Jalen Brunson returned to the New York Knicks' starting lineup on Sunday after missing nearly a month with an ankle sprain. Not only will he get to knock off some rust before the playoffs, but he can hit the 65-game mark to become eligible for All-NBA.
Miles McBride also returned for the Knicks after missing a few weeks with a groin injury. Cam Payne, who missed a few games with an ankle sprain, played his second game since missing four.
New York is getting healthy at the right time, with the regular season set to end in less than a week. Tom Thibodeau went with a nine-man rotation in Sunday's win: Brunson, Bridges, Hart, Anunoby, Towns, McBride, Payne, Robinson, and Shamet. Precious Achiuwa and Delon Wright (who stepped up with Brunson injured) finished the game with DNPs.
The Knicks have three tough tests this week, with home games against the Celtics (Tuesday) and Cavaliers (Friday) and an away game against the Pistons sandwiched in between (Thursday).
New York has a 0-6 record against the two top teams in the conference this season. It's been a constant talking point -- How can anyone expect the Knicks to win the East when they've yet to take down their biggest challengers?
Knicks will play three top East teams to end regular season
The end of the season is when teams want to be playing their best basketball, which New York couldn't do without its best player. As James L. Edwards III pointed out, Sunday was the first time the Knicks had their full rotation with no restrictions (subscription required).
Their first game came against a lowly Suns squad without Kevin Durant, but their next will feature a far more formidable opponent. New York will host Boston on Tuesday, and picking up a win over the Celtics would be a huge confidence boost to end the regular season. The Knicks will travel to Detroit to play the Pistons on Thursday (they're 1-2 against Detroit this season) for the first half of a back-to-back before hosting the Cavaliers on Friday.
New York has the third-toughest remaining strength of schedule entering the last week of the regular season. While that might discourage some teams, it gives the Knicks a prime opportunity to figure out where they are before they embark on the most important stretch of the season.
They could play the Pistons in the first round of the playoffs, as long as both teams hold onto their current seeds. A win in the first round could mean a clash with Boston in the semifinals. If the Knicks make it to the ECF, their opponent could be the Cavaliers.
New York might actually have a reason to thank the NBA when the week comes to a close. The Knicks control their destiny. It's time to prove the doubters wrong.