With the 118-109 win over the Washington Wizards, it propelled the New York Knicks to punch a ticket to qualify for the 2023 playoff arena. This marks the second time in three seasons that the Knickerbockers will compete again against fellow contenders.
As such, coach Tom Thibodeau is reminding his troops to be focused on their “next step” following a playoff seat security.
“Our job is to put the work in each day. But there’s no trick to this, there’s no magic to this, there’s no shortcut to it,” Thibodeau said postgame, via New York Post’s Peter Botte.
“It’s a great accomplishment because it’s one of the goals, one of several. It’s the next step along the way. So, keep going, and that’s where the focus is. We know how important the next game is. So get ready for Indiana. But just keep checking the boxes as we go.”
The Sunday victory elevates New York’s record to 46-33.
By looking at the Conference record, they can still finish the regular season with a higher seed but won’t be lower than sixth place. As they are ranked fifth in the East, they may be poised to face the higher Cleveland Cavaliers heading to the first round.
“It’s a great feeling. It’s something you strive for,” Jalen Brunson said about the Knicks’ entry to the postseason. “You want a chance to compete. The fact that we get further on in our season is great. But we’ve still got a lot of work to do.
“I think first and foremost we want to finish the season as strong as we can. Even getting in the playoffs we don’t want to coast. We want to continue to get better, continue to find ways to make each other better and make sure we’re staying focused as we’re going forward. That’s what’s most important.”
With Julius Randle still out and RJ Barrett taking a leave due to a non-COVID sickness, the Knicks continued to rely on Brunson’s offensive lead. After exploding for a career-high 48 in last Friday’s win against the Cavs, the combo guard followed it up with 27 markers and eight dimes.
Quentin Grimes also contributed with his 27 points, while both Immanuel Quickley and Obi Toppin had 22 and 21, respectively.
New York will look to end the regular season on a high note as they are scheduled to face the Indiana Pacers on the road this Wednesday.