The New York Knicks snapped their three-game losing streak with a much-needed 137-115 win over the lowly Rockets on Monday night thanks to Immanuel Quickley’s career-high 40 points. In the team’s final six games of the season, New York will face Miami, Cleveland, Washington, Indiana twice, and New Orleans.
There are only a couple of weeks left in the regular season and the Knicks are the No. 5 seed even after going on a skid. New York needs to finish the season strong to ensure that the team doesn’t fall into play-in range.
New York Knicks: NBA Playoff Bracket if 2022-23 season ended today
Eastern Conference
- No 1 Milwaukee Bucks (54-21) vs. No. 8 play-in seed
- No. 2 Boston Celtics (52-23) vs. No. 7 play-in seed
- No. 3 Philadelphia Sixers (49-26) vs. No. 6 Brooklyn Nets (40-35)
- No. 4 Cleveland Cavaliers (48-28) vs. No. 5 New York Knicks (43-33)
Eastern Conference Play-In Race
- No. 7 Miami Heat (40-35)
- No. 8 Atlanta Hawks (37-38)
- No. 9 Toronto Raptors (37-38)
- No. 10 Chicago Bulls (36-39)
- No. 11 Washington Wizards (33-42)
- No. 12 Indiana Pacers (33-43)
- No. 13 Orlando Magic (32-43)
- Eliminated: No. 14 Charlotte Hornets (25-51)
- Eliminated: No. 15 Detroit Pistons (16-59)
The Bucks, Celtics, Sixers, and Cavaliers have all clinched playoff berths while the Hornets and Pistons have been eliminated.
If the playoffs started today, Milwaukee would face Atlanta in the first round and Boston would face Miami.
New York is four games back from Cleveland for the No. 4 seed, but the Knicks have only six regular season games remaining on the schedule. Brooklyn and Miami have the same record, but the Nets have the tiebreaker. New York is 2.5 games ahead of the No. 6 seed. It’s looking likelier and likelier that the Knicks are going to square off with the Cavaliers in the first round. Cleveland would have homecourt advantage.
Western Conference
- No. 1 Denver Nuggets (51-24) vs. No. 8 play-in seed
- No. 2 Memphis Grizzlies (47-27) vs. No. 7 play-in seed
- No. 3 Sacramento Kings (45-30) vs. No. 6 Minnesota Timberwolves (39-37)
- No. 4 Phoenix Suns (40-35) vs. No. 5 Los Angeles Clippers (40-36)
Western Conference Play-In Race
- No. 7 Golden State Warriors (39-37)
- No. 8 New Orleans Pelicans (38-37)
- No. 9 Los Angeles Lakers (37-38)
- No. 10 Oklahoma City Thunder (37-38)
- No. 11 Dallas Mavericks (37-39)
- No. 12 Utah Jazz (35-40)
- No. 13 Portland Trail Blazers (32-43)
- Eliminated: No. 14 San Antonio Spurs (19-56)
- Eliminated: No. 15 Houston Rockets (18-58)
The Nuggets and Grizzlies have clinched their divisions while the Spurs and Rockets have been eliminated from playoff contention.
If the playoffs started today, Denver would face New Orleans in the first round and Memphis would face Golden State.
The playoff race in the West is much tighter than it is in the East. Although the Mavericks are currently out of play-in range, Dallas is only two games back from the No. 6 seed. Denver, Memphis, and Sacramento are essentially locked in as the top three teams in the conference, but after that, the West could go in any direction.
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