Typically, teams clinch a playoff spot with a win.
The Knicks just did it with a loss.
Despite a 126-113 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday — New York’s fourth loss in its last seven games — the Knicks were beneficiaries of Miami’s 122-112 victory over Atlanta on Thursday. The seventh-place Hawks officially fell to 10.5 games behind New York with just 10 games left on the Knicks’ schedule.
Which means no matter how many games the Knicks lose down the stretch — and without Jalen Brunson, Miles McBride or Cameron Payne, they could drop a few — the Knicks will not have to participate in the Play-In Tournament. They can fall no lower than sixth.
Yet, amid a season defined by injury after injury, this is hardly a moment for celebration.
Because while the Knicks can’t slip into the Play-In, they can still fall — and fast.
And if they do, their path through an already grueling Eastern Conference playoff field only grows steeper.
With Detroit leapfrogging Milwaukee into the No. 5 spot, the No. 3 vs. No. 6 first-round playoff matchup has a new look. A Knicks victory over the Bucks on Friday would accomplish two crucial goals: slowing the surging No. 4 Indiana Pacers, who now trail New York by just 2.5 games, and solidifying the Bucks’ current position at No. 6.
“Of course you want to move up in the standings; you never want to move backward,” said Karl-Anthony Towns. “One: It’s important for standings, just to have that seed. But two: we want to end the season winning. We want to be in a good spot, feeling good about our games, and as a team feeling good about ourselves. So it’s important these last 10 that we ramp up and get ourselves ready for the next step.”
Milwaukee is viewed as New York’s most favorable first-round matchup: The Bucks are reeling after Damian Lillard’s unfortunate diagnosis of deep vein thrombosis, casting doubt on his availability for both the remainder of the regular season and Milwaukee’s playoff run.
Without Lillard’s explosive scoring and clutch playmaking, Milwaukee instantly becomes a far more favorable playoff opponent.
The Knicks are already 2-0 against the Bucks this season, both victories coming by margins exceeding 20 points.
The Pistons are a different story.
New York is just 1-2 against No. 5 Detroit, a team now waiting ominously should the Knicks fall to fourth.
If Indiana catches the Knicks in the standings, New York faces the danger of a far tougher first-round matchup.
And still, there’s a twist: Even if the Knicks drop to No. 4 and manage to defeat Detroit, a looming second-round showdown with the top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers awaits instead of the reigning champion Boston Celtics if they were to hold onto the No. 3 seed.
The Cavaliers present insurmountable challenges of their own (New York is 0-2 against Cleveland this season) but are viewed as a less daunting second-round opponent than Boston — a franchise fresh off its first title in the Jayson Tatum-Jaylen Brown era.
So, the scenario unfolds clearly: If the Bucks keep losing without Lillard and the Pistons remain in the fifth seed, staying at No. 3 gives the Knicks a gentler first-round series — but then an imposing second-round matchup against Boston.
On the other hand, if the Knicks fall to fourth — a real possibility with three more back-to-back sets still on their schedule — they’ll first face a grueling battle with Detroit, followed by a demanding series against the Cavs.
Both paths could lead to a second-round exit, but one route clearly carries greater first-round risk.
Tom Thibodeau’s teams never like to look beyond the next game. Winning remains the sole priority.
Yet, with the playoffs looming and the Eastern Conference standings shifting beneath them, the Knicks’ postseason fate now doesn’t only hinge on their health.
Styles make fights, and the Knicks could have a say in which style they want to see.
