the Cavaliers, Nuggets, and Clippers.

Unless the Raptors return as a new team after the break, the Knicks should be able to maintain their spot above them in the standings.

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