After defeating the Miami Heat in miraculous, come-from-behind fashion on Friday, the Knicks now have a 2-1 record in In-Season Tournament play.
They project to go 3-1 hosting the reeling Charlotte Hornets in their group stage finale at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday.
The Knicks have played the Hornets twice this season and have defeated them by an average of 13 points.
Point differential will be critical for the Knicks in their pursuit of the In-Season Tournament cup championship.
There are still many hypotheticals determining whether or not the Knicks will advance to the knockout rounds in Las Vegas, but they did themselves a favor defeating the Heat on Friday.
Here’s what you need to know:
The Knicks can only secure an automatic In-Season Tournament berth under the following scenario: a Milwaukee Bucks loss to the Heat on Tuesday, with a Knicks blowout victory over the Hornets.
The Bucks have a point differential of plus-39 to plus-18 for the Knicks. If Milwaukee were to lose to Miami by one, the Knicks would need to defeat the Hornets by 21 to win the point differential over the Bucks and leapfrog them in the Wild Card standings.
The Indiana Pacers have clinched an automatic berth with an undefeated 4-0 record, the Bucks are 3-0 and can clinch with a victory in Miami over the Heat on Tuesday, and the Orlando Magic hold a 3-1 record after stunning the Boston Celtics on Friday.
There is a five-way tie between the Celtics, Cavaliers, Nets, Heat and Knicks in the East among teams that aren’t on track to secure an automatic bid to Las Vegas.
In the event of such a tie, point differential is used to determine which team will advance as a Wild Card in each conference.
The Heat project as underdogs against Giannis Antetokounmpo, Damian Lillard and the Bucks; the Cavaliers matchup against the Atlanta Hawks is a toss-up; the Nets will host the scrappy, athletic Toronto Raptors; and the Celtics, who have a point differential of zero, must blowout the Chicago Bulls by close to 30 points if the Knicks secure a double-digit victory over the Hornets on Tuesday.
A Heat blowout over the Bucks and a Knicks blowout over the Hornets could position New York for an unlikely automatic berth for the knockout rounds in Las Vegas.
WHAT ARE PLAYERS SAYING ABOUT THE TOURNAMENT
If it looks, feels and sounds like a playoff game, the NBA might have a hit on its hands.
Knicks star Julius Randle was complimentary of the league’s newest midseason wrinkle for the second time this season after Friday’s victory.
“It was fun. I think the In-Season Tournament brings a little extra juice. I don’t know. It was fun, it was good to get a win. It was the first one for the in-season on our home court so it was cool,” he said postgame. “Yeah it felt like we was fighting for the playoffs, it was cool.”
Immanuel Quickley, the game’s hero with 20 points off the bench, echoed Randle’s sentiment.
“It felt like a playoff game. Felt like a playoff atmosphere,” he said. “Nothing like being in The Garden when The Garden is rocking like that. You get chills throughout the game and stuff like that. So, it’s great to be part of.”
Knicks star RJ Barrett, who secured the game-winning stop on Jimmy Butler, said the tournament gives regular-season games more meaning.
“Everyone’s fighting for something,” he said. “I think the In-Season Tournament has made, especially these games, a lot more competitive, and I’m happy to come out with the win.”
Jalen Brunson said he’s excited there’s something else to win.
“As a competitor, you always want to win whatever is in front of you. No matter what it is,” he said. “So, just another opportunity really. Put me anywhere, I’m playing whoever.
“It was great. Court was better than I thought it would be. Fans were amazing as always. Happy they were behind me to get this win.”
