Dylan Backer
The New York Knicks have been the third seed in the Eastern Conference for a large part of the second half of the season, and that is where they will be when the playoff begin a week from now.
Knicks have several potential playoff scenarios for first round
Their win against the Toronto Raptors on Friday secured their spot in the playoffs. What is still undetermined is who they will play, with the 5-8 spots in the conference still up for grabs.
There are four different teams they could face in the first round. Those four teams are the Raptors, Hawks, Magic, or 76ers, with the Raptors and Hawks being the two most likely matchups.
Here are all of the first round possibilities for the Knicks entering the final day of the regular season on Sunday:
Knicks play Raptors IF:
• ATL wins AND TOR wins
• ATL loses AND TOR wins AND ORL wins
Knicks play Hawks IF:
• ATL loses AND TOR wins AND ORL loses
Knicks play Magic IF:
• ATL loses AND TOR loses AND ORL wins
• ATL wins AND ORL wins AND TOR loses
Knicks play 76ers IF:
• TOR loses AND ORL loses AND PHI wins
Knicks have a few favorable matchups
There is obviously a ton that can change on Sunday, but in short, a Raptors win would guarantee that the Knicks play with the Raptors or the Hawks in the first round. New York won the season series over both teams, including going 5-0 against the Raptors, so they would certainly be the two favorable matchups.
New York will earn home court advantage through the first round, which is significant given that they were a much better team at home than on the road this season.
They should be able to handle each of those teams they could potentially play in the first round. If they advance to the semifinals, they are on a collision course to match up with the Boston Celtics again, who they knocked off in the semifinals in a stunning six-game upset last year.
The playoffs begin on April 18, and they will have to prepare for whoever could be coming to Madison Square Garden for Game 1.
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