As the season's end draws near, teams around the NBA are putting together final pushes to either make the NBA Playoffs or improve respective seedings.
As of Wednesday, only the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Boston Celtics have clinched playoff spots in the Eastern Conference. In the Western Conference, the Oklahoma City Thunder are the only team to have clinched.
The Thunder haven't just clinched, but also clinched the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference.
The New York Knicks will take on the Los Angeles Clippers Wednesday evening with much on the line for both teams.
NBA makes New York Knicks announcement
The Knicks currently sit at No. 3 in the Eastern Conference at 45-26, while the Clippers sit as the No. 7 seed, a half-game behind the Warriors.
Before a narrow loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday, the Clippers were one of the league's hottest teams.
After a 1-6 stretch that started at the end of February and into early March, the Clippers went on an 8-1 stretch, including a five-game win streak.
Ahead of the star-studded contest, the NBA announced that the Knicks would clinch a playoff spot with a win.
The Knicks will clinch a playoff spot with a win tonight, the NBA says.
— Stefan Bondy (@SbondyNBA) March 26, 2025
That would mean that, no matter what, the Knicks will avoid the NBA Play-In Tournament.
The Knicks are coming off of back-to-back wins against the Washington Wizards on Saturday and the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday.
New York seems to be peaking at the right time.
Not only did OG Anunoby lead all scorers with 35 points against the Mavericks, but Karl-Anthony Towns and Josh Hart became the first Knicks teammates to record a triple-double in the same game.
It was refreshing to see for a team that has been accused at times of being too Jalen Brunson-centric.
While the Knicks likely won't take their foot off the gas pedal even with a win, fans have to be thrilled with what lies ahead for the team.
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This story was originally published March 26, 2025 at 2:20 PM.