Knicks Face Tough Path to Repeat Eastern Final Run

The Knicks entered the playoffs last year as a 50‑win team and reached the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in 25 years. This season they can still finish as the No. 2, No. 3 or No. 4 seed in the East, but the Celtics currently lead the standings by 2.5 games, making a No. 2 seed difficult to achieve. The Knicks are guaranteed a home opener, but a third‑place finish could mean a road second‑round series in Boston.

They will close the regular season with games against the Celtics, Raptors and Hornets. The Knicks’ final seeding will determine their first‑round opponent and whether they must travel to Boston for the second round.