The New York Knicks defeated the Bulls in OT 121-119 Sunday afternoon, clinching the No. 2 seed in the playoffs. Jalen Brunson scored 40 points, solidifying his career-best season, and many fans and affiliates around the NBA are embracing the accolades that the Knicks have achieved. This is the first time they were coached under Mike Woodson since the 2012-2013 season. This is also the last time the Knicks won 50 games in a season.
The playoff race was so tight that the Knicks, Bucks, and Cavaliers' seeding resulted in the season's final game.
After the eventful final game of regular-season basketball, the East’s seeding order will be No. 1 Boston, No. 2 New York, No. 3 Milwaukee, No. 4 Cleveland, No. 5 Orlando, No. 6 Indiana, No. 7 Philadelphia, No. 8 Miami, No. 9 Chicago, and No. 10 Atlanta.
With this win, the Knicks play the winner of the Miami Heat or Philadelphia 76ers match in the Play-In Tournament for their opening-round matchup, which kicks off this weekend.
Some speculate whether this Knicks win will lead them to a more difficult road to the finals. Some even believe the Knicks should’ve lost the game to face a less competitive matchup in the first round, just like the Cavaliers. Head coach for the Knicks, Tom Thibodeau, refused to tank for a lower seed, solidifying the Knicks at No. 2 in the East.
The Heat and the Knicks have some history with one another. The Heat defeated the Knicks in six games in the conference semifinals last year. The Knicks won the season series against Miami this year, though. On the other hand, the 76ers have won three out of four games this season against the Knicks due to numerous injuries for the Knicks.
If the Knicks lost, they would’ve faced the Pacers, who are far less experienced than the other two teams they will face in the Eastern Conference Quarter-Finals. They'll find out if they're playing Philly or Miami on Wednesday.
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