<![CDATA[Knicks are going back to the NBA playoffs: ‘Not close to done’]]> https://usagag.com/2021/05/12/knicks-are-going-back-to-the-nba-playoffs-not-close-to-done/ Wed, 12 May 2021 22:50:44 +0000 hourly 1 https://usagag.com Knicks are going back to the NBA playoffs: ‘Not close to done’ Thank you, Boston Celtics.

The Knicks’ eight-year playoff drought ended Wednesday night without taking the court.

It’s over courtesy of their longtime rival Celtics, who lost in Cleveland, 102-94.

That brought the Knicks’ magic number to clinch a top-6 finish in the Eastern Conference to zero, taking away the sting of their crushing loss to the Lakers in overtime Tuesday.

The Knicks are headed to the NBA playoffs.
AP

“Check it off the list,” Knicks’ All-Star Julius Randle tweeted after the Boston game. “We not close to done.”

The Knicks suffered for seven straight seasons as a lottery club but Tom Thibodeau changed the culture in his first year as head coach. He has brought continuity, defense and ball-sharing to get them into the playoffs for the first time since 2013, when they were ousted in the second round by Indiana.

The Knicks (38-31) still have a lot to play for as they fight for fourth place and home-court advantage in the first round. But they won’t have anything to do with the NBA’s new play-in tournament to make it to the Big Dance and will have nearly a week off after Sunday’s regular-season finale vs. Boston.

The Knicks will finish out the regular season with three Garden games vs. San Antonio, Charlotte and Boston. And then it’s onto bigger things.

This story originally appeared on: NyPost - Author:Marc Berman

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