Mar 12, 2025; Portland, Oregon, USA; New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) talks to his teammates during the second half against the Portland Trail Blazers at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-Imagn Images

nba

New York Knicks Playoff Chances: Can the Knicks Qualify for the Playoffs?

The next team that could add their name to the list in the East is the New York Knicks.

The NBA regular season enters it’s final stage of the season and the table has started to shape up for the playoffs. With two powerhouses, the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Boston Celtics already booking their playoffs berth in the East, the battle for remaining six heats up. On the other hand Oklahoma City Thunder are the only team in the West to reserve their tickets for the 2025 NBA playoffs.

The next team that could add their name to the list in the East is New York Knicks. However, the Knicks have suffered three defeats against the Celtics and two against the Cavaliers in the ongoing season. With Jalen Brunson sidelined, the Knicks struggled to move past against the Trail Blazers and have now suffered a defeat against Golden State Warriors.

How Can Knicks Secure a Playoff Spot?

The New York Knicks currently have a record of 42-24. The teams that are ranked 7th and 8th in the the East are Atlanta Hawks (32-35) and Orlando Magic (31-37).

If the Knicks win six more games, they will officially clinch a spot in the NBA Playoffs, regardless of other results.

However, If the Knicks lose all their remaining games, they can still secure a playoff spot if:

Atlanta Hawks (32-35) lose at least six of their remaining games.
Orlando Magic (31-37) lose at least four of their remaining games.

When Can Knicks Secure a Playoff Spot?

Given their current standing, the Knicks are projected to clinch a playoff berth by March 31.

New York Knicks’ Strengths

The Knicks rely heavily on Jalen Brunson who has performed way better than the expectations. When going gets tough, the Knicks pass the ball to Brunson to provide them with a moment of magic. The 2025 All-Star is among the favorites to win the 2025 NBA Clutch Player of the Year, scoring 145 points and recording 23 assists in the NBA clutch time. Also hitting two game-winners this season. Before going down with the injury, Brunson was averaging 26.3 points, 3.0 rebounds and career-high 7.4 assists per game.

Adding Karl-Anthony Towns worked wonders for the Knicks as he made the 2025 All-Star game and averages 24.2 points, career-high 13.2 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game. The seven-foot big man has been shooting lights out from the three-point line, making 2.1 threes per game on 42.2% shooting from the perimeter.

New York Knicks’ Weakness

The hustle trio of Josh Hart, Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby has played vital roles for the franchise in the ongoing season. The trio ranks in top-six for most minutes played per game in the regular season, Hart at first, Bridges at second and Anunoby at six.

However, this also suggests that the Knicks have a weak bench depth and the head coach shows less trust in the bench players. The franchise has dropped the least points from the bench, 1394 as of March 14 games and the next team is ahead by close to 300 points which is a major sign of concern for the franchise.

Jalen Brunson

NBA 2024-25

New York Knicks

Suryansh Kumar

NBA/WNBA Writer

nba

wnba

Hello, my name is Suryansh, and I write NBA/WNBA content for ThePlayoffs. I love sports, which is why I write and I love the NBA because of the stats. My aim is to find unique stats and perspectives to provide my readers with another angle on sports.