The New York Knicks are under no illusions about the importance of securing home-court advantage for the Eastern Conference playoffs, with Friday’s win over the Brooklyn Nets keeping them in the race for the No. 2 seed series.
The Knicks tied the Milwaukee Bucks at 49-32 with their 111-107 victory at Madison Square Garden, increasing their chances of playing at the iconic venue during the playoffs.
Jalen Brunson had 30 points and added 11 assists as the Knicks won four straight, with Josh Hart adding 16 and Mitchell Robinson adding 15.
The result moved New York into the top four, with the Bucks’ subsequent 125-107 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder keeping their chances of finishing second in the East alive.
While the Bucks own the head-to-head tiebreaker, the Knicks must beat the Chicago Bulls in their season finale on Sunday and hope Milwaukee loses on the road against the Orlando Magic. If both teams lose, the Cleveland Cavaliers could usurp them again.
Asked about the importance of playing at home, Hart said: “I heard the lights were really bright at MSG during this time, so that’s really important for us.”
Coach Tom Thibodeau, however, said the team can’t control anything other than its own results: “We want to cross the finish line, that’s the way we look at it. We want to get better and play better. our best.”
With Giannis Antetokounmpo sidelined with a left calf injury and Damian Lillard out with left adductor soreness, the shorthanded Bucks let the Knicks into contention with their loss at Paycom Center.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 23 points and Chet Holmgren added 22 as the Thunder cruised to victory, establishing a 17-point halftime lead that they never seemed likely to relinquish.
Asked about Milwaukee’s failure to clinch second place, Bucks coach Doc Rivers said: “I don’t have much reaction. We have to race to the finish line.
“The good news is, whatever happens, we’ll be home for the first game. We know that.”
This result was also important in the race for the lead in the Western Conference, with the Thunder now locked in a three-way tie with the Minnesota Timberwolves and Denver Nuggets.
It’s in Oklahoma City’s hands heading into the season finale against the Dallas Mavericks, with Mark Daigneault’s team ahead in the three-way tiebreaker.
“I think big exponential jumps come from small incremental steps,” Daigneault said after Friday’s game. “I talk about stacking all the time and we really try to live that.
“We’re just trying to have a good day in the day that’s in front of us, have a good possession in the possession that’s in front of us, a good game in the game that’s in front of us and just be very present in the process of improving and competing.
