New York Knicks Clinch Two Seed, Now Must Find Way to Finals
The New York Knicks are the number two seed in the Eastern Conference. Now, they must wait to see who their opponent will indeed be.
The Knicks locked up the two seed on Sunday with a 120-119 overtime win over the Chicago Bulls on Sunday, and will face the winner of the Sixers-Heat play-in game which takes place on Wednesday. The Knicks will have a week to rest and prepare for either opponent.
Whomever they get in the first round of the playoffs, won’t be a bargain. No doubt the Knicks enjoyed a tremendous season. They won 50 games. Jalen Bruson is definitely in the conversation for MVP-status, and they won games despite numerous injuries, including the season ending loss of Julius Randle to a shoulder injury.
That said, the postseason is a new animal.
RECENT HISTORY VS. MIAMI
In his more than a decade as a head coach, Tom Thibodeau has led a team to the Conference Finals only once in his career, that was his first season a head coach in 2011 with the Chicago Bulls.
With the Knicks, Thibs has guided New York to the postseason three times now. Last year, after defeating the Cleveland Cavs in five games in the opening round, the Knicks were upended by the eventual Eastern Conference Champion Miami Heat in six games.
The Heat still feature a great scorer on the floor in Jimmy Butler, who ate their lunch last spring. If the Heat are the opponent, it will be a physical-drag ’em out series.
IF IT’S PHILLY
The 76ers are an interesting match-up. They are vastly different from the team the Knicks last saw in early March, when New York cruised to a 109-76 victory on March 12. The Knicks went 3-1 against the Sixers in the regular season.
The big difference was the absence of Joel Embiid who missed two months due to knee surgery to repair an meniscus tear. He returned to the floor in April, and played well in five games, before skipping the season finale against the woebegone Nets as a precaution. He is expected back for the postseason.
Embiid averaged 30 points per game in April, which is impressive considering his injury status.
Tyrese Maxey (25.9 ppg) and Tobias Harris (17.2 ppg) can also be a handful to deal with defensively.
KNICKS HEALTH
With the exception of the ailing Randle, the Knicks are fairly healthy. They will have OG Anuoby in the lineup. Add Donte DiVencenzo, Josh Hart, and Bojan Bogdanovich into that lineup for New York, with Jalen Brunson at point, and it could be tough for Philly.
If it’s Knicks-Sixers, expect a fun series.
