Getting into Friday’s matchup in opposition to No. 1 seed Cleveland Cavaliers, the Knicks owned the Jap Convention’s No. 3 seed with their regular-season schedule set to finish on Sunday.
Like many groups within the NBA, the Knicks had gamers on the harm listing as Tom Thibodeau prepares his squad for a deep playoff push. Karl-Anthony Cities was dominated out pregame, whereas Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart and OG Anunoby entered Friday as questionable.
Whether or not Thibodeau will proceed resting his gamers into Sunday’s matchup in opposition to the Brooklyn Nets is to be decided.
“That’s a medical question. It’s all day-to-day. Game to game,” the Knicks head coach stated if these gamers on the harm report would miss Sunday’s regular-season finale.
With the Knicks locked right into a playoff spot, the earliest they’ll play will likely be on April 19. The additional days of relaxation, in fact, brings up the age-old subject of relaxation vs. rhythm.
“That’s always the question that everyone has. It’s rest vs. rhythm,” Thibodeau stated. “I think each team has to make the decision for what’s best for their team. And in our case, we’re relying on the medical — if a guy needs time right now, he gets it. But until you lock up your seed, you have to keep going. And I think it’s important to understand that. But keep fighting to run through the finish line.”
The potential DNPs may see the Knicks fall into the No. 4 seed, which the Indiana Pacers held getting into Friday. The Pacers, who entered Friday a recreation again of the Knicks, rested their key gamers for a matchup in opposition to the Orlando Magic: Tyrese Haliburton, Myles Turner, Andrew Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith and Ben Sheppard.
The transfer seemingly retains the Pacers in a extra favorable postseason image: a first-round matchup in opposition to a Milwaukee Bucks workforce lacking Damian Lillard and a potential second-round matchup in opposition to the Cavaliers — and never the defending champion Boston Celtics.
The Knicks must take care of Cade Cunningham and the Detroit Pistons, a workforce loaded with confidence after defeating the Knicks Thursday and successful the season sequence, 3-1.
And the reward for defeating the Pistons in a bodily best-of-seven sequence: a No. 2 seed Celtics workforce that the Knicks failed to determine for everything of the 2024-25 season.
For a Cavaliers workforce that locked up the No. 1 seed days in the past, all of the noise beneath them doesn’t even matter.
“Just glad we’re not involved,” Atkinson stated earlier than taking over the Knicks at Madison Sq. Backyard.
The ex-Nets head coach admitted pregame that star guard Donovan Mitchell would’ve been within the lineup if his workforce was preventing for playoff positioning. Mitchell sat alongside Ty Jerome, Sam Merrill and De’Andre Hunter.
“I look at the West, I’m like, ‘Oh my gosh.’ … But that’s what makes pro sports great, like every game counts down to the wire,” Atkinson stated. “Then you got the play-in so you got those teams. So it’s pretty cool.”
Within the Western Convention, the No. 3 seed Los Angeles Lakers entered Friday a recreation forward of the Denver Nuggets and Los Angles Clippers, who’re each tied for fourth and fifth, respectively, in standings. Sixth-seeded Golden State Warriors, seventh-seeded Memphis Grizzlies and eighth-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves all entered Friday tied and only a recreation behind the fourth and fifth seeds.
The jockeying because the season winds down is an added pleasure for followers and offers groups an incentive to keep away from dreaded play-in event spots.
The Knicks head coach approves.
“I think when [the NBA] went to the play-in, it added interest for all the spots,” Thibodeau stated. “Everyone’s fighting for something right now. Whether it’s the play-in, the playoffs, home-court [advantage], which I think is good for the league. I do like that.”
