Sunday in the NBA promised to be a wild one, as entering the final day of the regular season every single seed was up for grabs. The early window of games were going to set the Eastern Conference play-in and 4-5 matchup, with the Knicks playing the Celtics with a chance to lock down the 4-seed and the Hornets and Wizards battling for the all-important 8-seed in the play-in.
Washington managed to come back from a double-digit deficit to win their game and give themselves two shots at the playoffs, while in New York it looked for most of the night like the Knicks would handle business with ease against the Celtics reserve squad. However, a late 15-0 run from Boston brought them within one of the Knicks down the stretch, as New York was suddenly staring a disastrous collapse — and a date with either the Bucks or Nets in the first round — in the face.
However, the Knicks were able to do just enough down the stretch behind some sensational defense from Nerlens Noel and a key bucket late from Reggie Bullock to give New York a three-point cushion.
N🚫EL pic.twitter.com/pe4dBjeTOy
— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) May 16, 2021
As a result of the win, we now have the first playoff series set in stone, as the Knicks will be the 4-seed and host the Hawks in the 5-seed, after Atlanta clinched the Southeast Division with Miami’s loss to the Bucks on Saturday. The Knicks swept the season series with Atlanta, 3-0, but their last meeting — and the only one since Atlanta’s big second half turnaround — took overtime for New York to get the win. Having a Game 1 at Madison Square Garden is going to be tremendous, and with the way these two teams have played of late, this figures to be a very good and competitive series.
