With the playoffs around the corner, questions and hypotheticals surrounding potential matchups have been a hot topic.
While there are still a few potential outcomes, tonight’s matchup between the Knicks and Raptors could end up playing a large role in deciding who New York plays in the first round. So let’s break it down.
If the Knicks win tonight, it would ensure that they are no lower than the third seed, with a potential move
up to the second seed being unlikely, but still mathematically possible. A win against the Raptors wouldn’t automatically decide who they play in the opening round, but it would make a Knicks vs. Raptors first-round series more likely.
If the Knicks lose tonight, the Raptors’ road to the fifth seed becomes much clearer, and there’s a very good chance that leads to the Knicks likely facing the Hawks in the first round.
If the Hawks beat the Cavaliers tonight, their hold on the fifth seed will become stronger. That may seem like a tough task, but the Cavaliers are sitting Donovan Mitchell and Jarrett Allen, making their quest a bit easier. If that happens, though, we might have to wait another day to know where all the dominoes fall, depending on the Knicks-Raptors outcome.
If the Hawks lose, though, that would yield a clearer scenario where Atlanta becomes the likely Knicks’ first-round opponent.
So to sum it up:
- If you want a Knicks-Raptors first-round matchup, root for the Knicks to win and the Hawks to win.
- If you want a Knicks-Hawks first-rounder, root for the Raptors to win and the Hawks to lose.
